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House Plants Foliage Plants Botany

Moses in the Cradle Care

last year

I purchased a Moses in the Cradle plant over the weekend and I am new and unfamiliar with the species. I had asked the seller how to care for the plant, as it was sold in a bottle with only water. He said that this plant can live in only tap water and no soil is required. So far from what I have seen from researching, this is not the case and the plant needs to be in soil. I am looking to see if this living in water is true and soil recommendations.

Comment (1)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
With proper care, it is fully capable of living in water only, but it would show its appreciation if you move it to a solid grow medium asap. It prefers a fast draining medium you can keep moist but never wet or soggy, and enjoys warm temps and high humidity.

The roots that form in water are very different than those that form in a solid medium, this, because water roots are full of a highly porous tissue (aerenchyma) that allows diffusion of oxygen essential to root function through plant parts above the water line into the roots. These 'water roots' are poor at absorbing water and brittle, making the transition to a solid medium more difficult than it needs to be. It is better to simply root the cuttings in a good potting medium.

Al
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Perhaps your friend will offer you two shoots? If so, root one in water, the other in soil. I've rooted both ways.. Because we're talking an unrooted cutting, place in a small pot. Slip pot in a plastic bag, with the top opened or slit. When watered, discard excess water that may leak in plastic. Roots should form anywhere between 2-3 weeks. I know a number of people who, when root cuttings, dig through soil to see if the cutting took. Don't do this. Disturbing roots only causes problems. Once you see new growth, remove plastic. BTW, plastic heats, especially in sun. Medium/bright light should do fine. I've rooted Moses/Rhoeos in north windows. But after roots formed, they went in brighter light. Good luck, they're beautiful plants with pretty cradle-like flowers/seeds. Toni
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T. pallida http://allthingsplants.com/plants/view/206476/Purple-Queen-Tradescantia-pallida/ T. spathacea http://allthingsplants.com/plants/view/86950/Oyster-Plant-Tradescantia-spathacea/ (renamed from Setcreasea and Rhoeo in the 80's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradescantia ) An etiolated T. spathacea: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1464696/oyster-plant-tradescantia-spathacea-pruning-and-propagation I think it's probably T. spathacea because the back of the leaves are still purple, the leaves are slightly ribbed. When T. pallida fades, it fades on the bottom of leaves too. A similar specimen: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1478134/my-plants An extremely etiolated T. pallida to compare: http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2011/04/28/timmijo/4c42bc.jpg
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