Wandering jews are of those creeping beauties that need little care and maintenance. But still, growers come along with some common problems which make this journey a bit troublesome. Either it’s the environmental stress or some mishaps.
The most searched one is related to watering. Just tell me one thing, while growing up, you must have stumbled upon one question, how often should I water my wandering jew? Right?
In today’s article, I’ll make you find some way to resolve this query. Here I’ll discuss different conditions and criteria of watering a wandering jew to keep it healthy and alive. This will include the seasons and proper time of watering along with the soil and growing stages of your plants. So, let’s not miss this.
Soil condition for watering
Wandering jew can be adapted to any kind of loamy soil. However, a well-drained and aerated potting mixture is preferable. Apart from this, soil that can hold moisture for longer without creating waterlogged conditions is the best to place a wandering jew.
Watering twice every 7 days is okay for wandering jews. One thing to remember, pot planted ones require more irrigation than garden ones. Also, the earthen pots soak up moisture from the soil faster than the plastic ones. So, your containers will also manipulate your watering schedule.
You can detect the frequency by checking the topsoil layer of the containers. Normally you may need to water when the 2.5 to 5 centimeters of the soil surface is dried down. Also in between each watering, you have to let your soil surface dry up completely.
It is advised to water the wandering jews in batches. First water the plant and let the soil soak up all of them properly. When the water is absorbed then you can put in another batch. This will ensure the wetting of all the soils and retain moisture for a longer period of time. Always keep checking the drainage hole to allow the runoff of excess water. Otherwise, you might end up over-saturating the soil.
If your plants are established in partially shaded conditions, watering once a week is enough. Sometimes the topsoil can be dried up due to low humidity. In such a case, you may have to water more frequently. Nevertheless, you need to let the top soil dry up a bit in between two different waterings.
Mulching of soil can reduce the water requirements in wandering jews. In humid regions, it’s a common practice for gardeners in conserving moisture. You probably don’t need to think about watering until the top layer of your mulches is wet and dark.
Time of the day for watering
Have you ever wondered about when to water wandering jew? It may be a bit surprising that the time of watering plants is related to their overall health.
Normally, it is suggested to water the wandering jews in the morning just after the sun rises. This is because the water from the leaf and plant surface will have the time to evaporate till the afternoon. In such a manner prolonged wetting of plants is eliminated which could cause rotting and disease infestation.
If it’s an emergency, and you need to water your wandering jews in the afternoon, just put water at the plant base. It’s good to avoid sprinkling on leaves during dark periods as water will take longer to dry up.
Watering in a different season
Wandering jews are at their fullest growth period during summer and spring. So, at this time they will need more nutrients and water. To balance such needs, watering the wandering jew once a week will be enough.
Now, what about the winters? One of the most asked questions I get from gardeners is how often to water my wandering jew in winter? Well, though wandering jews are not of those sluggish plants, but they definitely slow down their growth during winter. So, watering once every 14 days will go well.
Watering criteria for propagation
Rooting of stems and vines in wandering jew can be done in both water and soil media. After placing the cuttings in the soil you must water them. However, it’s advised to go slow but consistent with watering just after placing a cutting in the soil. Do not add too much water at once.
On the other hand, if you wish to advance the rooting in water first, keep changing the water every other day to avoid bacterial growth. After shifting them to the natural growing media, you can stick to the ‘once a week’ watering schedule.
When NOT to water?
Well, we have discussed different factors of watering. But have you ever wondered that your wandering jews also need some break from regular watering sometimes? In this segment, I’ll put some light on this issue.
Let’s start with the least talked about one, during the application time of some chemicals. Though watering right after using fertilizers is encouraged, you should avoid watering just after applying any pesticides. This can wash off and dilute the concentration of the chemicals.
Another condition when you should not spritz water directly on your wandering jew is when they are suffering from any fungal disease. This can double up the spore transmissions. So, experts recommend only water at the plant bases when needed.
After repotting, the wandering jew roots become weak and thus the plant looks thirsty. Those gloomy wilted leaves may put you on a guilt trip to water them more frequently, but hold on! This time you need to cut some watering and let them harden up for future journeys toward regular growth. It’s better to wait for a week before starting the watering.
However, wandering jews won’t mind if you skip heavy watering for some days. But never overwater them as this can create stress conditions and even kill your plants. To know more about overwatered wandering jews you can go through my article – wandering jew overwatered
FAQs
How much to water wandering jew?
There is no exact amount for watering the wandering jews. It’ll depend on the pot size or the condition of the soil. In gardens, saturate the top 1 to 2 inches of the soil with water. Same goes for the pot-planted ones. Use the necessary amount of water to drench this level.
How long does a wandering jew plant live?
With proper care, wandering jews can survive up to 2 to 3 years. However, at a later stage, they may turn leggy
How long does it take for a wandering jew to root in water?
Rooting initiates the cuttings of wandering Jews within 7 to 8 days. Nevertheless, for solid and stable roots you may need to wait for 15 days at least.
Conclusion
As long as it comes to drawing a bottom line, I think watering your wandering Jews once a week will work fine. But depending on different situations you may need to be more frequent with watering or let go of the reins for some time.
I believe that you’ll understand your plants better. Observe their needs and manage the watering schedule according to my suggestions. Hopefully, this will never go wrong. All the best!
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