If you’re a plant parent, you know how hard it can be to keep your little sprout alive. We’ve compiled this list of indoor plant care tips for Moses in the Cradle, a delightful flowering plant that will brighten any home or office space.
Moses in the Cradle is a gorgeous indoor plant. It’s easy to take care of but needs special attention. If you follow these tips, your Moses in the Cradle will be healthy and happy for years.
General
Moses in the Cradle is a beautiful indoor plant that needs special care. This plant is native to South Africa and has been used for centuries by the Zulu as an ornamental decoration. It can grow up to 3 feet tall, but it’s best to keep it shorter by cutting off some branches. The leaves are glossy green on top and light green underneath, while their edges are serrated like saw blades. When they’re young, these plants tend to have small clusters of white flowers at their tips; however, once they mature into adults, they will produce bright yellow flowers instead.
Ensure Adequate Lighting
To ensure the health of your Moses in the Cradle plant, it’s essential to consider how much sunlight it gets. If you can provide indirect sunlight for your indoor plant, that will be best.
Grow your plant all year for healthy leaves and blossoms in bright, indirect light. While the leaves will be more green than purple, they can endure reduced light levels. Keep it out of the direct, scorching sun.
Artificial lighting is also an option if you have no windows at all. You can find many different kinds of artificial lights on amazon or ebay (or even Walmart) that will do just as well as natural sunlight.
Water Properly
Keep the soil just damp from April through October. Let the potting soil gently dry out between waterings over the winter. Overwatering may result in soft, weak stems, which might eventually cause root rot. To avoid damp soil, use a container with drainage holes.
Watering frequency depends on the size of your plant, the soil it’s in, how much light it gets, and how warm it is.
- Small plants: Water every two weeks to a month.
- Medium plants: Water every one to two months in winter and once every two weeks in summer (if you live in an area with hot summers).
- Large plants: Water less frequently than small or medium ones–once every three months or so during winter, but only once every two weeks during summer (if you live in an area with hot summers).
Soil and Drainage
The soil for Moses in the Cradle should be well-drained but not so loose that it drains too quickly. If you have a very sandy soil mix, add some compost or peat moss to help improve moisture retention in your planter’s soil.
Moses in the Cradle plants prefers a warm location with plenty of sunlight–a south-facing window is ideal. Ensure not to overwater this plant, as overwatering can cause root rot and other problems that may kill your plant. Instead, allow your planter’s soil to dry out between waterings (about once per week).
Temperature, Humidity, and Air Circulation
Moses in the Cradle is a tropical plant and will require a warm location. The ideal temperature range for Moses in the Cradle is 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit (18-26 degrees Celsius). If you can’t keep your home at this range, consider using an electric heat mat under your pot to help maintain it.
These plants require a moderate environment (relative humidity of about 40%). During the winter, the air inside buildings can get incredibly dry, which causes plants’ leaf tips to brown. Instead of speculating, using a humidity meter close to your plants is a good idea. You can also use a cool-mist room humidifier close to the plant or place the pot on a humidity tray.
Moses in the Cradle also needs to be kept in a cool location. As long as you are keeping them indoors, there’s no need to worry about freezing temperatures or frost–but it does mean that you should avoid putting these plants near windows where they could get too much sun or windy areas of your home where air circulation isn’t adequate for their needs.
Conclusion
Moses in the Cradle is a beautiful indoor plant that needs special care. It can be placed near a window or on a table and kept warm and humid. The soil should be well drained but moist enough to hold moisture.