Title basically says it all. Hers is pic 1 and mine is pic 2. I got a tradescantia a few years ago and after I had it about a year I propped a piece for my mom to have. I only propped mine the once because it was going through an awkward phase and in need of shaping at one point and my Mom really admired it. I cut about 3 small pieces that were around 2-3 inches. That was around 2 years ago, mine has barely grown and both are in 6 inch pots and the foliage on hers is probably 2-3 times as much as mine. They get around the same amount of light and everything, she even had hers in the bathroom at one point until it only had 3 leaves left before I told her it needed more light than that and she moved it to a window. She has never even fertilized it either. The inter-nodal distance on mine is much smaller though so I don’t know what that means in this case. I really can’t understand why hers is so much bigger other than they just like her more idk.
by Ill-Marionberry9177
8 Comments
“Around the same amount of light”
Did you use a meter? Hers is in a window, it does get more light.. so if you want more growth, also put yours in a window?
I have to tell you I love yours! The compact size is just perfect!
Your mom’s seems etoliated. You said it, too; your internodal distance is shorter. How many plants are actually in her pot vs. your pot? Didn’t you say you put about 2-3 cuttings in her pot? Maybe hers look more full because there are more plants. 🤔 I do like yours more, it looks happier and healthier.
Hers is in a window and yours is in a bookshelf?
I also gave a prop to my Mom as mine was dying. Mine started out with tiny leaves. Hers grew huge with extremely long vines and huge leaves. Mine finally came back from death after repotting and started growing bigger leaves. Then hers grew 1000 flowers and then basically 95% died. Now mine is doing okay but is more bushy than viney and stopped growing.
Have you ever repotted yours since you got it? It was most likely treated with growth regulators by the nursery. They’re hormones which make the plant’s growth artificially slow and compact. The effect can last months or even years, and the chemicals can persist in the soil so they will last longer if it stays in the original pot.
The cuttings you gave your mom would have shaken off the growth regulators quicker in their new soil. Your mom’s plant is the one showing its real natural growth habit, and the slow compact form of yours is the “abnormal” one!
Here’s an article with more detail about growth regulators: https://tradescantia.uk/article/plant-growth-regulators/
Did you get your pot from ikea? Coz I have the same combo and it’s a match made in heaven! The colours go soooo well together!
Could it be due to pot size? I can’t really see hers, but I wonder if hers is bigger? I would consider going up a size