How to Grow and Care for Ti Plant (Good Luck Plant)

Ti plant is a tropical broadleaf evergreen plant with colorful palm-like leaves. It can be grown as a landscape specimen in tropical climates but is more often grown as a potted houseplant. The plant is beloved for its colorful, large (1 to 2.5 feet long), fast-growing, and lasting leaves. In spring, outdoor plants may produce small six-petaled star-shaped florets on a dropping branched stem or panicle.

If grown outdoors in the garden, ti plant is best planted in the spring. It is toxic to humans and pets.

Ti Plant Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a ti plant:

• For outdoors, select a location with limited direct sunlight or filtered sunlight. Indoors, put the plant in a spot with plenty of bright indirect light.
• Plant it in soil that contains plenty of organic matter, is slightly acidic, and well-drained.
• Keep the soil moist but not saturated and water accordingly.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures below 50 degrees F.
• Fertilize outdoor plants with a complete balanced fertilizer once in the spring and potted plants monthly.
• Prune the plant as needed to keep it looking at its best or control the height of indoor plants.

Light

Getting the light exposure right with ti plant is a little tricky. Full sun provides the best leaf color, but too much direct hot sunlight causes browning of the tips and margins. Ti plant is considered a full-sun specimen (six hours or more per day), but when grown outdoors, it will benefit from being shaded during the hottest hours of the afternoon. It can, however, tolerate a location with bright filtered light for the entire day. In low-light conditions, these plants may lose some of their bright color and become greener.

When grown indoors, give ti plant as much bright indirect light as possible.

Soil

Ti plants prefer slightly acidic soil that is fertile and well-drained. Sandy or loamy soil with plenty of organic matter works well. Avoid wet or hard clay and sites with salt spray.

Water

As a garden plant, ti plant grows best in soil that is kept moist but not constantly saturated. When there is not sufficient rainfall, water deeply about twice a week, about 1 inch of water in total. Water at the soil level to keep the foliage dry. In fall and winter, water more sparingly—once every two weeks is usually sufficient.

Cover the area around the plant with a 2- to 6-inch deep layer of mulch, 4 inches from the trunk's base.

When watering potted plants, wait for the top inch of soil to dry out, then water deeply until water runs out the drainage holes in the pot. Watering once a week is usually sufficient for potted plants.

These plants are very sensitive to fluoride, so it's best to water them with rainwater or bottled distilled water. Fluoridated water may cause the leaf tips and edges to turn brown.

Temperature and Humidity

Although the plants survive a brief chill of 30 degrees F, these plants do not tolerate prolonged temperatures below 50 degrees F. Ti plant grows best where temperatures stay in a steady range between 65 and 95 degrees F. If you've moved your houseplant outdoors for the summer, make sure to bring it inside before the first fall frost.

Indoors, avoid locations with drafts from windows or doors during the winter.

Like many tropical plants, the ti plant prefers a fairly humid environment. When growing them indoors in heated rooms with dry air, set the pots on a shallow pebble-filled dish of water to increase humidity or use a room humidifier.

Fertilizer

When planted outside, feed ti plants once in the spring with a slow-release fertilizer that is well-balanced in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (8-8-8 or 10-10-10). Spread the fertilizer evenly around the soil at least one foot away from the plant's base. Water deeply.

Potted plants should be fed monthly with a water-soluble balanced fertilizer. For the amount to use, follow the product label instructions. During the fall and winter, withhold feeding, as the plant slows its growth rate.

Types of Ti Plant

There are many cultivars of ti plant available at garden centers and through online retailers. Some favorites include:

• 'Hawaiian Boy': a classic variety with dark purple to red foliage.
• ‘Florida Red’: strap-like, dark purple or red leaves variegated with a red-pink hue.
• ‘Candy Cane’: a colorful variety that features green foliage adorned in contrasting cream streaks and pink margins.
• ‘Black Magic’: a variety with deep purple-black foliage.
• 'Pink Passion': bright pink-purple, sword-like arching leaves embellished with bold pink edges.
• 'Black Mystique': leaves that are initially green, transforming to a deep purple-black.
• 'Sherbert': a cultivar with green leaves striped with pink, cream, and magenta colors.
• 'Maria': leaves that initially appear as solid magenta, then develop bright pink tips and streaks.
• 'Morning Sunshine': leaves with bright yellow, pink, orange, and green hues.

