Do you know how to propagate string of hearts? String of hearts plants are easy to care for and a great way to start adding more variety to your garden. The seedlings grow quickly and mature into beautiful semi-succulent vines.
In this article, we are going to cover how your string of hearts can be propagated and some basics in caring for these gorgeous plants.
So, without further ado, let us begin by looking at three of the main methods you can use to propagate a string of hearts plant.
Let’s Look At A Few Methods
There are several methods of propagating you can use for your string of hearts vine. Water Propagation, tuber propagation, and cutting propagation. Below you can read about these three methods in more detail. So, let’s dive right in.
The Tuber Method
If you have a string of hearts you will probably have seen the little round balls growing on the vines. While they may look like parasites or the result of a disease to some, they are actually aerial tubers.
It is these growths that will be revolutionary in propagating your string of hearts plant.
Below you can see a simple step-by-step guide on how to do this:
Step 1 – The first thing you will need to do is find a large tuber growing on your mother plant. So, go to your main plant and search for the biggest tuber you can find, preferably one that is about as big as your fingernail.
Step 2 – Hooray! You have found a sizable specimen. You now have two options. The first one is to leave the tuber on the vine and push it into the soil.
This method will almost guarantee the success of new root growth. The other choice is to remove the tuber from the mother plant.
If you do this it is advised to keep some of the leaves that are attached to the tuber before you put it in a pot with soil.
Step 3 – Regardless of which method you choose, you will need to mist the plant daily so that the soil stays only slightly moist.
Remember this plant does not like a lot of water and can easily rot. So be careful with how much water you give it.
Step 4 – In a few weeks’ time, with careful misting, your plant will most likely have taken root. If your tuber does not how its progress immediately with sprouting vines, be patient.
Your plant is most likely situating itself in its new home.
The Soil Method
This method is essentially planting some leaf and vine cuttings directly into the ground where the plants will grow.
Many gardeners consider this method to be the best because when your mother plant needs to be trimmed you can easily use those cuttings to make brand-new plants.
Below you can see a basic step-by-step guide on how you can execute this method:
Step 1 – Firstly, you need to give your mother plant a trim. So take a pair of sharp scissors and trim off a few of the vines until you are happy with the look of your mother plant.
Step 2 – Next you will need to take a few of the leaves from the vines you have cut off and put them in the soil along with the vines.
On the vines of your plant you will need to make sure there are small nodes, or bumps on the vine this is so that roots or leaves can grow from the cutting.
Your vines should be covered by the soil or at the very least it should be touching the soil.
Step 3 – Now you just need to lightly spray or mist the cutting, especially in the area where the vine is buried so that rooting is encouraged.
Make sure that you are not overwatering as these plants do not like a lot of water and can easily cause root rot as a result of soil that is too moist.
Step 4 – That should be it. Once you start seeing new roots you should be well on your way to having a brand-new string of hearts plant.
If the plant fails initially, do not worry. Sometimes a cutting is not viable. But lucky for you, your mother plant is always growing and when it gets too long you can take a few more cuttings and try again.
The Water Method
One of the best ways to propagate a string of hearts plant is to use the water method. It is a very simple method that allows you to watch your plant progress before you have to re-pot them in their new homes.
Below you can see a simple step-by-step guide on how this method works:
Step 1 – The first thing you will need is a series of small vases and a pair of sharp scissors.
Next, you will need to give your mother plant a ‘haircut’, simply trim the vines until you are happy with her new look. Take those cuttings and place them in a vase.
Step 2 – It really is that simple, all you need to do now is wait. As long as your vase is in a nice spot that is warm and sunny you can watch your string of hearts’ root growth.
How Do I Care For My String Of Hearts?
Now that you know some ways you can propagate this plant you might want to know how to care for your new sprouting string of hearts.
So, in this section of the article, we are going to show you some of the basics that should help your plant stay alive.
Soil Requirements
Your string of hearts plants will need well-draining soil this is because they come from a region in South Africa where it is hot and there is not a lot of water.
It is for the same reason that these plants do not do well if they are left in standing water for too long.
For this plant, you may want to consider purchasing a general succulent mixture. This is because the string of hearts is a semi-succulent, and for this reason, they have similar requirements to do well.
You can also use a perlite soil if you want the soil to be light and airy.
regardless of what you choose, make sure that you do your research and buy soil that suits your string of hearts plant.
