How to Revive a Wandering Jew Plant

Look at the plant for clues to what it needs. If the leaves are bleached, show burn marks -- often brown, yellow or tan blotches -- or withered edges, it's probably receiving too much direct light. Move the plant farther away from the window or place it in a different area so that it receives filtered light, such as through a sheer curtain. If the growth is spindly, with long stems between small leaves, the plant needs more light. Move the plant closer to a window, into partial sun outdoors if it's summer, or give it 10 to 14 hours a day of fluorescent light to help revive it.

Feel the soil. The Wandering Jew, even though it can survive a lot of neglect, prefers regular waterings and barely moist soil. Use a watering can filled with filtered or distilled water and give the plant a thorough watering in the sink if the soil is dry, allowing the water to run out of the bottom of the pot. This helps to flush out excess salts. If the soil is wet, put the plant in a warm location such as outdoors or near a window in indirect light and allow the soil to nearly dry out before watering it again.

Check for damaged areas of the plant, such as withered leaves and excessively spindly growth -- thin stems with smaller than normal leaves. Clip these off. This allows the plant to focus on healthy growth when you improve its lighting or watering conditions.

Examine the plant for pests. Wash the plant with a spray bottle containing 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of dish soap or insecticidal soap if there are signs of bugs or other pests. Be sure to wash the undersides of the leaves to remove all the bugs. Transplant the Tradescantia into a new pot with sterile potting soil if there are signs of pests, such as small white larvae in the soil. Shake as much of the old soil off the roots as possible.