Unraveling the Wonders of Inch Plants: A Comprehensive Care Guide

The Inch Plant, scientifically known as Tradescantia zebrina, is a captivating and resilient houseplant that has become a favorite among plant enthusiasts for its vibrant foliage and easy care. Also commonly known as Wandering Jew or Spiderwort, the Inch Plant adds a touch of elegance to any indoor space. In this detailed guide, we will embark on a journey to explore the intricacies of caring for Inch Plants – from understanding its common names and varieties to essential care tips, propagation methods, potential problems, and fascinating facts that make it a standout in the world of indoor plants.

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Unveiling the Peace Lily: A Comprehensive Guide to Serenity in Greenery

The Peace Lily, scientifically known as Spathiphyllum, is a botanical masterpiece that graces homes and offices with its elegance and serenity. This ever-popular indoor plant is not just a decorative addition; it's a symbol of peace and tranquility. In this detailed guide, we will delve into every aspect of caring for the Peace Lily – from its various varieties to essential care tips, propagation methods, potential problems, and fascinating facts that make it a standout in the world of indoor plants.

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The Complete Guide to Dendrobium Orchids: Care, Varieties, and Expert Tips

Dendrobium orchids, renowned for their diverse and vibrant blooms, are a fascinating addition to any orchid enthusiast's collection. In this extensive guide, we'll delve into the intricacies of caring for Dendrobium orchids, exploring everything from the various varieties to essential care practices, propagation methods, and troubleshooting common issues. Let's embark on a journey into the captivating world of Dendrobium orchids.

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Phalaenopsis Orchids: A Comprehensive Guide to Care, Varieties, and Tips

Phalaenopsis orchids, commonly known as "Moth Orchids," have become one of the most popular orchids for both novice and experienced growers. With their elegant, long-lasting blooms and relatively straightforward care requirements, Phalaenopsis orchids are an excellent choice for orchid enthusiasts. In this detailed guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about caring for Phalaenopsis orchids, from selecting the right varieties to addressing common challenges.

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Ultimate Guide to Oncidium Orchids: Care, Varieties, and Pro Tips

Oncidium orchids, commonly known as "Dancing Lady Orchids," are prized for their stunning, intricate flowers and diverse varieties. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the ins and outs of caring for Oncidium orchids, from essential cultivation practices to troubleshooting common issues. Let's dive into the vibrant and fascinating world of Oncidium orchids.

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The Complete Guide to Terrestrial Orchids: Cultivation, Varieties, and Expert Tips

Terrestrial orchids, a unique subset of the orchid family, captivate enthusiasts with their ground-dwelling habits and diverse, intricate blooms. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of caring for terrestrial orchids, exploring everything from essential care practices to troubleshooting common issues. Let's embark on a journey into the fascinating world of terrestrial orchids.

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How to take care of a Jade Plant

How to Grow a Jade Plant

Jade plant, scientific name Crassula Ovata and commonly called as lucky plant, money plant/tree is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Properly taken care these plants live for a long time, sometimes 50+ years and are very easy to propagate. Many websites claim these plants cleaning up toxins in your house when used as indoor plants, but i have not come across a scientific page citing the same.

Click here for more information on Succulents Care and Tips.

If correctly shaped these plants can me made to look like a bonsai with very minimal effort, and they can maintain the shape for a long duration as they tend to grow very slowly. Native to South Africa and Mozambique, these plants are mildly toxic to Humans, Pets & Horses. With the right conditions these plants show up with some pretty pink/white blooms in Winter. Like other succulents, Jade plants have evolved to store water in their fleshy leaves and stems and do well with very less water.

Choosing the right Jade Plant

Signs of a good Jade Plant are 

• Leaves that are in good shape with healthy vibrant colors. Leaves with red edges indicate a stressed Jade plant, read more about it below. 
• No Sunburnt/Dead or Soggy Leaves(Translucent with mushy skin) 
• No Insects
• Absence of Etiolation:- Plants without tall stretched stems and distant nodes. Leaves that are clustered and close to each other. 
• Leaves that are not drooping and bent over.

