An indoor plant that managed to become an instant online sensation all over Instagram and other social platforms is the Tradescantia Nanouk Plant.
But what’s so special about this plant? Why are people actively looking to get this plant and keep it in their homes? Let’s find out!
The Indoor Potted Tradescantia Nanouk Plant
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Incredible Appearance and Global Trendiness
Characterized by its incredibly unique and remarkable foliage consisting of thick, lush bright green leaves with pink, white, and light purple stripey markings, the Tradescantia Nanouk is a gorgeous plant like no other.
With fuzzy-looking plump leaves growing out of its chunky stem, the Tradescantia Nanouk house plant is especially popular among women, young millennials, and cute little cafes that need such additions to create a more modern and trendier ambiance.
Apart from the stunning leaves that appear to be predominantly pink from afar, the Tradescantia Nanouk is also highly demanded for its white and yellow flowers that grow from extremely adorable pink buds.
With all this in mind, for anyone looking for a way to completely transform their living space, bedrooms, or office space’s ambiance and energy, no other plant can do a better job than the indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plant.
Patented Plant
Moreover, another extremely attractive quality of the Tradescantia Nanouk plant is that it is a highly modern plant variety that is usually not available everywhere in the world.
Unlike most other Tradescantia plant varieties, the indoor Nanouk plants have been by cross-pollinating two carefully selected seedlings of a Tradescantia Albiflora plant.
As soon as the gorgeous pink and light purple Tradescantia plants originated from the Netherlands in 2012, a patent was immediately filed.
Hence, this quality of being an exclusively patented plant in the market dramatically adds to an indoor Tradescantia Nanouk plant’s allure and global appeal.
However, although indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plants are relatively new and globally trendy plant varieties, it is essential to know that these plants are not rare.
Usually, most well-stocked and popular nurseries in the USA have a potted Tradescantia Nanouk planter easily available for purchase.
Hence, do not let any plant vendor fool you into paying more for a frequently available plant variety that is not as pricey in reality. Remember, patent-pending doesn’t warrant an insane amount of money, so stay vigilant.
High Tolerance and Low Maintenance Care Routine
Furthermore, apart from the indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plant’s undeniable and unmatchable visual beauty, Instagram trendiness, relative newness, and easy availability, people also love this plant for its simple and low-maintenance care routine.
Usually, when people see these pink-leaved and white-flowered Tradescantia plants, they assume that these indoor plants will require more attention, skilled care, and around-the-clock maintenance.
However, fortunately for all plant enthusiasts, the Tradescantia Nanouk plants are extremely easy to maintain and keep alive.
As a matter of fact, the Tradescantia Nanouk plant is a natural fast grower that needs to be watered relatively infrequently and can survive under different types of sunlight (direct and indirect).
Hence, as long as your pink plant is placed in the right part of your house, feel free to travel around for work or with friends without having to worry about your indoor planter’s premature death. The plant can survive for about a week without regular watering.
However, although this popular indoor potted bushier plant is quite the pretty little fighter, improper care measures, continuous neglect, fungal infections, or a pet infestation that includes spider mites can ruin the plant’s appearance and shorten its lifespan.
Therefore, if you’re looking to enjoy the company of your bright green and pink-leaved Tradescantia Nanouk plants, it is essential to pay attention to their unique needs.
Continue reading to learn more about the Tradescantia Nanouk care routine and propagation process.
Moreover, the article also highlights the common signs of distress and neglect displayed by this popular trendy plant, along with shedding light on the primary reasons why this beautiful plant gets affected in the first place.
Finally, the article sheds light on some helpful care tips that will help you nurse your indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plants back to health.
Let’s get started!
Caring for a Nanouk Plant – What You Need to Know
As discussed above, an indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plant’s unique and feminine appeal should not be mistaken for plant sensitivity or delicacy.
Instead, this plant continues to impress its caretakers with its shocking resilience and adaptability.
However, just because an indoor plant is easier to care for, it does not mean that continuous neglect or lack of care will not eventually kill the plant.
