The String of Pearls, moreover known as the Curio Rowleyanus, is a unique trailing succulent. If I were to name one plant that has my heart, it would be this one. I think it is the most trappy houseplant!
The plant originates from the southern tip of Africa, and its uniqueness makes this plant a favorite for plant parents. String of Pearls is a creeping succulent that has untried balls for leaves (they squint like peas)!
In this post, I am going to share some tips on caring for a string of pearls. I will moreover share some other species of this plant family at the end of the post.
Related: Love plants? Learn how to superintendency for Rubber Trees, Snake Plants, Chinese Money Plants, Fiddle Leaf Figs, Air Plants, Monstera Plants, and Golden Pothos.
Table of Contents
Potting
When you get a string of pearls from a garden store, what’s next? You will need some well-draining succulent soil mix, which you can buy at most garden centers. It has a mix of soil and sand.
The sand helps aid in soil aeration and lets the water spritz increasingly freely through the soil. I moreover like to put some uneaten perlite in my succulent soil.
Perlite is found in nature and is unquestionably worked by volcanic eruptions. Perlite is unconfined for helping your soil phlebotomize the water out faster, as well.
For pots, get one that is well-nigh the same size (definitely not smaller) or a tiny bit worthier than the plastic pot that it came in (it will likely come in a plastic hanging basket). I like to use a terracotta pot or an earthenware pot.
The most important speciality when choosing a pot is that it must have a drainage slum so the water has a way of escaping. If the water cannot escape the pot, then there is a good endangerment the plant could die due to stuff waterlogged.
Next, mix up your soil with a couple of scoops of perlite and have it ready to go. Take your pot and put a little soil in the bottom.
Next, thoughtfully remove your string of pearls from the pot by gently placing your hand on top of the plant, slightly wiggle the pot until the plant pops out.
You might lose a few pearls (leaves) in this process, but that’s OK! Place your plant in the pot and make sure the plant sits well-nigh plane with the pot’s rim. I put the roots well-nigh 1 centimeter under the rim and the pearls are all on top of the rim.
Don’t let the plant lay lower than the pot’s rim considering water can pool on top of the leaves.
The plant loves to drink up light and trail over the whet of the pot. Once you have the crown of the plant placed correctly, take the uneaten dirt and backfill virtually the plant. I like using a chopstick to push lanugo the dirt virtually the plant.
Once you’re washed-up backfilling the dirt, the string or pearls will likely need untangling (especially if you have a long one). Be patient during this process. If I slightly tug on a stem it could snap!
Carefully squint for a whole stem and gently untangle it so it lays draping over the pot. I go virtually the whole plant until all stems are untangled. You will probably lose a few increasingly pearls during this process too, but it’s OK!
Note: Plane though this plant has lots of wondrous qualities, string of pearls plants are toxic for humans and pets if ingested. If a teardrop (leaf) falls off a stem onto the floor, then I will quickly pick it up so my dog does not eat them.
Light
The string of pearls likes a unexceptionable and sunny environment in your home. An east or west facing window will work great. I place mine right near a window so they can drink up lots of light.
Try to stave placing it near any vents or drafty parts of your home (near a door opening up in the winter, etc.). It will not like any kind of lattermost air temperatures self-glorification on it. During the warmer summer months, you can moreover put it under a sun porch or covered porch to soak up unexceptionable indirect light.
Direct sunlight could shrivel your plant, so try to stave it sitting in the sun for hours on end or they will get scorched. When temps uncork to drop, bring your plant indoors.
Before you bring it indoors, unchangingly trammels for pests or bugs. When I was bringing in my succulents from our covered porch at the end of summer, I found a victual woebegone widow hiding under a leaf. This has happened to me then a couple of years later!
My lesson was learned quickly so thoroughly inspect any plant surpassing you bring it when into your home.
Watering
Figuring out a watering routine and getting to know your plant’s schedule will really pay off. String of pearls do not like to get soaked or sit in water for long periods of time. I like to say that I “moisten” my string of pearls instead of watering them.
This helps remind me that they don’t need excessive water. The plant has a shallow root system, so often the top half of my string of pearls pot needs water. I use a small vessel with water in it and lightly water over the whole top of the plant.
Overwatering the string of pearls will be the biggest killer to your plant. You can tell if a plant is overwatered by the leaves looking squishy or they lose their deep untried verisimilitude and wilt a bit translucent and soft.
