With these easy to follow purple heart plant care tips, you can keep it thriving for years to come!
From how much sunlight it needs, to when to water the growing medium, here are some essential purple heart plant care tips that will keep it in the best shape!
Purple Heart Plant Information
Native to Mexico, the Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida) is an ornamental plant known for its striking foliage and ease of care. This herbaceous perennial grows in dense clusters of foliage along trailing stems which makes it an excellent choice for hanging baskets, container gardens or even as ground cover.
Purple Heart Plant Care Tips
1. Have You Mastered the Art of Sunlight?
The purple heart plant thrives in bright sunlight but should not be exposed directly. So, what’s the best approach?
Well, to ensure the leaves stay vivid, place it at an east facing location, which will expose it to the mild morning sun for 3-4 hours and then, for the rest of the day, the plant can bask in indirect light.
PRO Tip: Rotating the plant every week will ensure uniform sun exposure on all side, promoting even growth, while preventing it from leaning to one side. It also results in a uniform color on all sides.
2. Its Roots Love the Water!
Another easy way to keep the plant thriving without worrying at all about the soil is to grow it in water. This also shows off its roots, gives it a more attractive appearance.
When growing it in this way, make sure to fully submerge the roots under the water. Also, change the water once every week (or whenever it starts to become cloudy) to stop algae from developing and spreading in water.
3. Make it All a Little More Humid
The purple heart plant thrives best in humid conditions (30-50%). However, misting the leaves is not a good option as it can attract fungal issues. So, what’s the best call?
First, keep its pot on a pebble tray filled with water, or second, get a humidifier and keep it near your purple heart.
4. Are You Moistening the Soil too Much?
While growing the plant in soil, it is important to ensure you are not watering it daily, nor making it go dry completely.
The best bet is to touch the topsoil every 3-4 day after you have watered the plant. If it feels a bit dry, upto half an inch deep, its time to water the plant again.
5. Keep it Away from Cold Drafts and Heating Vents
The purple heart plant loves to stay in a stable room temperature and exposing it AC or heating vents will make the matters worse for it. Also, keep it away from the window so that its leaves are not touching the glass.
6. Pruning and Propagation
In the right growing conditions, the plant will grow aggressively, necessitating the need of pruning from time to time to keep it in shape.
Pruning also frees up the space between the leaves and stems, which promotes air and sunlight penetration, keeping the plant healthy and safe from pests and diseases.
The fun part, while pruning, you will be left with many stems that you can then propagate in the same pot (to make the plant appear bushier), or different pots to have more specimens!
7. Keep it Protected
As the stems and leaves of this plant is quite fragile, keep it at a spot where it is safe from accidental brushes/touches, as it can cause the stems and foliage to break.
Also, it would be a good idea to keep it away from a windy spot, as it can disturb the plant.
