How to propagate string of pearls is a tricky process if not done right, as the plant is very delicate. The plant has a unique shape and is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure looks beautiful on display; another great feature of this family is that they grow very nicely via propagation and transplantation.
However, the string of pearls plant is very easy to keep after its propagation or growth, so if you are looking for an easy-going plant, this might be it for your indoor garden.
In this article, we will take you through the simplest way of propagating a string of pearls plant, so let us get started.
Contents
How To Propagate String of Pearls Successfully?
You can propagate the string of pearls plant successfully by using a healthy cutting from the plant. As this plant has beads, you can choose any stem with viable pearls and propagate them. All you need to do is take care of the plant for maximum growth.
1. Choose a Healthy String of Pearls Plant
The first step in propagating a string of pearl plants is to select a healthy plant. The propagation process requires a viable part of the plant can be taken, nourished separately from the main plant, and then grown.
For this reason, it is very important that you decide the best part out there. This part can be a leaf, a stem with roots, a stem without roots, a bulb, a bud, or simply just roots. You should know that this part is important because the plant has to be healthy, and they will be thriving in spring season, and this way, the plant will have a perfect moment when you multiply them.
It depends on you and your plant, which part of the plant you choose to take forward. Whichever part you select and nourish, ultimately, it will grow up to be the same mother plant from which it is taken. In gardening language, that part is called a cutting. This cutting will set the base for your new plant, this is the determining factor why you should to handle it with great care.
While deciding the best specimen of the string of pearls plant, make sure that the plant is rot-free in the roots, the pearls look fresh and are not dingy and deformed, and finally, make sure that the pot in which the plant is being kept, the soil is moist is the summer, not dry or wet but simply moist to the touch. In winter, the soil should be kept dry.
The string of pearls plant is also a great way to kick-start your home gardening journey as this plant has fool-proof growth and can be kept all year round without the issue of the weather. Once you have mastered the technique of propagating a string of pearls plant, you can then move on to a little difficult-to-propagate set of plants.
2. Remove and Clean the Cutting
The following step in the propagation process of a string of pearls is to remove and clean the cutting from the main plant. For this matter, it is best that you cut a stem of the string of pearls plant that has pearls on it from the healthy plant that you chose.
This stem with the pearls will be enough to grow into a full string of pearls plant if propagated and nourished in the right way. Start by using a sharp knife to cut the stem from the plant, however, you must make sure that you sterilize it very well.
On this notion, it is very important to remember how you cannot grow a complete string of pearls plant from one of its pearls, but you can grow a plant from its leaves. A single leaf can propagate a healthy and fully functional string of pearls plant in a short amount of time, so make sure to know this when you are making the cut.
The process of growing a plant from an existing part can be called plant propagation or transplantation. The string of pearl plants is very easily transplanted from their leaves, stems, and roots. It may take some time for you to perfect the art of transplanting, but it is easy to get.
3. Clean the Stem
You will need to thoroughly clean the stem before it can be used for propagation. Use normal water to clean the stem’s entire length. Handle the stem delicately as it can easily break in your hand or its pearls can fall off. Use gloves while washing it, and make sure that you do not use any soap but only water.
The stem should be about four to five inches in total length, but be sure that you do not break the stem off from the plant or use sheer force to pull it out. That will damage the plant as well as the way that you are propagating the stem. After cutting the stem off, keep it aside while you prepare stuff for its cleaning and washing.
4. Grow them in Water
The next step after you have acquired the cutting is growing it in water and this is an extremely important step, as whatever growth the cutting will show here will mark the basis of growth for the entire plant. For this stem, you will need a large container.
It is best if you use a glass container as it allows you to see when you are ready to take the cutting out and place it in the soil. You will also need water which will work best if it is filtered, but it is not necessary, as long as it is not a contaminated medium, or filled with chemicals.
The pot of water should be kept in sunlight as the cutting will need all the sunlight it can get. The purpose of keeping the cutting in water is that it has no other parts of plants attached to it. So when kept in water, the cutting will be boosted to grow the tiny roots from where the cutting can be then shifted to the soil.
This is why it is of utmost importance that the cutting is kept in water for growth and stability. However, you should also remember that a string of pearls plant can only be grown with soil and water as it needs both mediums to grow in the best way possible because they are plants that have roots and develop a growing system.
The plant is grown in a nourishing soil medium and is watered periodically even though the plant is characterized as a succulent. Some plants can only be grown in one of the two mediums, which is their unique characteristic. Unlike those plants, the string of pearls plant needs soil for its nutrients and water for hydration and growth.
Note that these succulents require less than usual water intake, as some normal plants do, but they still need water. You can also try to propagate the string of pearls plant in water only, but in this way, the roots will be highly prone to rot, which is not feasible.
5. Transfer to a New Pot
After the cutting shows small roots coming out from its rear end, it’s time to transfer it to a pot full of soil. In this step, there are a lot of things to keep in mind, so mark them down.
The best type of pot for a succulent plant is the one with no holes because the succulent plant does not require much water, and as such, the holes just create a mess. It is best that you get a good pot made of ceramic or marble for your succulent as the string of pearls plant looks great in them.
Once you have made up your mind about the pot, the next task is the soil. Choose a good grade of soil that is soft and full of nutrients for the plant. Either you buy good soil now or you will have to use fertilizers later on, so the choice is yours. Fill half of the container with the soil and place the cutting inside it.
Cover the cutting with soil until the soil covers almost two-thirds of the entire pot. This will be enough for the cutting to grow and expand in the pot. Place the pot in direct sunlight and water lightly. Tap the soil gently, so everything is in its place and packed.
6. Maintain the Plant
The last step in the procedure is to maintain the plant. Refrain from overwatering the plant, as it is succulent and requires much less water than other plants, so make sure that you keep the plant in direct sunlight for the starting days and then move it accordingly. Lastly, be patient with the growth of the plant and maintain the plant care.
The main reason your newly propagated string of pearls plant won’t grow is that it may not be getting the appropriate amount of sunlight it requires. Sunlight is very important for the newly propagated plants as they are forming all the necessary parts of the plant at the moment.
So if the plant is not growing, try putting the plant in direct sunlight near a window or bring the plant outside for a while. Only a few days in good sunlight should be enough to give the plant the much-needed boost it requires for healthy and viable growth.
Consequently, you can try to use a potent fertilizer to increase its growth if sunlight is not an issue. Also, ensure you are watering according to the instructions and not under or overwatering the plant.
This type of plant will take a week to fully form as this plant has exceptionally high and fast growth. This succulent plant will grow anywhere from five to 15 inches a year, depending on its environment and nourishment. This much growth is a lot for a simple indoor plant, so you will need to position it somewhere it has room to grow and cover, as its branches will span a great deal.
You can always change its position later on, but it is better if you position it mindfully from the start. As the string of pearls plant belongs to the succulents group, it will require less water and nutrients than other plants, but it will surely grow well.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about how you can grow a new string of pearls plants using the method of propagation, but in case something was unclear, here is a short review:
- You can propagate the string of pearls plant successfully by using a healthy cutting from the plant.
- A cutting could be a stem, leaves, roots, and buds.
- Potting the cutting and maintaining it will give you a new and healthy plant in no time.
- Using the cuttings of a healthy string of pearls plant is the easiest and the fastest way of propagating the plant for personal use.
- The strings of pearls plant are known for purifying the air around them and removing toxins, so they make a great indoor plant.
Here we come to the end of the article about how to propagate a string of pearls plant at home; the other upside to growing a string of pearls plant in your house is that this plant is known for purifying the air indoors and removing harmful toxins from its surroundings.
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