How to Grow the Oyster Plant and Its Benefits

If you really like plants, Oyster Plant cannot be missing from your home. It is one of those plants that you can have both indoors and outdoors because it is very adaptable.

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It is a plant native to Mexico and Central America, characterized by thick, lanceolate or linear leaves about 30 cm long and 7 cm wide, with dark green and purple. During the spring the flowers bloom at the end of each stem.

Location

Indoors: if you choose to enjoy it indoors, you should place it in a bright room, away from drafts.
Exterior: you must place it in partial shade, since it burns in the sun.

Soil

Pot: A good mix would be a substrate with 30 % perlite.
Garden: Grows in soil rich in organic matter and well drained.

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Irrigation

It does not support drought, but care must be taken not to flood it. So, to avoid problems, it is best to check the humidity of the soil with a thin wooden stick.

The top layer of soil dries out quickly because it is the most exposed. But, this can lead to confusion, since we might think that the plant needs watering only because the substrate seems to be dry, which is not the case.

In addition, every time it is watered, avoid wetting the leaves, especially during autumn – winter, and if it is indoors they could easily rot.

Pass

From the beginning of spring to the end of summer it should only be fertilized with organic fertilizer for its medicinal properties, but if you are only going to use it as an ornamental you can fertilize it with universal fertilizer for plants.

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Multiplication

Tradescantia spathacea is multiplied by stem cuttings, and sometimes by seed in spring.

Cuttings: you must cut a stem with leaves with the help of a previously disinfected serrated knife. Then, impregnate the base with rooting hormones, and plant it in a pot with vermiculite or other similar substrate. Place the pot in partial shade and keep the substrate moist, but not waterlogged. In this way its roots will come out after about 20 days.
Seeds: you must fill a seedbed with specific soil and sow a maximum of 2 seeds in each well spaced hole, covering them with a little soil.

Plantation or Transplantation

The ideal thing to plant it in the garden or change its pot is in spring, when the frosts have passed.

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Medicinal

It has antiseptic properties, so it can be used to treat sores and wounds. Also, it is effective against cough as it is a good natural antibiotic.

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