Pruning

The only essential pruning is to remove yellowed leaves as they appear. It is quite natural for old leaves to die out as the plant matures.

Cut down lanky or unattractive stalks. It's safe to shear the ti plant as low as 6 inches from the top of the soil. The cuts may seem drastic, but healthy new shoots will quickly grow.

Propagating Ti Plant

Ti plants are propagated by several methods, including layering, placing cuttings in water, division, or sowing seeds. But one of the easiest methods is rooting short stem (cane) sections. Here's how to do it:

1. Begin by taking 1-inch cuttings from young, healthy canes, using sharp pruners.
2. Plant the cane into a pot filled with arid soil, like a combination of sand, peat moss, and perlite or vermiculite. With the cane on its side, bury it to a depth that is equal to one-quarter of its diameter.
3. Keep the soil moist and put the cutting in a warm, partially sunny spot. Roots should develop from the nodes within two to four weeks. When new green shoots appear, the cutting is ready to transplant into the garden or into a larger permanent pot.

You can also propagate ti plants by placing the cuttings in water:

1. Begin by cutting a piece of healthy cane at least 5 inches long.
2. Place it in enough water to cover, but do not submerge the cane. Change the water regularly to keep it clean and fresh.
3. When the cane has developed a robust root system, plant it outdoors or in a container filled with commercial potting soil or sand combined with peat moss, vermiculite, or perlite.

How to Grow Ti Plant From Seed

Ti plant seeds are available for purchase online. Or, if you have a ti plant that blooms, harvest the berries in the spring. Either plant the berries or mash the berries lightly to extract the seeds—they may germinate faster this way.

1. Plant the berries or seeds 1/4 inch deep in a pot filled with commercial potting soil amended with sand and peat moss.
2. Place the pot in a warm, sunny location and keep the soil consistently moist. Germination takes between two and six weeks.
3. Transplant seedlings after they've established robust root systems and have grown to be several inches tall.

Potting and Repotting Ti Plant

A well-draining potting soil will work best for potting your ti plant. Any material will work for the container, but it must have several drainage holes. Potted plants grow more slowly than garden specimens, so you should be able to get by with repotting only every two or three years when you see roots beginning to grow out of the drainage holes. When repotting, choose a new container that is only slightly larger than the previous one.

As the plants become more mature, the growth rate slows and they need repotting less often. As these plants get large, they may be top-heavy and prone to tipping if growing on a deck or patio. Opt for a wide, heavy container to provide balance for taller plants.

Overwintering

If temperatures in your location fall below 50 degrees F during the winter, the plant should be potted and taken indoors or winterized. If cold snaps are possible in your region, protect plants in winter with about 6 inches of mulch covering the plant's root zone. Also, consider a frost cover or binding the leaves together to protect them from harsh wind exposure or freezing water gathering in the recesses of the plant.

Whether growing indoors or outdoors, withhold feeding in the fall and winter, as these plants naturally slow their growth rate during this time.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Common pests to look out for are fungus gnats, mealybugs, mites, scale insects, and thrips. To prevent insect infestations, wipe the foliage regularly with a clean damp cloth. Drenching the soil with pesticides will control fungus gnats, mealybugs, and scale, but spraying the foliage works best for mites. In shady or soggy conditions, the plant attracts snails and slugs.

Ti plant is susceptible to a variety of fungal diseases, such as leaf spot, especially when growing in soggy soil and crowded conditions. Avoid overhead watering and provide good air circulation.

Common Problems With Ti Plant

Ti plant is generally a fairly trouble-free plant, but you may notice these problems:

Browning Leaves

The most common cultural problem with ti plant is browning leaf tips. This usually occurs when conditions are too dry—especially low air humidity that is common during the winter months in temperate climates. Make sure to water regularly, and either rest the pot on a pan filled with pebbles and water, or use a room humidifier.

Another cause for browning leaf tips and margins is too much fluoride in water. Use distilled water where this is a problem.

Poor Leaf Color

If your ti plant loses the foliage color that was present when you purchased your plant, reverting instead to green, it may be due to insufficient sunlight. Move it to a location where it gets at least six hours, and preferably eight hours, of direct sunlight each day. With indoor plants, using artificial grow lights helps restore the leaf color.