Best Pots for Jade Plants

Like other Succulents, Jade plants thrive well in pots made with breathable material like Clay or Ceramic with a good drainage hole. Plastic, Glass are other options but they will end up retaining water for a longer duration compared to clay pots. As you are just starting with a succulent its good to go with a regular pot, once you become adept in growing Succulents and Cacti you can start exploring DIY pots made out of broken household decor and re-purposing glass bottles 

The size of the pot for your jade plant matters. Large pots tend to hold a lot of moisture and may cause significant root damage and rot. Its good to investigate once in a while by picking up the pot to ensure that the base is not sitting in a puddle of water. For good growth, choose a pot slightly larger than the plant that way the roots and the plant grow in balance. 

What kind of potting mix is good for Jade plant

Any regular Cactus and Succulent potting mix can be used  but they tend to hold moisture for a longer duration. You can increase drainage by adding some extra perlite/Lava rock/Pumice or Aquarium stones. Along with this add some gravel or pebbles at the bottom of the container to further increase aeration and drainage.

How frequently to water Jade plants

For Jade plants, Do not follow schedule when watering like other Succulents, Let the plant tell you when it needs water. If the bottom leaves are firm you can postpone watering by a couple of days. If they are soft and supple go ahead and water your plant. The general rule of thumb is to let the potting mix go complete dry between watering or once about every 2 to 3 weeks. You will do more harm to your jade/succulent by over-watering rather under-watering.

How to propagate Jade plant

Jade plants can be easily propagated by leaf or stem cuttings.

Leaf Cuttings: Look for healthy leaves that have naturally dropped off from the mother plant. Once the broken edge callouses, put them on a sheet of paper outside in indirect sunlight. After a few days you will see a tiny plant with or without roots. You don't need to water or mist the tiny plant as the leaf will continue to provide the necessary nutrition for the growing baby plant. Once the leaf has fully wilted and there are adequate roots on the plant it can be planted in a proper planter and the regular care and watering can start.

Stem Cuttings:  For stem cuttings, ensure the cut completely dries out for a few days in indirect light. Cutting in an angle reduces water retention from rain or regular watering compared to a flat cut, thus reducing the healing time for the cut. Just like the leaf cutting, roots and tiny plants sprout from fallen leaf nodes. Pot the plant once the roots are formed.

How many Varieties of Jade plant

Some of the other common jade plant types are 

• Gollum Jade
• Hobbit Jade
• Hummels Sunset 
• Variegated

How to stress Jade plants

Jade plants and Succulents come from deserts and dry areas, where they are exposed to harsh sunlight and high temperature for many long hours with no access to water for most of the time of the year. The soil that they normally grow in, also lacks a lot of necessary nutrients for the plant.

So just like humans, Jade plants do well under stressful conditions and they do it beautifully. Mimic the natural conditions that they are evolved to thrive by reducing the water significantly and increasing the exposure to direct sunlight and you can get your jade plant to pop bright hues of Red & Bright Orange. To avoid sun burn, gradually increase the sunlight exposure on a weekly basis for a plant which has mostly spent indoors. Its not inhumane to stress a succulent, its natural.

How to prune a Jade Plant like a Bonsai

KISS, Keep it simple, stupid. Jade plants by the virtue of being a succulent already look like a mini bonsai. The less you shape them the better the finished tree would look.

Choose a well established Jade plant with a thick trunk. Spend some time studying the plant from various angles. Take a few pictures and visualize how you would like to see your jade plant as a bonsai after being pruned. Start by pruning old unwanted growth and large leaves. making room for light and air into the center parts of plant. Cut through stems that do not form part of your final tree and you can grow these stem cutting into new plants. Even though Jade plants look woody, the stems mostly comprise of watery flesh so be careful when you wire them to force shapes.

