This post is a twofer. We are talking Tradescantiapropagation, commonly called ‘Wandering Jew’, and terrarium clean up. This past month I was finally able to get outside and do some plant projects I have been saving for warm weather. One, in particular, is that of my large terrarium that is really overgrown and quite frankly, gross. The clean up is a bit of a no brainer. Cut back overgrown and stretched plants, wipe down and disinfect the lid and gently clean up the glass around the outside of the terrarium.

As I was cutting back the Tradescantia, which has completely taken over, I realized this was a good time to propagate some cuttings and create a sweet little hanging plant. While I am cutting, I see all sorts of little roots searching for soil. I am not totally sure what is the best way to propagate this plant, I am going to try some on top of the soil and some in water. These little aerial roots might work well if placed on top of some moist soil. Let’s see which way works best.

Tradescantia Propagation

The Tradescantia in the water didn’t fair as much. I am sure coming straight out of the terrarium to the drier air was a big shock. The leaves became dry and crunchy and lost some of their lusters. I did get plenty of water roots so in that case, it was a success. However, the cuttings on the soil with the plastic bag grew up beautifully and attached to the soil with ease. For this plant, the soil method with high humidity is certainly the winner.

If you are into propagation, I have plenty of plants to share. Check out these posts on plant propagation or check out the SuburbanSill YouTube channel all about propagation.