Watering Requirements
A string of hearts plant likes to be watered regularly but is also very sensitive to overwatering. Because of this, you will need to be careful not to overwater these plants as this can cause them to develop issues like tuber rot.
If you want to avoid tuber rot you will need to make sure that you are using the appropriate soil along with a pot that has sufficient drainage holes so that the water can go through the soil and pot.
These plants will be happy with being watered once a week, especially during the growing season, which falls in spring and summer.
String of hearts plants like to be left dry between watering and are relatively forgiving if you forget to water them at times.
In the winter months, you can go even longer between watering this s because the plant will be happier staying dry until spring and summer roll around again.
These plants do not need a great deal of humidity to thrive, but they do appreciate it all the same.
RELATED: Learn How to and When is the Best Time to Water Succulents
Temperature Requirements
String of hearts like warm temperatures, but they can survive at room temperature as well. This plant does not like cold drafts and because of this, you should try to keep it away from open doors or windows.
Fertilizing Requirements
You should fertilize your string of hearts when it is growing season, between spring and autumn because this is when you will see a lot of new vines and tubers growing.
When this time of year comes you can give your string of hearts a diluted general fertilizer once a month.
In the winter months, it is not recommended to give your plant fertilizer. This is because it can actually burn the roots and because they are not growing fast this can be detrimental to the plants’ life.
Light Requirements
String of hearts like bright but indirect light. This is because they are originally a South African plant they can tolerate strong yet direct sunlight.
So, when you are looking for a home for your new string of hearts you should find a spot in your house that gets between three and four hours of sunlight a day.
If your plant does not get enough sun you will notice the leaves getting more sparse and also getting paler.
if all fails you can look into a grow light to help your plant get everything it needs to thrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are a lover of strong of hearts ad have read this far, you might have a few questions you would like us to answer.
Luckily for you, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions Right here. Check it out.
How Long Does It Take To Propagate A String Of Hearts?
It takes about 9-10 months from initial seed to baby plants. How long is this process when growing out seedlings? This depends on the method that you choose.
The soil method will take longer than the tuber method or water method.
Seed germination is usually slow at first because the roots must grow large and then root down into their new environment before they can begin to produce healthy leaves.
Once the plant begins to grow, look for signs of growth every other day. If no growth has been observed in 2 weeks, remove the seedling from its container and place it back in a fresh potting mix with more light if possible.
What Are The Balls On My String Of Hearts?
The balls on your string of heart vines are the buds that will eventually grow into your fruit! These grow out in clusters called “buds”, and each cluster is attached by an aerial root to the vine itself.
The first time you notice these little things hanging off your stem is when they develop enough size and weight to be pulled away from the vine and begin their new life as apple trees.
After that point, the buds will continue to increase in size until they reach maturity. If you want to start thinking about harvesting strings of hearts, this is the best time for them! All the buds should have developed long roots before the bud begins to mature.
If they don’t, then the buds and the leaves/stem are too young for fruiting. Be careful not to pull any buds off when you harvest your string of hearts! They’re very fragile. You can always come back later if you missed some!
How Do I Make My String Of Hearts Fuller?
You can make your string of hearts fuller by adding more plants, but they need space in between them too. This is quite a slow-growing plant and especially when they are small.
So, if you only have a few vines it will be a very long wait before you have a fuller string of hearts. Because of this buying, more plants is a good way to make it appear bushier quicker.
Should I Mist My String of Hearts?
String of hearts is a semi-succulent, which means that it likes dry soil a lot more than wet soil. In fact, wet soil can be detrimental to the plant and cause rotting.
Even in the summer and spring months, you should only make sure that the soil is slightly moist. So water sparingly and mist the plant only when necessary.
Should You Untangle Your String of Hearts?
When you get your strong of hearts, you do need to untangle it. This is so that the plant continues to look good and grow properly.
It also helps with air circulation in the soil. The more tangled it gets, the higher it will grow and not be able to support itself.
Final Thoughts
That is all for this article, we hope that we have been able to guide you through everything you might need to know about propagating these plants.
The success rate of each of the methods we have talked about here is pretty similar. The success or failure all depends on the environment and amount of water you are giving your plants.
So whether you are putting your cuttings in water or using aerial tubers you should see success in your propagating endeavors.
We wish you luck in this project and bid you farewell.
Thank you for reading this article, here are some articles you might be interested too:
Learn Easy Ways on How to Take Care of Succulents
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