 If you decide to wire the stem ensure its loose and does not eat into the plant. Let the wounds from the pruning and cutting naturally heal, and as Jade is not a succulent they will do well with less watering. 

As a final word, you need to really put a lot of work to kill a jade plant. These plants are easy to care for and do well under neglect and less attention.  So water less, and give them lots of sunlight. 

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Getting Started with Succulents

Succulents are some of the easiest plants to grow. These drought resistant plants can be effortlessly grown both indoor and outdoors and they thrive with limited care and attention. Succulents or "Trouble Free" plants as I call them are from dry and arid environment, Hence they have adapted to store water in their fleshy leaves and stems. If you just got a succulent and not sure how to take care of it, you are at the right place.

Best Succulents for Indoors 

• Aloe's
• Hens & Chicks
• Snake Plant
• Zebra Plant
• Kalanchoes 
• Jade Plant
• Burro's Tail
• Sedum

Choosing the right Succulent

Signs of a Good Succulent

• Leaves that are in good shape with healthy vibrant colors.
• No Sunburnt/Dead or Soggy Leaves(Translucent with mushy skin) 
• No Insects
• Absence of Etiolation:- Plants without tall stretched stems and distant nodes. Leaves that are clustered and close to each other. 
• Leaves that are not drooping and bent over.

Best Pots for Succulents 

The best pots for Succulents are the ones made with breathable material like Clay or Ceramic with a good drainage hole. Plastic, Glass are other options but they will end up retaining water for a longer duration compared to clay pots. As you are just starting with Succulents its good to start with regular pots, once you become adept in growing Succulents and Cacti you can start exploring DIY pots made out of broken household decor and re-purposing glass bottles 

The size of the pot for your succulents matters. Large pots tend to hold a lot of moisture and may cause significant root damage and rot. Its good to investigate once in a while by picking up the pot to ensure that the base is not sitting in a puddle of water. For good growth, choose a pot slightly larger than the plant that way the roots and the plant grow in balance. 

What kind of potting mix is good for Succulent

 Any regular Cactus and Succulent potting mix can be used  but they tend to hold moisture for a longer duration. You can increase drainage by adding some extra perlite/Lava rock/Pumice or Aquarium stones. Along with this add some gravel or pebbles at the bottom of the container to further increase aeration and drainage.

How frequently to water Succulent.

Do not follow schedule when watering Succulents, Let the plant tell you when it needs water. If the bottom leaves are firm you can postpone watering by a couple of days. If they are soft and supple go ahead and water your plant. The general rule of thumb is to let the potting mix go complete dry between watering or once about every 2 to 3 weeks. You will do more harm to your succulent by over-watering rather under-watering.

What kind of light is good for Succulents 

As I mentioned earlier in the post, Succulents are from dry and arid climates so they prefer warm temperature and good amount of light. Continue caring for your plants indoor near a window facing bright natural light or display the play under strong artificial light. Plants growing under artificial right, need to be rotated once every few days to ensure proper growth and to avoid imbalances. Plants growing outside should not be exposed to more than 6 hours of direct Sunlight.

How to Stress Succulents 

Succulents come from deserts and dry areas, where they are exposed to harsh sunlight and high temperature for many long hours with no access to water for most of the time of the year. The soil that they normally grow in, also lacks a lot of necessary nutrients for the plant.

So just like humans, succulents do well under stressful conditions and they do it beautifully. Mimic the natural conditions that they are evolved to thrive by reducing the water significantly and increasing the exposure to direct sunlight and you can get your succulents to pop bright hues of Red, Yellow & Bright Orange. To avoid sun burn, gradually increase the sunlight exposure on a weekly basis for a plant which has mostly spent indoors. Its not inhumane to stress a succulent, its natural.

Aloe's, Kalanchoe's & Jade plants are some of the easiest succulents to stress compared to others.

