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Saturday, February 15, 2003

Q. I received a Wandering Jew plant as a gift last fall. It was very full and beautiful. Within a month or so, it began to turn brown and dead-looking at the roots. If I cut all of the brown out of it, I will not have much of a plant left. Is this just the way a Wandering Jew grows, or am I doing something wrong?

A. It sounds as though your Wandering Jew (Zebrina pendula) is not receiving enough light. They perform best in very bright, indirect light. An eastern exposure, where they receive bright morning sun, is ideal. If that is not available, a western exposure where the plant is protected from the hot sun by a sheer curtain will work just as well.

	Wandering Jew plants perform best in very bright, indirect light, ideally from bright morning sun. (Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette)

Wandering Jews typically respond to low-light situations by losing their oldest leaves (those near the roots), and taking on a straggly appearance. Because light intensifies the bright colors of their leaves, the leaves of those grown in insufficient light take on a faded appearance.

Grit your teeth and cut all of the brown, dead growth out of it. Yes, that means cutting back all those long brown stems with two leaves at the very tip. Move it to a brighter location, and it should respond with a flush of new growth.

Houseplants grow slower in the winter because of reduced light levels, so we generally recommend that you do not fertilize most from October through April. In this case, you should begin to fertilize your Wandering Jew with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer such as Peters 20-20-20, fish emulsion or Miracle-Gro to encourage and nourish new growth.

You may find that it uses less water once you have cut it back severely, so be sure to feel the soil prior to watering it until you get used to its new watering schedule. As it regrows, it will begin to use more water and you will have to water it more frequently.

	Send questions to Sandy Feather by e-mail at slf9@psu.edu or by regular mail c/o Penn State Cooperative Extension, 400 N. Lexington St., Pittsburgh 15208. Due to volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

Q. I am "plant sitting" my son's bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.) for the winter. I did this last year also, but I think I need professional help. I would like to know how often and how much this plant needs to be watered, and whether or not it should be cut back now or in the spring.

Last fall, the blooms eventually dropped off, but about Christmastime, it had very nice foliage. Eventually, all the leaves fell off and I thought it was dead. But by and by, it started getting new leaves and went on to bloom beautifully this August. However, this year, I want to do it right. Can you give me any guidance?

A. Overwintering a bougainvillea indoors can be a difficult task. They must have at least four hours of direct sun daily in order to bloom, which is probably more sun than we have seen this winter. It is very common for bougainvilleas to drop their leaves indoors, mainly due to reduced light levels.

Give it the best sun you can find for it, preferably an eastern or western exposure. As for watering, it is very difficult to tell you exactly how often to water -- it depends on how quickly the plant uses water. I can tell you that it uses much more water in the summer when it is outdoors in the sun and growing and blooming actively. You must water carefully in the winter, when it is using less water, especially once it loses its leaves. There are many factors that affect how often a plant should be watered:

Potting soil texture: Light artificial mixes dry faster than those that contain soil mixed with amendments such as perlite, vermiculite, grit, sand and/or peat moss.

The ratio of pot size to plant size: Small pots with large plants require more frequent watering than larger pots. Large pots with small plants may hold too much water and create perfect conditions for root rot to start.

Type of pot: Plastic pots hold more moisture than clay pots and do not need to be watered as frequently.

Air temperature: Plants grown in cool temperatures (50-60 degrees) use less water than those grown at warmer temperatures (70-80 degrees).

Humidity levels in your house.

How much light the plant receives.

Whether or not the plant is actively growing.

The best advice I can give you is to feel the soil. If it is moist, do not water. If it is dry, go ahead and water it. Bougainvilleas should receive just enough water in winter to keep the soil mix from drying out.

As for pruning the bougainvillea, it is best done in spring. At that time, it can be cut back hard, back to two or three buds on each shoot. You should not prune it hard while it is trying to survive indoors for the winter. That said, it is fine for you cut it back enough so that you can live with it comfortably. Bougainvilleas have sharp thorns, and you understandably want to trim it back enough so that it is not a threat to anyone who has to walk by.