Hence, to help you care for your trendy plant, the basic Tradescantia Nanouk care routine is listed below:
Infrequent Watering
In general, most indoor plant species do not need as much water as most outdoor species do. However, when inexperienced plant parents make the mistake of generalizing this information, they often end up neglecting their plant’s watering needs, killing them in the process.
Hence, before you proceed with following the same watering schedule for your indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk as you do with your other house plants, focus on the information that pertains to this patented plant’s unique requirements.
Just like its parent plant, the indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plants are best adapted to growing in slightly damp soil. Hence, the best practice is to add water to your planter using a controllable water spray, that too, after a five-to-seven-day break.
The goal is to only water the thick-stemmed plant once its soil dries out completely. However, what happens when the modern descendent of the Tradescantia Albiflora is watered more frequently than required?
Since the Tradescantia Nanouk’s roots will only absorb the water molecules according to their capacity, all the excess water will accumulate inside the pot.
This makes the soil moist and results in a slower drainage process. When nothing is done to sufficiently dry out the potting soil, the chances of a dangerous fungal infection are amplified, which can thus result in root rot.
What is Root Rot in Tradescantia Nanouk Plants?
Unlike most water-dependent planters that manage to use up every last drop of water available in their pot, the Tradescantia Nanouk plants take up a very small amount.
As the excessively moist conditions invite and harbor fungal reproduction throughout the soil, the roots get engulfed and begin to rot. This is known as root rot.
When a majority of the roots rot and die, not enough water gets carried up the plant’s leaves and stem. As a result, the light purple leaved Tradescantia Nanouk begins to dehydrate.
If such conditions continue, the plant not only loses its plumpness and ability to remain upright, but it also fails to photosynthesize enough glucose, which is the food it needs to survive.
Eventually, the entire indoor potted Tradescantia Nanouk plant loses its visual appeal and dies prematurely.
Hence, planting this beautiful tropical planter in well-draining soil and ensuring that water is provided only after the dense soil fully dries is critical for plant health.
Direct Sunlight Exposure
No matter which indoor plant species you have at home, the sun’s light will always be needed to begin the process of photosynthesis and food production.
Just like the Tradescantia mother plant, the Tradescantia Nanouk is also well-adapted to surviving on bright indirect light that can come through a filter or a window.
If the plant is placed outside under the direct sunlight of the full sun, the color of its bright green and pink leaves begins to fade.
This happens as too much light can often overheat a planter, causing it to transpire out more water than usual.
Hence, if you wish to keep your Tradescantia Nanouk plants healthy and vibrant, refrain from leaving them out under any direct light.
Instead, place your planters on a window sill or in a partially shaded garage to allow its leaves the opportunity to soak as much indirect light as they can.
Not only does the bright indirect light keep the plant healthy, but it also helps in chlorophyll production, which gives the plant its unique color.
However, if you live in a region where providing the plant with indirect light becomes challenging due to weather conditions, investing in a solar lamp is the best tip.
The solar lamp will help provide the needed warmth, and its bright indirect light will also help the plant produce its food.
However, if given the option between a solar lamp’s bright indirect light or the sun’s natural light, the sun will always win.
Humidity Levels
As explained above, the Tradescantia Nanouk thrives in moderately damp soils that are watered only after they dry up completely.
Hence, if the planter is grown in an excessively humid environment, and the Tradescantia plant’s soil fails to rid itself of the extra moisture, adding any more water will lead to root rot.
Similarly, if the atmospheric humidity is too low, the plant owner needs to be aware of the water transpiring out of their Tradescantia Nanouk plant’s leaves down a concentration gradient.
In such cases, if the plant owner fails to water their plant more frequently than just once a week, the planter will develop brown leaf tips and will dry up completely.
Hence, for ideal growing conditions, the external humidity should be maintained around 40 to 60%.
Warmer Temperatures
The Tradescantia Nanouk grows best during the spring and summer seasons when the weather is generally warmer.
Placing the planter next to cold and drafty windows will affect and inhibit new leaf growth and might freeze up the moisture within the soil, causing the planter to dehydrate.
Hence, the best tip is to place the Tradescantia Nanouk under sufficient bright indirect sunlight to keep it warm and healthy.
