String Succulents Care and Description
As excellent trailing plants and unique addition to any household, stringy succulents like the String of Hearts and String of Pearls make for excellent hanging plants in any home. Originally from South Africa, our string succulents collection includes variegated and non-variegated varieties of the String of Hearts (as well as several of its familial offshoots), String of Pearls, String of Dolphins, and String of Bananas. Although they may not appear as succulents at first glance, these unique plants have all the makings and care requirements of succulents we all know and love.
General Care
String succulents have similar care needs to other succulents but with several key differences. To ensure your trailing succulent thrives, consider recreating an environment similar to where they originate. For more details about specific care needs for your string succulent, check out our in-depth care guide blogs.
Like many succulents, string succulents have very delicate leaves but require lots of sun. Make sure your string succulents receive at least six to eight hours of bright, indirect light. If you plan on growing these plants outdoors, consider placing them on the east or southern sides of your home near some shade, where they’ll receive direct sunlight in the morning and filtered light in the early afternoon.
Indoors, place your string succulents near an east-facing window for direct morning sun or a southern-facing window for bright light all day. Just like outdoors, make sure any succulents near south-facing windows have space for some shade during the afternoons when the sunlight is harsh.
These succulents work best as hanging plants or in pots rather than in the ground. Like any other succulents, string succulents require well-draining soil to avoid contracting root rot and fungal gnats. While a standard cactus mix works well, you can also make your own soil mixture using a 50/50 mix of organic and inorganic substances. We recommend using peat moss and perlite for your base, with a little compost and coarse sand to improve drainage further.
Water your string succulents once every two weeks or whenever the soil is completely dry to the touch. Since these succulents are susceptible to overwatering, consider using the bottom watering method or watering deeply with a single-hole watering can or bottle. While some succulents in this collection can tolerate a little water on their leaves, it’s still best to keep them dry. After watering, let your pot drain completely before putting your succulent away.
Most string succulents go dormant during the winter when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. During this time, cut back on watering to about once per month.
Outdoors, string succulents do best in USDA agricultural zones 9-12. This means they are not frost-hardy and do best in warmer temperatures around 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of humidity, string succulents prefer drier weather, with around 40% humidity. If you do not live somewhere within these agricultural zones, indoors is the perfect environment for these succulents. With constant temperature and humidity control, many plant parents choose to keep these succulents inside. If you live somewhere outside of zones 9-12, bring your string succulents indoors when temperatures start to drop below 60 degrees.
You won’t need to fertilize your succulents often, and too much fertilizer can easily kill these delicate plants. However, giving your string succulents a boost with a few drops of water-soluble fertilizer or a few tablespoons of compost at the beginning of the growing season is alright. Otherwise, you don’t need to worry about fertilizing these plants.
Potting and Repotting
When choosing a pot for your string succulents, it’s essential to prioritize drainage– pots made from porous materials like concrete, terracotta, and unglazed ceramic tend to have better drainage than glass or metal pots. Regardless of material, your pot should have a drainage hole.
When repotting string succulents, always do so during the growing season, so the plant can heal from any potential damage that may occur during the process. To ensure your succulent has enough space to grow, repot it in a pot that is at least 10% larger than your previous pot.
Propagation
The best way to propagate a string succulent is through cuttings. To propagate, make a three-inch to six-inch cutting using a clean pair of sharp scissors. Lay your cuttings out to dry for a day or so, then dip the cut ends in your rooting hormone and stick them in a fresh pot of soil. When propagating, mist the soil using a spray bottle to keep the soil moist, and after about two weeks, you should see some root growth.
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