How to Care for String of Pearls Plants

The String of Pearls, also referred to as the Curio Rowleyanus, is a novel trailing succulent. If I have been to call one plant that has my coronary heart, it will be this one. I believe it’s the most stunning houseplant!

The plant originates from the southern tip of Africa, and its uniqueness makes this plant a favourite for plant dad and mom. String of Pearls is a creeping succulent that has inexperienced balls for leaves (they appear like peas)!

On this put up, I’m going to share some recommendations on caring for a string of pearls. I can even share another species of this plant household on the finish of the put up.

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Potting

Once you get a string of pearls from a backyard retailer, what’s subsequent? You’ll need some well-draining succulent soil combine, which you should buy at most backyard facilities. It has a mixture of soil and sand.

The sand helps assist in soil aeration and lets the water stream extra freely by means of the soil. I additionally wish to put some additional perlite in my succulent soil.

Perlite is present in nature and is definitely fashioned by volcanic eruptions. Perlite is nice for serving to your soil drain the water out sooner, as nicely.

For pots, get one that’s about the identical measurement (positively not smaller) or a tiny bit larger than the plastic pot that it got here in (it’s going to probably are available in a plastic hanging basket). I like to make use of a terracotta pot or an earthenware pot.

Crucial facet when selecting a pot is that it will need to have a drainage gap so the water has a means of escaping. If the water can’t escape the pot, then there’s a good probability the plant might die as a result of being waterlogged.

Subsequent, combine up your soil with a few scoops of perlite and have it able to go. Take your pot and put a bit of soil within the backside.

Subsequent, fastidiously take away your string of pearls from the pot by gently putting your hand on prime of the plant, barely wiggle the pot till the plant pops out.

You may lose a couple of pearls (leaves) on this course of, however that’s OK! Place your plant within the pot and ensure the plant sits about even with the pot’s rim. I put the roots about 1 centimeter underneath the rim and the pearls are all on prime of the rim.

Don’t let the plant lay decrease than the pot’s rim as a result of water can pool on prime of the leaves.

The plant likes to drink up mild and path over the sting of the pot. After you have the crown of the plant positioned accurately, take the additional grime and backfill across the plant. I like utilizing a chopstick to push down the grime across the plant.

When you’re executed backfilling the grime, the string or pearls will probably want untangling (particularly in case you have a protracted one). Be affected person throughout this course of. If I barely tug on a stem it might snap!

Rigorously search for an entire stem and gently untangle it so it lays draping over the pot. I am going round the entire plant till all stems are untangled. You’ll in all probability lose a couple of extra pearls throughout this course of too, nevertheless it’s OK!

Be aware: Though this plant has numerous wonderful qualities, string of pearls crops are poisonous for people and pets if ingested. If a bead (leaf) falls off a stem onto the ground, then I’ll shortly decide it up so my canine doesn’t eat them.

Gentle

The string of pearls likes a brilliant and sunny atmosphere in your house. An east or west dealing with window will work nice. I place mine proper close to a window to allow them to drink up numerous mild.

Attempt to keep away from putting it close to any vents or drafty elements of your private home (close to a door opening up within the winter, and so on.). It is not going to like several sort of excessive air temperatures blowing on it. In the course of the hotter summer time months, you may also put it underneath a solar porch or lined porch to take in brilliant oblique mild.

Direct daylight might burn your plant, so attempt to keep away from it sitting within the solar for hours on finish or they’ll get scorched. When temps start to drop, deliver your plant indoors.

Earlier than you deliver it indoors, at all times verify for pests or bugs. After I was bringing in my succulents from our lined porch on the finish of summer time, I discovered a child black widow hiding underneath a leaf. This has occurred to me once more a few years later!

My lesson was realized shortly so completely examine any plant earlier than you deliver it again into your private home.

Watering

Determining a watering routine and attending to know your plant’s schedule will actually repay. String of pearls don’t wish to get soaked or sit in water for lengthy durations of time. I wish to say that I “moisten” my string of pearls as an alternative of watering them.

This helps remind me that they don’t want extreme water. The plant has a shallow root system, so typically the highest half of my string of pearls pot wants water. I exploit a small vessel with water in it and frivolously water over the entire prime of the plant.

Overwatering the string of pearls would be the greatest killer to your plant. You may inform if a plant is overwatered by the leaves trying squishy or they lose their deep inexperienced coloration and develop into a bit translucent and tender.

In case you are purchasing for a brand new string of pearls, be conscious of this. You’ll need a plant with deep inexperienced pearls and soil that isn’t waterlogged.

