Creeping Charlie Plant Care
Creeping charlie is both an attractive houseplant and a loathed lawn weed. The houseplant creeping charlie is Plectranthus australis or Plectranthus coeodides also called "swedish ivy" or "candle plant." The lawn weed, creeping charlie, is a different species of plant, although it is related to the house plant. Both have rounded slightly hairy leaves, easily root from cuttings and form roots at nodes and have funnel shaped flowers. The following article will deal with creeping charlie the houseplant. Does this Spark an idea?
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What Creeping Charlie Looks Like
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Creeping charlie is a trailing plant with either solid-color medium green leaves or white-edged green leaves. The stems and leaves are fleshy, with the stems having a square shape and the leaves being heart shaped. The plant produces light lavender or blue tubular flowers in summer. The flowers are small and inconspicuous and not considered important to the plant's overall attractiveness. Creeping charlie plants can live 10 years or more; however, the average lifespan is only three to four years.
Soil and Pot Requirements
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Use a soil mix of equal parts potting mix or compost, peat moss or coconut fiber and sand. Creeping charlie likes to be slightly root bound so choose a pot slightly larger than the root ball. Make a hole just deep enough for the roots. Creeping charlie should be used as a hanging plant or placed on a ledge where the leaves and stems can cascade. Repot every three to four years.
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Light, Water and Fertilizer Requirements
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Creeping charlie needs to be in a bright room. For best growth, it should receive 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. It prefers afternoon light, but morning sunlight works as well. Water creeping charlie when the top ½ to 1 inch of soil is dry. If you are using a water catcher under the pot, discard the drained water. Fertilize creeping charlie with a liquid houseplant fertilizer from April to October according to package instructions.
Propagation
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Creeping charlie is quite easy to propagate. Take several stem cuttings that have four to six leaves per cutting. Strip off the bottom two or three leaves. Place the cutting in a container of water or directly into the potting mix of soil/peat/sand. Keep the cuttings moist if they are in soil and place in bright, indirect light. The cuttings should form roots in two to six weeks.
Keeping Charlie Healthy
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In October, when growth slows down, allow your creeping charlie to rest by placing it in a cool room where temperatures stay between 57 and 59 degrees F. Do not fertilize during this time, but do water as usual. Be sure your creeping charlie still receives several hours of direct sunlight a day. In late March, your creeping charlie can go back to its normal spot. This period of rest will prolong your creeping charlies lifespan and promote bushier, healthier growth. Creeping charlies are not bothered by insect pests.
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