Wandering Jew plants, with the scientific name Tradescantia zebrina, are creeping evergreen plants cultivated for their colorful striped leaves that come in brilliant shades of white, green or purple. These houseplants are native to Mexico and can grow up to six feet, becoming long, trailing, indoor vines. They are also referred to as inch plants, flowering inch plants, and spiderworts. Established plants require minimal care and can thrive despite occasional neglect, but they may also be prone to conditions that cause yellowing leaves.
Common reasons for wandering Jew leaves turning yellow
Inadequate water
Yellowing wandering Jew leaves could be due to an incorrect watering schedule. If the plants have adequate light but are suffering from yellow leaves along with spots and limp stems, it is likely due to underwatering. To address this problem, increase the frequency of watering, especially during the growing season, but do allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Pests
Spider mites are a common pest for wandering Jews. They feed on the juices of plant tissue, resulting in weakened plants and yellow leaves. These pests love warm, dry areas, so the best line of defense is to mist the plants or keep the humidity high. You can spray the plants with water to remove these pests, but for heavy infestations you may have to use systemic insecticides.
Diseases
Wandering Jew leaves may turn yellow due to diseases like root rot. The most common cause of root rot is usually overwatering or too much water retention in the soil due to poor drainage. To correct this, simply water less often and amend the soil by adding perlite or coarse sand to the mix. Rocks added to the bottom of the pots can also improve drainage.
Wandering Jew plant care
The long-term health of wandering Jew plants is usually determined by soil moisture and humidity. Yellow or discolored leaves are often due to dry conditions, while constantly wet soil could contribute root rot and other fungal diseases that can also cause yellowing. The plants should be watered regularly from mid-spring up to the middle of the fall season, but cut back on watering during winter. Always ensure that the top inch of soil dries out before watering again.
Make sure that the containers have good drainage holes and make it a habit to spritz filtered water on the plants every few days to increase the humidity.
These plants do not need much fertilizer, but it should be applied every two weeks during the growing season. A good mixture is a half-teaspoon of general use, 15-15-15 fertilizer in a gallon of water. Apply in winter when new growth starts to show, but these plants generally do not need fertilizers if they are grown in the garden.
Why is my wandering Jew losing color?
Wandering Jew plants that are losing color could be lacking light. The leaves tend to fade and the plants may stop producing blossoms if they are not getting enough sunlight. You will need to relocate the plants to an area with more exposure to light.
Why does my wandering Jew have brown leaves?
Your wandering Jew plant may develop brown leaves due to a lack of humidity. These plants prefer medium levels of humidity, but can also live in homes where the air is quite dry. The leaves will start to turn brown if there is a consistent lack of humidity. The discoloration will usually start at the tips and edges before eventually moving to the rest of the leaves.
Conclusion
Wandering Jew plants are green creepers also known as spiderworts or inch plants. These trailing vines prefer slightly moist soil and thrive in areas with bright, indirect sunlight. However, they are also prone to issues that cause yellowing leaves, which may include overwatering, fungal diseases or pest infestation.
Image: istockphoto.com / Evelien Doosje