If you are shopping for a new string of pearls, be mindful of this. You’ll want a plant with deep untried pearls and soil that is not waterlogged.
Not sure when to water your string of pearls? It really depends on where you live and humidity levels. Dryer climates will require increasingly water and vice versa.
You can test the soil by sticking your finger in a part of the soil to trammels moisture levels or lift your pot to see if it has any weight from holding water.
Make sure your water temp is lukewarm to tomfool (think of rainwater temp). The string of pearls will not tolerate lattermost unprepossessed or hot temps when watering.
They love to be watered commonly in the spring and summer months (during its growing season), but when off on frequent watering in the fall/winter months. The string of pearls likes to dry out but not be unorthodoxy dry.
How can you tell when it is unorthodoxy dry? The dirt virtually the circumference of the pot will pull yonder from the pot. If this has happened, no worries, requite it a watering and try to water your plant sooner next time to stave the dirt drying out too much.
If this happened multiple times, it could stupefy your leaves and plant’s root health. Another speciality of root health is root rot. This can be detrimental to your plant.
Root rot happens when the roots stand in water too long and they sooner rot and die. It can be a very sad and slow death for a string of pearls.
If you suspect that your plant has been sitting in water for too long and it might have root rot, pull it out of the pot to inspect the roots. If the roots are firm and grayish white, that is great. If they are mushy and squint blackish, then your plant likely has root rot.
If it’s not too far gone, you can try to snip the sufferer roots off and leave the healthy, firm ones. Placing the plant in fresh (not waterlogged soil) will help as well.
What is the weightier kind of water to use? If you are using tap/city water, you can leave your tap water out in an unshut container for 24 hours so some of the chemicals evaporate. After 24 hours, the water is cleaner and healthier for your plant!
Fluoride and chlorine can build up in your string of pearls root system, so this method of leaving your water out will pay off in the long run. Using filtered water or placid rain water (if you can) is a unconfined option, too!
If you have well water, then your plant will love that. My friends who have well water have THE weightier plants.
Propagating
You can propagate the string of pearls three ways! The first way is by using water. First, find a healthy stem. I like to use stems that are at least 4-5 inches.
Using wipe scissors or wearing shears, cut your stem. Remove any beads well-nigh 1.5-2 inches from the marrow of the cutting.
Leave the stem laying out for 24 hours so the fresh cut on the end of the stem can form a callus. Make sure it stays out of any sunlight during this healing period.
After 24 hours, place your fresh wearing in water. The side of the wearing with the removed leafs can be placed in the water. Alimony the remaining pearls whilom the water line.
Be sure to transpiration water unendingly it gets cloudy and rinse out your vessel. Place in a sunny spot in your home. After 3-4 weeks you should see little roots sprouting from the cutting!
Wait until the roots are at least 1 inch long surpassing you plant it in dirt. Once it is ready to be potted, use a small terra-cotta or soil pot with good draining cactus/succulent soil.
I like to use a chopstick to create little holes for the newly rooted plant. Moisten lightly and your plant should start growing.
The next way to propagate is by using dirt. Using the same methods as above, you will snip your plant, wait 24 hours, and instead of placing it in water, place your plant in soil (well draining, succulent soil).
Use a chopstick (or pencil) to create a fresh slum for your new cutting, tuck the dirt virtually the plant. I like to mist my plant to alimony the soil slightly moist and not unorthodoxy dry.
After well-nigh three weeks, I requite the plant a very gentle tug to see if it is rooting. If the new wearing stays in place, then I know new roots are forming. This is unchangingly exciting! If your plant has started to form roots, then it is ready for a watering.
Another way to propagate your string of pearls is by layering. I find this tideway to be the most effective. Take a fresh pot of succulent soil, mist it, and then take a good long wearing from your string of pearls. Swirl or whorl the wearing over the top of the dirt on the pot.
Fertilizing
I like to fertilize my plant once a month during the growing season (spring and summer) using a well-turned fertilizer. I use half of the manufacturer’s recommended rate when I mix my fertilizer.
I love liquid fertilizer considering it mixes so hands with the water and I don’t have to worry well-nigh it not stuff evenly distributed in my plants.
One thing I love well-nigh this species of plant is the variegated varieties. Pictured whilom is “String of Turtles”—the turtles squint like little turtles backs. “String of Watermelons” are plump and their leaves resemble a watermelon (pictured below).
Aren’t they unique and whimsical? I hope you enjoy these plants as much as me! -Janae
