Hardly any plant can match the odd and enchanting beauty of Trachyandra Tortilis, especially as a houseplant. If so, make sure you take care and grow them properly to prolong their life and beautify your exotic plant collection.
Some of the essential tips for caring for this plant should include places (where to put it), water (when to water, how much), and soil (which type of soil is suitable).
What Is Trachyandra Tortilis?
The Trachyandra Tortilis is a strange kind of succulent plant with curly foliage or curled leaf that looks like noodles or pasta and has a long lifespan. It often grows on well-drained sandy soils, sometimes on rocky soil.
The plant will bloom in the winter or early spring. They are white star-shaped flowers, and sometimes they can have pink colors too.
This plant doesn’t handle cold very well (requires higher than 5 degrees Celsius) and can be found in South Africa. It will bloom at the moment of transition between winter and spring.
It is perfect for decorating a desk or dining table in potting cups with ribbons, and this fairy plant tree will last a very long time with careful caring and growing.
It is quite expensive, but it can make a unique gift appreciated for those who love to collect ornamental plants (indoor plants).
Trachyandra Tortilis Care
First, you should choose healthy seeds beforehand to ensure the trachyandra succulent grows well.
Trachyandra seeds are sold widely on the Internet or in stores so that you can buy them easily. Besides growing from seeds, you can find them grown from tubers or leaf cuttings.
Some basic information you need to grasp about how it grows.
- Grow from seeds, tubers, or leaf cuttings. Seedings are more popular.
- Sensitive to excess water.
- The tree needs a place with proper air circulation
- Sunlight required at least 6 hours. Indirect light is recommended.
Caring for this plant requires more effort and attention than other common succulents.
Soil And Potting
The soil used should be a fresh one with rich humus, good drainage, and permeability. You can plant the seed in sandy, well-drained, or rocky soil like any other succulents but make sure that the soil is fertile and porous.
It does not need fertilizer. However, you can still use an organic fertilizer at half a portion with garden mix soil or the other garden potting mix.
The soil surface must be airy and clean. Please gather and clean the dry and damaged leaves.
Together with soil, you can choose a suitable pot for your plant, which plays a vital role in keeping the humidity of the soil and the plant’s appearance.
The pot with a drainage hole needs changing after every 8 months, and then you can replace a new kind of soil.
Watering
Watering this plant should be gentle. You can use a mist sprayer or a spray bottle, for example.
This plant grows quickly at the end of the fall season and lasts until the early spring. This period requires more watering, so you should water it more often to help it grow fast and healthily.
Because the plant almost stops growing in the summertime, there’s no need to water it regularly. Moreover, its fleshy leaves will store water to keep it alive.
Light
The leaves are susceptible to direct sunlight, but they still need sufficient light. Therefore, exposing them to sunlight is not a good idea.
It needs at least 6 hours of lightning a day, and the ideal time is 12 hours. Lightning can be from sunlight or artificial light such as lamps or bulbs.
Humidity
As a winter grower, the plant will go dormant in the summer and has active growth in late winter. Therefore, it is advisable to provide them with minimal water to keep their humidity during this time and keep it in a warm, well-ventilated place.
The soil and the air must be humid all the time, not too dry or too wet. Remember to let the soil dry before watering it again, and you can make sure of this by using well-drained soil or a pot with holes.
Temperature
It can not withstand the cold under 41°F (5°C), and the ideal temperature range is around 59°F (15°C). Maintaining this temperature will boost the plant’s resistance to pests and diseases.
Moreover, the temperature difference partly decides the look of the plants, so at the ideal temperature, they can be extraordinary and exotic plants.
Common Problems With Trachyandra Tortilis
The problems are often related to moisture and temperature. If the soil is too wet, the humidity will force the plant to absorb more water, and the root will rot.
Besides, if you leave it potted but unwatered for too long, dehydration will make the Trachyandra’s leaves turn yellow and appear black leaf spots on the stem.
Some other common problems may happen:
- The flower does not bloom or bloom in a short time (a day)
- Getting sunburn
- Root rot
- Leave transformation, flat-leaf.
Discover interesting and amazing facts about one of the rarest succulents, the Trachyandra Tortillis”
Top Tips For Growing A Healthy Trachyandra Tortilis
Although it is easy to take care of, it is still a complex plant to grow if it doesn’t receive proper care. Here are some tips or care advice for growing a healthy one:
- The location to place the pot should be a well-ventilated, well-circulated place.
- Use well-drained sandy or rocky soils and succulent fertilizer mixed with sand to quickly drain the soil, helping the soil dry out between watering days.
- Make sure to remove the dried leaves from the pot. These leaves may steal moisture from the soil.
- Water the plant gently with a watering sprayer every 10-14 days in the summer and more often in the winter.
- Ensure the plant always has light (indirect sunlight or artificial light), but avoid exposing the plant to bright and direct sunlight.
- Every year, re-pot the plant, replace it with new soil and use a larger container to give the plant space to grow.
- In cold seasons, the plants need regular watering. Provide a lot of water, new soil, and fertilizer for plants in autumn-winter because this is when the tree grows strongly and needs many nutrients.
- In the summer, the plant does not need regular watering as the moisture requirements are low.
Conclusion
Trachyandra Tortilis is a unique and decorative plant because of its appearance and longevity. Although it’s a demanding plant, those who like ornamental plants will love its uniqueness.
We hope this sharing can help you know how to take care and grow it properly. Thank you, and I hope you can grow a healthy and happy one.
