Wandering Jew is all gangly and spindly....

Saren · #1 May 17th, 2006, 03:54 AM

Every time I try to grow a wandering jew, it always becomes mostly stalk and very little leaves. Is there anything I can do to promote it to become bushy and full, with big leaves in clusters like it was when I got it from the shop?

Oh! Another funny thing I noticed about WJs. They like sounds. I had a green one bunking up in the same pot with a baby spider plant and one of its tendrils wanders down to the lowest cone of the speaker. I let it sit there, because it looked nice, and after a while that tendril grew no more leaves in favour of growing the one leaf in front of the cone into a HUGE leaf, about 5 inches long or so (where the rest on the plant were 2 inches). It really liked it, but alas, had to be cut back and repotted because it started to look funny and gangly. See above about funny looking, gangly wandering jew.

Does anyone find the green ones to be easier to keep alive than the purple ones? It seems to be the case for me.

Also, how often should they be receive new soil?

**globalist1789** · #2 May 17th, 2006, 10:28 AM

It will help you to cut them back at times. You can root the cuttings easy. That will help keep it bushier.

Saren · #3 May 17th, 2006, 10:49 AM

Do you know of any fertilizer that is especially formulated to promote growth of foliage?

**globalist1789** · #4 May 17th, 2006, 11:02 AM

Anything that is high in nitrogen. But that will make the stem grow too. I use regular houseplant food. Cutting it back is the key. That's how the greenhouse got it to look as it did when you bought it.

Saren · #5 May 17th, 2006, 11:50 AM

Good to know. I cut all three of them back today and merged them into two. We'll see if it works out. They're supposed to be very easy to propagate, yet when I cut back and replant, my plant seems to suffer.

**wild-rose-43** · #6 May 18th, 2006, 01:03 AM

What kind of light are they getting? Wandering Jews need a few hours of direct sun every day or their stems will elongate and look gangly.

As globalist1789 says, cutting back will help your plant to bush out. You don't necessarily have to cut it back severely, just pinch out an inch or two from the growing tips to encourage side shoots.

A standard liquid fertilizer applied every 2 weeks from early spring to late fall will help too.

Saren · #7 May 18th, 2006, 05:29 PM

They get direct sunlight only in the later afternoon (4pm on) and indirect natural light the rest of the time. However, where I lived previously, they didn't get much light as the window, though south facing, faced the garage. It was winter, though, so I was hoping they wouldn't grow during that period. No matter where I live I have the spindly problem with them, and small leaves, so I'm going to try clipping the tips and see if that helps.

whitepine · #8 May 19th, 2006, 03:12 PM

hi,I hate to give advice,but if you feel like me any comment will do if its true. my sister in law gives her wjs tea her left over in the cups every now & then and a egg shell or 2 dropped in the soil,if they are not doing to good hopefully this wont hurt.

**globalist1789** · #9 May 19th, 2006, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitepine

hi,I hate to give advice,but if you feel like me any comment will do if its true. my sister in law gives her wjs tea her left over in the cups every now & then and a egg shell or 2 dropped in the soil,if they are not doing to good hopefully this wont hurt.

Perhaps... but I bet she cuts them back too ;)