If you walk the desert of South West Africa, you'll find the String of Pearls rooting as a succulent groundcover. While they hang beautifully in a basket, they spread like a vine across the desert floor. They grow with minimal watering and will root wherever they touch. The shape of their leaves is an adaptation to their environment and a way to store water. Its minimal leaf surface reduces evaporation and water loss.
Care Level: Green thumb
Pet Friendly: No
Bloom: No
Keep in bright, indirect light (eastern and southern exposure preferred).
Keep evenly moist but not soggy. Do not let the soil dry between waterings.
Spritz daily and add humidity by using a humidifier or a pebble tray to raise the levels to 50% or higher.
Indoor temperature between 65-75°F. No drafts or fluctuations in temperature. You can force this plant into dormancy and keep in a room at 55-60°F to bloom better the following spring while overwintering.
Outdoors in filtered light or bright shade where nights are above 50°F. If growing in a pot, overwinter in colder regions below 50°F. Indoors give it bright, indirect light.
Use cactus and succulent food concentrate and dilute as directed on the container.
Fast draining succulent or cactus potting mix is an excellent choice to use for this succulent. Choose a high enough pot or hanging basket so the plant's tendrils can hang over the pot or basket. Only enlarge the container by one pot size.
To prepare for the transfer and secure the tender tendrils, gently drape them onto the top of the soil. To avoid backfilling as much, work the soil up the container pot's side before placing the plant inside. If possible, to avoid breaking any tendrils, cut the grower pot down one side and gently pull the container apart to lift out the root system. Sit the root system into the new pot and add extra soil around the sides, leaving no air bubbles and pack down tightly. Gently unfold the string of pearls stems down the sides of the pot all the way around to hang properly. Water well and allow a month before fertilizing.
Trim stems on the side to promote growth. Begin trimming early in growth to get a fuller foliage on top. Us the stem cuttings in propagation.
In the spring and summer, clip off a string and separate into a single strand. Use succulent and cactus soil mix and dampen. Lay the whole stem in a circle on top of the soil and the stem will root and grow tendrils. Or, remove some of the pearls at the base of the stem, dip in rooting hormone and push down into the soil. Let them hang over and drape around the pot. Use several cuttings to start in your new planter.
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