However, too much heat can lead to a severe case of plant burn, which will result in excessive water leaving the leaves in an attempt to bring down the internal temperature.
Hence, refrain from placing this fast grower right next to any cold windows or dry and hot heat vents.
Fertilizer Requirements
In general, the Tradescantia Nanouk is a fast-growing house planter that does not require frequent fertilizing to survive and grow.
However, if the plant owner wishes to facilitate healthier and faster growth, especially during the spring and summer seasons, using a well-rounded and highly nutritious house plant fertilizer will do the trick.
However, since the Nanouk plants will be sensitive to too much houseplant fertilizer, it is essential that the fertilizer is diluted to half before adding it to the plant’s soil.
Add one portion of the houseplant fertilizer to an equal portion of fresh water to ensure that the houseplant fertilizer is diluted sufficiently.
Pot Drainage
No matter how much water a house plant needs, good drainage is key to ensuring the planter lives a long and healthy life.
If the Tradescantia Nanouk is planted inside a pot that lacks sufficient drainage holes, the accumulated water will cause root rot and premature plant death.
Hence, plant the Tradescantia Nanouk inside well-draining soil and a pot with adequate drainage holes to ensure good drainage.
Perhaps the best potting mix that ensures excellent drainage and helps retain the needed moisture is none other than orchid bark.
Orchid Bark
Orchid bark is usually used with an orchid fertilizer, which helps create the ideal environments that help the soil remain sufficiently damp and well-nourished for healthy plant growth.
However, despite its use, the plant may suffer due to the drainage hole being clogged by overgrown roots. When this happens, it is high time the Tradescantia Nanouk gets repotted.
Repotting
Since the Tradescantia plant is a fast grower, keeping it in the same pot for too long can affect its health and growth.
If the patented plant is limited to the same potting mix and pot, its growth rate will be slowed down, and its overgrown roots will clog its drainage holes.
Hence, if you care to see your Tradescantia Nanouk planter retain its beautiful purple and green markings, repot it in a larger vessel and a fresh batch of potting mix at least once every year during the growing season.
Propagation by Stem Cuttings
Plant parents across the globe love their Tradescantia Nanouk plants for their ability to be propagated quite easily.
Usually, a Tradescantia Nanouk propagation can be carried out by an inexperienced plant owner, and the success rate of a new Tradescantia parent growing from its propagated cuttings is quite high.
Hence, in order to propagate Tradescantia Nanouk from its stem cuttings, follow the steps below:
Use a pair of pruning shears to cut long portions of the Nanouk stems
Remove all leaves from the bottom of the stem
Place the stem cuttings inside a glass of water while ensuring that the top foliage is not submerged with the rest of the stem
Wait a few weeks until you spot new root growth
Replant the cuttings into separate containers of fresh potting mix, and provide sufficient water and bright indirect sunlight.
Pest Issues with the Tradescantia Nanouk
Just like most other plants, the Tradescantia Nanouk has to deal with the threat of a pest infestation. Spider mites are one of the most common pests that affect these plants.
Here, we’ll talk about the pests you need to watch out for when caring for a Tradescantia Nanouk and how you can deal with them if you do encounter an infestation.
Spider Mites
The problem with caring for most plant species is that both overwatering and underwatering can lead to life-threatening issues for the plant.
One of the drawbacks of leaving your plant underwatered is the possibility of it attracting all the spider mites in your home.
Once these little creatures get onto your plant, it’s only a matter of time before they spread to other plants in your home.
To get rid of spider mites, simply wash the leaves of your plant thoroughly using warm water. You may have to repeat this to get rid of the bugs.
Next, you need to spray the plant with a mixture that’s 50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% water. This will kill the bugs and their eggs.
Final Thoughts on the Tradescantia Nanouk
For plant lovers who enjoy low-maintenance care routines and unique foliage, no indoor planter could be as perfect as the Tradescantia Nanouk.
With beautiful pink and purple leaf markings, and gorgeous pink buds, the Tradescantia Nanouk is no less than a treat for the eyes.
All one has to do is plant their Tradescantia Nanouk in well-draining soil, keep the soil moist, keep the plant in bright, indirect light, and water it at least once a week to keep it well-hydrated and firm.
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