How to care for a Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa)
My first ti plant
Early Polynesian settlers first brought the ti plant to Hawaii. The plant is native to tropical Southeast Asia and Pacific wetlands. The leaves are used in many different ways including roof thatching, food wrapping, clothing like skirts and sandals, cattle feed, dishes, medicine, liquor, even sleds for kids!
The ti plant is planted around homes in Hawaii for good luck, and the leaves are sometimes worn to frighten away evil spirits and attract good ones. In Hawaiian mythology they are associated with the god Lono and the goddess Laka, the leaves are still used in sacred rites even to this day.
The ti plant can be placed 3 to 5 feet away from the window. Make sure that it’s not near a vent or a drafty area so that it does not dry out. When it comes to watering, they like it to be moist, but not flooded. You can also spray it every day with water. As far as soil goes, a well-draining potting mix is going to be your best bet. You can add some peat moss, and Perlite to improve drainage. When it comes to fertilizer, you don’t need to do too much. You can just add the tiniest little bit of deluded fertilizer. Finally, when it comes to propagating, you can take cuttings and plant the canes in pots of sand combined with your choice of peat moss or Perlite. Another method involves putting the canes in 1 inch of water with a bit of fertilizer and if you do that method you’re going to want to change the water every once in a while in order to avoid root rot. Plant the cane in a container with well-draining potting soil before the roots become long enough to break easily.
Pictured above is my ti plant. I currently have a light on it. I hope that will help during the dark winter months, and it also brings out the beautiful red color in the leaves. I bought my plant at Lowe’s garden shop on sale for five dollars. I have found that there’s always a small stand at Lowe’s that has plants on sale at truly incredible prices.
I got the above information from the website Epic Gardening. Kevin who writes that website is really an expert. He knows much more than I do. I just looked on the Internet, and found his site, so I think you should know where I’m getting this information. I feel bad because I spent hours trying to paraphrase this, and it ended up sounding almost exactly like the original. Oh well, at least I’m telling you where I got the information from. At least I am citing my source, so I hope that sufficient to keep things aboveboard. Please click the link below, and get the information from a real expert!
