Creeping Jenny is a perennial with a small, bright yellow flowers. Although the flowers won’t last long, they are beautiful. For this reason, it is better to grow this low-growing “creeping” for its leaves, which will make an excellent ground cover.
The golden creeping Jenny is also called moneywort because the leaves are in the shape of small coins. It’s a member of the Primulaceae family and is hardy in USDA zones 4-9. It’s often confused with creeping charlie, another invasive patio plant. Although the foliage is similar to, creeping charlie has small purple flowers instead of the yellow ones found in creeping Jenny.
How to propagate Jenny Creeper
Creeping Jenny, with its vibrant green foliage and trailing habit, is a delightful plant to propagate and introduce to various areas of your garden or landscape. Its ability to spread quickly and form a lush carpet-like cover brings a touch of natural beauty and texture to any space. Propagating Creeping Jenny allows you to create visually appealing ground covers, cascading displays in hanging baskets, or striking borders along pathways. With its low maintenance requirements and adaptability to different light conditions, propagating Creeping Jenny offers an excellent opportunity to enhance the overall aesthetic of your outdoor spaces and infuse them with a charming and inviting ambiance.
1. Water the Creeping Jenny before taking cutting
Spread creeping jenny cuttings in spring as soon as new growth appears on the tips of the stems. Water the plant to a depth of 3 inches the night before you collect the cutting.
2. Prepare the Creeping Jenny growing medium
Fill a 4-inch square pot with the mixture of two parts perlite, one part sand, and one-part sterile compost. Cover the mix with the water and let it dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Take the Creeping Jenny cutting
Measure 2 to 5 inches from the tip of a cute creepy little genie stem. Cut the stem 1/8 inch below a pair of leaves using a utility knife or sharp, clean scissors.
4. Trim the Creeping Jenny cutting and dip it into rooting hormone
Pull all the leaves along the lower half of the cutting. Dip the cut end in standard talc to speed up the rooting process, if desired. Press the stem to remove excess talc.
5. Prepare the Creeping Jenny planting hole
Make a hole in the wet perlite mixture. Make the gap equal to half the length of the cut of the creeping Jenny; For example, a 3-inch amount would require a 1/2-inch-deep hole
6. Plant the Creeping Jenny cutting
Plant the cutting Place the cut end of the creeping geni cut into the hole. Push the perlite mixture against the stem. Pour a small amount of the water around the cutting to settle the perlite on the branch.
7. Protect the Creeping Jenny cutting inside a plastic bag
Place the pot inside a clear 2-gallon plastic bag. Support the load with wooden skewers to prevent it from touching the pieces. Close the bag, but cut a 1/2-inch hole in the top of the bag to allow the trapped moisture to escape.
8. Ensure proper light for the Creeping Jenny
Place the bagged pot on a windowsill in a north or east-facing window or outdoors in light shade. Protect your creeping Jenny from direct sunlight, which will dry out the leaves.
9. Monitor the Creeping Jenny moisture
Open the plastic bag daily and check the perlite mixture’s moisture level. Water whenever you feel it is barely damp below the surface. Spray the leaves with a spray bottle each time you water.
10. Test for Creeping Jenny roots
Test the roots in two to four weeks by gently pulling the stem close to the base. See if the sources are stuck in the perlite mixture. Remove the plastic bag after the creeping roots.
11. Transplant the Creeping Jenny cutting
If you are growing creeping Jenny indoors, plant the cutting in a pot filled with potting soil; Otherwise, plant it directly in the garden. Acclimate it to direct sunlight for four to six days before transplanting to avoid shock.
Will Creeping Jenny kill other plants?
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is a fast-spreading perennial plant that is known for its aggressive growth habit. While creeping jenny doesn’t kill other plants, it can become invasive and crowd out other vegetation if not properly managed.
Creeping Jenny has a tendency to form dense mats and spread rapidly, especially in moist or wet environments. It sends out long runners that root wherever they touch the ground, allowing it to quickly colonize an area. As a result, it can outcompete neighboring plants for resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients.
If left unchecked, Creeping Jenny can smother and shade out other plants, inhibiting their growth and potentially leading to their decline. Additionally, its vigorous growth can make it difficult to control and remove from a garden or landscape.
To prevent Creeping Jenny from overpowering other plants, it’s important to establish boundaries or barriers to limit its spread. Regular monitoring and manual removal of any unwanted growth can also help keep it in check. Some gardeners choose to grow Creeping Jenny in containers or raised beds to prevent it from spreading uncontrollably.
Creeping Jenny Can Indirectly Kill Other Plants
Overall, while Creeping Jenny may not directly kill other plants, its invasive nature can negatively impact their growth and survival if not properly managed.
Creeping Jenny Aquarium
You will want to meet certain conditions in your aquarium to ensure that your plants can thrive. First, the ideal temperature is the coldest water, between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius.
In terms of acidity, the creeping Jenny prefers pH levels between 6 and 8. They also like lots of bright light constantly. Before placing any creeping genie inside an aquarium, it should be thoroughly washed. Since it is often planted with insecticides to protect it from pests and damage, any traces of this should be removed from the plant before it hits the water. These insecticides can be very harmful to fish. To properly clean a creeping plant, you should immerse the plant in some water with baking soda. This will help break down any chemicals left in the plant.
