Has your String Of Pearls gotten infested by any pests? Please let us know. Be sure to click on the link to see how to control them. Mine have never gotten any but they’re susceptible to aphids & mealybugs. I did the pruning year-round in Santa Barbara but avoid doing any in the 2 coldest months here in Tucson. There are a few reasons I’ve pruned a String Of Pearls: to take cuttings, to control the length, & to take off any dead stems. You can also propagate the individual pearls by pointing the stem ends into the mix but I’m too impatient for that method. I’ve planted cuttings that are 6″ long & ones that are over 1′ long. Here’s one video showing you how I do it along with another one that was filmed in my early days on Youtube (don’t judge!). I’ve had the best success propagating String of Pearls by stem cuttings in succulent & cactus mix. My String Of Pearls has really grown a lot since planting it in with the String Of Bananas & String Of Hearts. Spring & summer are the best times to repot & transplant succulents. I’ve found that if it sinks in too low, the chance for rot is greater. I always make sure the crown of the plant & root ball is no more than 1″ below the top of the pot. I’ve done a post & video for you to make it easier. You have to be careful when repotting because those pearls fall off easily. I also mix in a handful or so of organic compost & sprinkle the top with a layer of worm compost when I plant. If you’re using a store-bought succulent & cactus mix like this one, you might consider adding some pumice or perlite to further up the ante on the aeration & lightness factor. When I repot my String of Pearls, I use a local succulent & cactus mix which is good & chunky allowing the water to easily drain out. Like all succulents, String of Pearls needs a mix that drains well. Easy does it on any fertilizer as succulents don’t need much. If you have any liquid kelp or fish emulsion, those work fine too. Both enrich the soil naturally & slowly so the roots are healthy & the plants grow stronger. Earth’s a try if you can’t find anywhere you live. Worm compost is my favorite amendment, which I use sparingly because it’s rich. I covered my String Of Pearls plant along with the other “fleshies.” As I said in the video, the pearls look plumper & happier now (it’s late winter) than in late June when the temps are well over 100F. This winter, we had 1-night dip to 28 & a few others hovered right at or slightly below freezing. I’ve heard that they can take temps as low as 30F. I find String Of Pearls plants need watering a bit more often than most succulents because their stems are so thin. They’re subject to root rot so don’t get overzealous with the watering but on the other hand, don’t let them go bone dry for days. It’s hard to say how often you need to water yours because I don’t know your growing conditions. In my Santa Barbara garden, they got watered less. As I said, the patio is covered so it doesn’t get rained on. In Tucson, I water my String Of Pearls plant every 7-10 days when it’s cooler & twice a week in the hot summer months. Mine grows on my covered patio in a spot where the light is nice & bright but the plant is protected. Here in the desert, any direct sun is a no go. In Santa Barbara mine grew in morning sun which was sometimes shrouded by the fog. ExposureĪ String Of Pearls plant growing outdoors likes bright light but to be protected from direct, hot sun. My Fishhooks Senecio, String Of Hearts & String Of Bananas grow much faster. I’ve found them to grow at a slow to moderate rate. Related: Answering Your Questions About Growing String Of Pearls Growth Rate The other plants I routinely used for cuttings so they never got more than 2′ long. You can see how much it’s grown! 1 of my String Of Pearls plants was over 4′ long in Santa Barbara. I planted it in a large pot with a String Of Hearts plant and a few String Of Bananas cuttings about a year and 3 months ago. Mine here in Tucson is now about 30″ long and still growing. Although in their native habitat they grow on the ground, for us, String Of Pearls is a hanging plant.
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