Learn how to grow and care for string of hearts plant. Provide bright, indirect light, well-draining soil, and minimal watering. Prune and propagate regularly.
How to Grow and Care for String of Hearts (Ceropegia Woodii):
String of hearts (Ceropegia Woodii) is an attractive houseplant featuring grey leaves characterized by their unique heart shape with appealing mottling. In summertime, the plant may produce pink tubular flowers. Native to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
How to Grow String of Hearts?
String of hearts grows best when exposed to bright indirect lighting that does not include direct sunshine. Water regularly in spring and summer until the soil dries completely between watering sessions, then reduce the frequency in winter as water-logging of roots could kill off plants. Fertilise with house plant fertilizer once or twice annually during the growing season for best results.
Where Can You Grow String of Hearts?
In a yellow pot on a shelf. String of hearts thrive best in bright, indirect sunlight – they work particularly well when planted on shelves or hanging pots where their leaves can trail over the sides.
Water regularly in spring and summer, allowing the compost to fully dry between watering sessions.Reduce watering during autumn and winter as too much soil moisture could lead to root rot in your plant. Though string of hearts do not require extensive fertilization, for optimal results it is wise to fertilize container-grown plants at least twice annually: in spring and summer.Report string of hearts only when they begin to outgrow their existing pot, switching it for something slightly larger. Utilise a free-draining compost mix such as peat-free cacti and succulent compost or houseplant mix containing perlite to maintain optimal growing conditions for succulents; repotting at their peak growth point during late spring or summer.
How to Propagate String of Hearts?
There are two methods for propagating a string of hearts plants – one is far simpler than the other.
Propagate by Layering:
After your plant flowers, look for bead-like aerial tubers on its vine that have taken root when touching soil. To propagate new plants, prepare a new pot with damp compost and drape a vine over it so a tuber can contact the compost. As long as the compost remains moist for around one month, roots should begin to emerge from your tuber and spread throughout the compost bed. When this has happened and your new plant seems strong enough to stand on its own, trim away any stems with tubers attached to separate your new plant from its source.
If you don’t want to wait for tubers to form, stem cuttings may be used as an alternative method of propagating new string of hearts plants. Keep in mind that this process could take months; to increase chances of success it would be prudent to take multiple cuttings.
- Trim a length of stem just beneath a leaf, remove lower leaves, and place it in water until its roots have developed, this may take several weeks.
- Replace water regularly.
- Place well-rooted cuttings into gritty, peat-free houseplant or cuttings compost and water regularly until the plants appear to be growing vigorously; at that point reduce their watering frequency back down to normal levels for a string of hearts.
- Eventually, they may require less than normal irrigation during their growth period before returning to regular levels for a string of hearts.
For String of Hearts: Problem Solving
Large gaps between leaves suggest that your string of hearts might not be receiving enough light. Try moving it to an area with ample illumination.
Yellowing leaves and root rot could indicate that you’ve overwatered your plant. Always allow its compost bed to completely dry between watering sessions to avoid this situation.
Wilted or deflated leaves could indicate your plant isn’t receiving enough water, while scorched or crispy leaves indicate too much sunlight – move your plant somewhere bright but out of direct sunlight for best results.