How to Propagate Succulents 

Succulents can be easily propagated by leaf or stem cuttings.

Leaf Cuttings: Look for healthy leaves that have naturally dropped off from the mother plant. Once the broken edge callouses, put them on a sheet of paper outside in indirect sunlight. After a few days you will see a tiny plant with or without roots. You don't need to water or mist the tiny plant as the leaf will continue to provide the necessary nutrition for the growing baby plant. Once the leaf has fully wilted and there are adequate roots on the plant it can be planted in a proper planter and the regular care and watering can start.

Stem Cuttings:  For stem cuttings, ensure the cut completely dries out for a few days in indirect light. Cutting in an angle reduces water retention from rain or regular watering compared to a flat cut, thus reducing the healing time for the cut. Just like the leaf cutting, roots and tiny plants sprout from fallen leaf nodes. Pot the plant once the roots are formed.

Other common ways of propagating are division of cluster and from seeds.

What are the common problems with Succulents

Here are some of the most common problems and a quick fix solution for them. 

• Root  & Crown Rot : Caused by Over-watering, reduce the frequency of watering
• Wilted Leaves : Caused by less watering, Increase watering. 
• Scaring on Leaves : Excessive Sun light, probably because the plant was suddenly exposed to more sunlight. Put the plant in shade and gradually increase sun light. 
• Etiolated & Stretched plant : Less light, Put the plants where it will get more light than what its getting now. 

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How to Care for Poinsettia

Poinsettia's are the quite essential Christmas Plants, the reds adding new dimensions of color to your home and warmth to your hearts during the cold winter months. People mistake the bright red leaves as flowers, they are scientifically called as Bracts and are meant to attract insects to the tiny yellow flowers. These beautiful plants are staples of the holiday florist trade and they are very easy to find for cheap. Although traditional poinsettia in red are sought out, Newer hybrids in exciting and interesting colors are being introduced every year, so get ready to see some new ones on the shelves of your department store very soon. Just like Kalanchoe, Poinsettia are also photoperiodic short day plants. They will bud only when the nights are longer than 14 hours, you don't need any special equipment or room to achieve it just put them in a dark closet and that should do it.

In most of the cases, these beautiful plants end up as compost after New Years which is unnecessary, with some care and effort you can have the same plant rebloom year after year. Now time to learn some tips and tricks on how to take care of these beautiful holiday plants.

Word Of Caution

 Poinsettia's sap is allergic, If you have sensitive skin always use Gloves when working with them. 

What kind of Potting Mix is good for  Poinsettia

From my experience Poinsettia dont prefer any particular potting mix. Any regular houseplant potting mix can be used and some extra perlite can be added to increase the drainage.Along with this add some gravel or pebbles at the bottom to further increase drainage. If the plant is in a good size pot you dont need to repot until April-May when you typically see new growth, if not go ahead and repot them early and always ensure the new pot you choose is one or two sizes large than the current one. Its also a good practice to prune the plant while repotting, Make your stem cuts in an angle and  at about 5-7 inches or two leaf nodes per stem above the ground. You can use these stem cutting to grow new plants thus multiplying your collection.

Tip : Cutting in an angle reduces water retention from rain or regular watering compared to a flat cut, thus reducing the healing time for the cut.

What kind of light is good for Poinsettia

As Poinsettia are from tropics, they prefer warm temperature and good amount of light. Continue caring for your plants indoor near a window facing bright natural light or display the play under strong artificial light. When the temperature outside gets above 65 you can move the plant outside, move the plant back if the temperature crosses above 75. Also ensure the plant does not get direct sunlight for more than 2-3 hours.

How frequently do you water Poinsettia.

Poinsettia can be let to dry between each watering. Do not overwater, or you might end up with root rot.

How to Get Poinsettia to Rebloom. 

