Setcreasia purpurea (Setcreasea purpurea), which is also called Tradescantia pallida, is directly related to the genus Setcreasia, as well as to the Commelinaceae family. It occurs naturally on the Gulf Coast of Eastern Mexico.
This evergreen perennial has succulent creeping shoots that can reach 1 meter in length. Vaginal leaves, alternately located. Simple broadly lanceolate leaves are about 10 centimeters long. The front side of the foliage is green-purple and smooth, and the back side is purple in color and has slight pubescence.
Blooms for a very long time from mid-spring to late summer. Small pink-purple flowers have 3 wide petals, which are collected in not very large inflorescences at the ends of the stems.
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Home care for netcreasia
Most often, netcreasia is grown as an ampelous plant. She is not very capricious, but it is worth considering that in caring for her you will have to adhere to certain rules.
Illumination
This plant is very fond of light, and at the same time it should be bright and diffused. However, it is recommended to put it in direct sunlight for 2 or 3 hours a day. If there is enough light for the flower, then its internodes will become short, and the leaves will acquire a rich and very effective color. But it is also possible to grow netcreasia even without sunlight, for this it needs only 16 hours a day to be placed under the light of a phytolamp.
If there is little light, then the foliage will lose its beautiful color and turn green, and the stems will elongate. Flowering will not occur in this case.
Temperature regime
In the case when the flower receives a sufficient amount of light all year round and has the same daylight hours, it can be kept at normal room temperature. However, if there is no additional lighting, the plant must be placed in a cool place for the winter period (from 7 to 10 degrees). Thus, you can protect it from stretching the stems and growing pale shoots.
How to water
It is necessary to water abundantly, however, it should be borne in mind that the ground should be constantly slightly damp, but not wet. When waterlogged, the root system of the netcreasia begins to rot, which can lead to the death of the flower. However, it is also impossible to overdry the soil. In this case, the leaves and shoots quickly lose their elasticity and begin to dry out.
For irrigation, use exclusively settled water at room temperature.
Air humidity
Increased air humidity is required, but you cannot spray the flower. The thing is that drops of liquid linger in the pubescence of the foliage, and not very beautiful whitish spots appear in these places. To increase the humidity, experienced flower growers advise pouring expanded clay or pebbles into the pallet and pour in a little water, and put a pot on top. You can also put an open container of water right next to the flower.
In winter, during the heating period, the mesh should be removed away from heating devices.
Pruning
Pruning should be done systematically before the plant begins to grow actively. It should be deep, so after this procedure, only 2 or 3 centimeters should remain from the old stems. Young shoots should also be pinched systematically in order to get a neat and lush bush.
Fertilizer
You need to fertilize the soil all year round once a month. To do this, use a universal fertilizer for indoor plants. If you feed more often, then along with a fairly rapid growth, shoots will begin to stretch out, and internodes will become longer.
Earth mix
There are no special requirements for the substrate, the main thing is that it is saturated with nutrients. So, you can purchase a ready-made soil mixture in a flower shop, choosing for this a universal soil for indoor plants. But it will be necessary to additionally add any baking powder, for example: vermiculite, sand or perlite. You can make a suitable soil mixture with your own hands, for this you need to mix sod soil, compost, as well as coarse river sand in equal parts and add a little charcoal to the resulting mixture.
Be sure to create a good drainage layer to prevent waterlogging. It is worth taking a classic pot for planting (the height is equal to the width) or one where the width is greater.
Transplant features
The transplant is carried out only as needed at the beginning of the spring, for example, when the root system ceases to fit in a flower pot. However, one should not forget that the netcreasia will grow relatively quickly (the stems become elongated and the lower leaves fly around), and therefore after a few years it is simply recommended to replace it with a young plant.
Reproduction methods
Quite easily and simply, it can be propagated by apical cuttings. For rooting, both water and soil are used. The roots appear quite quickly, after which the cuttings will need to be planted in a small pot. It is recommended to plant 3-5 cuttings in 1 pot at once, so your bush will turn out to be more lush and effective.
Diseases and pests
Pests, as a rule, bypass the netcreasia by the side, but sometimes a spider mite can settle. When infected with such a pest, the plant must be treated with a special insecticide, and the instructions attached to it must be followed.
Liana is practically not susceptible to disease. However, the tips of the leaves can often begin to dry due to low humidity and hot air currents.
Video review
The question arises all the time about the universal fertilizer. Each fertilizer has a composition: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium in different quantities. So for Setcreasia, these nutrients should be in equal amounts, or should some nutrient be more or less?