Do you love the way your elegant String of Pearls looks in your house and want to have more of it decorating your living room? Well in that case you have two options, you can either buy it or propagate it yourself and grow more of it for free. If the latter seems like the more desirable option for you then keep on reading this article because we are going to be showing you exactly how to propagate a String of Pearls plant.
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What is Plant Propagation?
Plant propagation is a method through which you can basically duplicate a plant. While there are multiple ways through which you can propagate a plant, the most common one being through seeds. But apart from that, for many plants, you can also use their cuttings to grow a whole new one. This plant would be identical to the parent one.
Propagation has multiple benefits, the main one being a cheap way to get more plants. Apart from that, propagation is essential to preserve your plant. This is because succulents like String of Pearls tend to die after a couple of years. And so through propagation, you can take a cutting of that plant and grow a whole new one from it. Furthermore, with fast-growing plants like succulents, propagation is easy enough that you don't need to be a professional gardener to pull it off.
How to Propagate String of Pearls Plant
When it comes to propagating the String of Pearls plants, you are in luck. This is because, as they are a type of succulent, they are quite easy to propagate. Their stems form roots quite efficiently after being cut and replanted and they also grow quite fast. Because of all this, you do not have to wait long before you have a duplicate of the parent plant.
Moving on to the actual process of propagating String of Pearls, there are two main types of propagation when it comes to this plant; soil propagation and water propagation. Both work quite well, and so you can choose the one that is the most convenient for you. Although one factor that will affect the propagation rate for both of the types is the season. This is why we recommend that you attempt this during spring or summer as the growth rate is fastest then.
Soil Propagation
For soil propagation, you need to make sure that you have a soil mix that is gritty with high drainage. A suitable choice is a succulent or a cactus mix. Next, you need to make sure that you have a suitable pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. You will also need a pair of scissors and the String of Pearls plant.
First, you need a suitable clipping from the parent plant. For this, you need to examine it and find a vine that is healthy with multiple leaves on it. If at any point a vine has had contact with the soil, it would have already started growing roots. These are ideal for propagation. Once you have found a suitable vine, gently cut it using scissors. Make sure that you have a cutting that is around 3 to 5 inches long.
Now remove the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting. This is because you are going to put this part into the soil. Make sure that you are placing the cut end into the soil mix. Prepare multiple cuttings like this. This is because even if a few aren't successful at growing roots, you are able to have some that are. Once the cuttings are securely inside the soil, place the pot in a well-lit room. Although, make sure they are out of direct sunlight, otherwise they can dehydrate.
Next, spray the soil to keep it moist, whenever it seems to dry out. At this stage you don't need to water the plants, just make sure that the soil is nicely damp. In a few weeks, you will see the roots growing out. Even if you can't see the roots themselves, the shoots growing and increasing in length is a good indicator. Now you can start watering the plants the way you did the parent plant.
An advantage of this type of propagation is that you do not have to deal with potting the plant after the roots are fully grown. Additionally, many have found the roots grown through soil propagation to be stronger than that of water propagation. Although for optimal propagation conditions, you need a special potting mix with high drainage. For water propagation, however, you only need water.
Water Propagation
When it comes to water propagation, the process is mostly the same. The only difference is that the soil mix and the pot are replaced with water in a leak-proof container. Prepare the cuttings the way we have mentioned above for soil propagation. Now, fill a container with one-third of the length of the cuttings. Next, add the cuttings into the water, cut-side down. Now all you need to do is place the container in a warm, well-lit place. Once a lot of roots have grown, you can move on to potting the plant.
An advantage of this type of propagation is that you can monitor the rate of root growth of the plant. Also, some say that the roots grow faster through this process. And as this plant does not necessarily require soil to thrive, you can keep it in water if you like. But if you want your String of Pearls potted, that can be a slightly tedious process.
FAQs
Can you root String of Pearls in water?
Does String of Pearls need direct sunlight?
Wrapping Up
Propagation is a great and cost-effective way to not only multiply your plants but also preserve them. And when it comes to succulents like String of Pearls, the process of propagation through cutting is extremely easy. And so, even if you do not have extensive knowledge of gardening you can easily get more of your plants without having to buy them. And the article above is there to help you out with this process.