Its mid September, your plant has good new growth and you are very happy with your effort and the amount of care that you have given. To get your poinsettia to grow those beautiful bright red bracts(leaves) you need to stress it. You start by reducing the watering frequency, you continue this till mid October. Right around this time, you need to move the plants indoor and into a dark closet or cupboard. As I had mentioned earlier Poinsettia are short day plants, they flower only when the nights are longer than 14 hours. So to simulate the natural conditions the plants are used to, you need to put the plant in darkness for more than 14 hours in a 24 hour period. No natural or light from artificial source should fall on the plant when it is resting. Towards the end of November you will see the buds starting to appear, that is when you bring them out of prolonged darkness to normal day and night cycle. After a week or so you can start resuming your regular watering cycle and your plant is ready to be displayed once again. 

How to Propagate Poinsettia. 

Poinsettia are very easy to propagate with stem cuttings. Prepare your stem cutting by cutting it right below the leaf node and ensuring there are two to three leave nodes per cutting. Remove all large leaves and dip the end which has the cut in a rooting compound and plant this directly in the potting mix. Stake the pot with a couple of sticks and cover them in a transparent polythene bag. In a couple of weeks you should see new growth on all the nodes. you can move each plant to its own pot when the new growth is established for a couple of months.

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Getting Started with Kalanchoe

Let me start by saying, "Kalanchoe's are very easy to take care, the only tough part is to pronounce it the way your local garden center employee does". You don't need to throw the plants after the blooms are dead. Remove the dried up flowers and take care of the plant following the instructions below and you will have bright long lasting vibrant flowers blooming year after year.

Kalanchoe are part of the succulents family, just like other succulents they are arid condition loving plants and are typically low maintenance. Even though there are many species under the Kalanchoe genus, the ones that we find in Department stores right around the time for holidays along with poinsettia's are Kalanchoe blossfeldiana.

Kalanchoe Beginners Guide and Tips. 

Pot & Soil : Kalanchoe have a shallow root system and thrive well in a good draining potting mix. They should be potted in small pots to avoid root rot and also it makes it easy to move them around the house as and when you want. Cacti/succulent soil mix can be used as substrate and you can add some extra perlite/peat moss/sand along with a  few pebbles at the bottom of the pot to increase drainage. While choosing pots, go for ones which have a draining hole at the bottom to avoid water stagnation.

Light : Kalanchoe do well in bright light but no more than 2 hours in direct sunlight. Look for etiolation, If your plant is having large gaps between each nodes with thin stems, it probably isn’t getting enough light. Fix this by moving the plant to a brighter part of the house next to a sunlit window. Read the rebloom section to learn more about on how to take care of them during winters.

Watering : Avoid rookie mistake by over-watering, let the surface get completely dry between each watering just like in the case of succulents. In winters you need to place the plants in rest so that they can conserve energy and recover for the blooming so reduce the frequency of watering.

Rebloom : Kalanchoe are photoperiodic, which means they need to have specific light conditions to get them to trigger budding. Essentially they are short day plants and naturally bloom when the nights are cooler and are longer than 14 hours. We can force Kalanchoe to bloom indoors by simulating their natural conditions, during winter keep them in dark for more than 14 hours in a given 24 hour period. For the 14 hours they should not be exposed to any sort of artificial or natural light. Also reduce watering during these times. The flower buds usually appear on 5th or 6th week after which you can start increasing the duration of light and resume watering.

Propagation : Kalanchoe are very easy to propagate, Once all the flowers have dried up and the plant has put up new leaves in spring you can get some stem cuttings. Prepare the cutting by removing the leaves on the last node and place the plant on a piece of dry paper until the cut has healed, this may take anywhere between 1 to 2 weeks. Once the cut is well healed you can plant them and increase your collection or gift the new plants to your family and friends.

Fertilization: In the growing season feed the plant with a liquid fertilizer and stop fertilizing during the winter months when the plants are resting. Resume once the buds are formed.

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