Unsure when to water your string of pearls? It actually relies on the place you reside and humidity ranges. Dryer climates would require extra water and vice versa.

You may check the soil by sticking your finger in part of the soil to verify moisture ranges or raise your pot to see if it has any weight from holding water.

Make sure that your water temp is lukewarm to chill (consider rainwater temp). The string of pearls is not going to tolerate excessive chilly or sizzling temps when watering.

They like to be watered continuously within the spring and summer time months (throughout its rising season), however again off on frequent watering within the fall/winter months. The string of pearls likes to dry out however not be bone dry.

How will you inform when it’s bone dry? The grime across the circumference of the pot will draw back from the pot. If this has occurred, no worries, give it a watering and attempt to water your plant sooner subsequent time to keep away from the grime drying out an excessive amount of.

If this occurred a number of occasions, it might have an effect on your leaves and plant’s root well being. One other facet of root well being is root rot. This may be detrimental to your plant.

Root rot occurs when the roots stand in water too lengthy they usually finally rot and die. It may be a really unhappy and sluggish loss of life for a string of pearls.

If you happen to suspect that your plant has been sitting in water for too lengthy and it might need root rot, pull it out of the pot to examine the roots. If the roots are agency and grayish white, that’s nice. If they’re mushy and look blackish, then your plant probably has root rot.

If it’s not too far gone, you’ll be able to attempt to snip the useless roots off and depart the wholesome, agency ones. Putting the plant in recent (not waterlogged soil) will assist as nicely.

What’s the finest sort of water to make use of? In case you are utilizing faucet/metropolis water, you’ll be able to depart your faucet water out in an open container for twenty-four hours so a number of the chemical substances evaporate. After 24 hours, the water is cleaner and more healthy in your plant!

Fluoride and chlorine can construct up in your string of pearls root system, so this technique of leaving your water out will repay in the long term. Utilizing filtered water or collected rain water (in the event you can) is a good choice, too!

When you’ve got nicely water, then your plant will love that. My associates who’ve nicely water have THE finest crops.

Propagating

You may propagate the string of pearls 3 ways! The primary means is by utilizing water. First, discover a wholesome stem. I like to make use of stems which might be a minimum of 4-5 inches.

Utilizing clear scissors or reducing shears, minimize your stem. Take away any beads about 1.5-2 inches from the underside of the reducing.

Depart the stem laying out for twenty-four hours so the recent minimize on the tip of the stem can kind a callus. Make sure that it stays out of any daylight throughout this therapeutic interval.

After 24 hours, place your recent reducing in water. The facet of the reducing with the eliminated leafs will be positioned within the water. Hold the remaining pearls above the water line.

Make sure you change water anytime it will get cloudy and rinse out your vessel. Place in a sunny spot in your house. After 3-4 weeks you must see little roots sprouting from the reducing!

Wait till the roots are a minimum of 1 inch lengthy earlier than you plant it in grime. As soon as it is able to be potted, use a small terra-cotta or clay pot with good draining cactus/succulent soil.

I like to make use of a chopstick to create little holes for the newly rooted plant. Moisten frivolously and your plant ought to begin rising.

The following solution to propagate is by utilizing grime. Utilizing the identical strategies as above, you’ll snip your plant, wait 24 hours, and as an alternative of putting it in water, place your plant in soil (nicely draining, succulent soil).

Use a chopstick (or pencil) to create a recent gap in your new reducing, tuck the grime across the plant. I wish to mist my plant to maintain the soil barely moist and never bone dry.

After about three weeks, I give the plant a really light tug to see whether it is rooting. If the brand new reducing stays in place, then I do know new roots are forming. That is at all times thrilling! In case your plant has began to kind roots, then it’s prepared for a watering.

One other solution to propagate your string of pearls is by layering. I discover this strategy to be the best. Take a recent pot of succulent soil, mist it, after which take lengthy reducing out of your string of pearls. Swirl or coil the reducing excessive of the grime on the pot.

Fertilizing

I wish to fertilize my plant as soon as a month throughout the rising season (spring and summer time) utilizing a balanced fertilizer. I exploit half of the producer’s beneficial price once I combine my fertilizer.

I really like liquid fertilizer as a result of it mixes so simply with the water and I don’t have to fret about it not being evenly distributed in my crops.

One factor I really like about this species of plant is the completely different varieties. Pictured above is “String of Turtles”—the turtles appear like little turtles backs. “String of Watermelons” are plump and their leaves resemble a watermelon (pictured beneath).