String Of Pearls Plant: How To Grow And Care For

Among many trailing plants, the String of Pearls plant has one of the most unique appearances. These succulent plants are very easy to grow and care for. The String of Pearls are known for their intriguing sphere-like leaves and these plants can also produce small white flowers in spring that give off a cinnamon-like scent.

The String of Pearls plant care is also very easy and these low-maintenance indoor plants are also recommended for novice gardeners. So, let’s see how you can grow and care for these amazing plants.

String Of Pearls Plant Care

The String of Pearls plants are highly adaptable and will grow aggressively no matter what conditions they grow in. However, being native to South Africa these plants benefit from similar conditions if you can provide that to them indoors. Here are some things that you should keep in mind to take a better string of the pearls plant care –

Water

These succulents are drought-tolerant and should only be watered when the soil feels dry to the touch. However, you should keep the soil slightly and consistently moist during spring and summer since those are the plant’s growing seasons.

You can decrease the frequency of watering in the winter. Make sure not to overwater your string of pearls plant. Keeping the plant water-logged can lead to root rot and can affect the health of the plant.

See also – How To Water Plants?

Light

The string of pearls plant prefers bright and indirect light. These plants need at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily to thrive. Place these plants in a location where they can receive soft morning sunlight and at the same time are safe from the harsh afternoon sunlight.

You can also use artificial grow lights for these plants. Keep in mind to protect these plants from direct bright sunlight as it can cause leaf scorch.

Soil

You can use any potting mix that is suited for succulents, however, a well-draining sandy soil for the string of pearls plant. Or you can make your potting mix for the string of the pearls plant care by using a pre-made mix for cactus and adding sand and perlite to it.

Make sure that your potting mix is well-drained as keeping these indoor plants water-logged can affect their health and growth severely.

Temperature & Humidity

These plants prefer low humidity levels so avoid placing them near the kitchen, bathroom, or around other plants in your indoor garden. However, too much dryness can make the leaves of these plants brittle so try placing a tray filled with water near the plant in dry conditions.

Moreover, the string of pearls plant thrives in temperatures ranging from 70-85℉ (21-30℃) so try to maintain these temperatures in your home.

Fertilizer

Use a balanced, liquid fertilizer for your plants and feed them during the growing season. The string of pearls plants should be fertilized only during their growing seasons. Over-fertilizing the plants can affect their growth pace and make them prone to many plant diseases and pest problems.

Also read – How To Fertilize Plants?

Pruning

Prune off any dead or decayed stem from the plant using sharp and sterilized scissors. You can also remove any long or leggy branch of the plant to keep it in shape and to promote new and lush growth.

Propagation

The string of pearls plant can be propagated very easily in soil or from stem cuttings. Warmer seasons like Spring and Summer are perfect for propagating these plants. The cuttings will take usually 3 to 4 weeks to develop roots. Propagating these plants from seeds can be difficult and fail.

Here are the steps you cna follow to propagate a string of pearls plant from stem cuttings –

• Get sterilized scissors to cut the stems and keep a pot that is 4 to 6 inches in size with a potting mix well-suited for succulents.
• Cut some grown (4-5 inch stems) and keep them for some days to let them dry out.
• Prepare the pot, fill it with the mix, and make a hole in the center where you’ll plant the cuttings.
• Plant the stem cuttings at least 1 inch deep and keep all the leaves out of the soil. You can remove 2-3 leaves from the cut end.
• Fill the pot with soil completely and don’t leave any space for air pockets. Wait a few days before watering the plants thoroughly.

Check out – How To Propagate Plants?

Common Problems With String Of Pearls Plant

Even though these plants are low-maintenance and hardy they still can have some problems that are mostly related to watering. This makes string of pearls plant care a little challenging for beginners. Here are some common problems with the plant that you should look out for –

• Wilting or Deteriorating Leaves are usually a sign of under or over-watering in these plants. If you’ve been frequently watering the plant and the soil feels soggy then you need to reduce the watering frequency. If the round leaves of the string of pearls plant are starting to flatten then you need to water the plants more.
• Yellow or gray Leaves are a sign of pest infestation on the plants. These plants are susceptible to certain pests such as aphids, whiteflies, mites, mealybugs, ants, and gnats. Insects usually take over when the plant is already sick or weak so you need to take a better string of plant care.
• Soggy Stems and Purple Leaves are also caused by overwatering the plants and can also lead to root rot and other fungal diseases. Let the plant dry out and see if it gets better, if not cut any healthy stems that you can propagate. Get rid of the plant remains and infected soil and sterilize the pot before using it again.

Conclusion

The string of pearls plant is a unique and beautiful plant that can be a great addition to your indoor garden. These plants are very easy to care for and can also be easily propagated to create more plants. So add these amazing indoor plants to your list and create a beautiful home garden filled with unique plants.