Many houseplants impress us with their bright flowers, but the String of Hearts has a different way of entertaining you. The unique, trailing foliage looks like a waterfall flowing over the edge of the pot and easily wins your love. Once their arrow has struck you, you’ll naturally want to give your String of Hearts the best care you can””here’s how!
How Much Sun Does the String of Hearts Need?
The dangling chains of heart-shaped leaves prefer bright, dappled light. You can tell if they’re getting enough by looking at their leaves, which become a darker shade of green when exposed to strong light and grow pale when lacking light. It’s good practice to rotate the plant every week to expose all the leaves to the sun.
How Much Water Do String of Hearts Need?
As a succulent from South Africa, String of Hearts thrives when you let the soil dry out completely between waterings and then refresh them with a thorough soaking. Be careful not to overwater, as that can cause their demise. Swollen leaves, leaf drop, or messy growth are signs of too much water.
What Kind of Soil Do String of Hearts Need?
As they don’t like standing in water, well-draining soil is a must for a String of Hearts. A cactus or succulent mix is ideal, or you can use a regular potting mix with added perlite or pumice for better drainage.
When Do You Repot String of Hearts?
These lovely plants like to cuddle; they prefer to be crowded and slightly root-bound. They only need to be repotted once they really lack soil, likely every couple of years. When the time has come, aim to repot them in the spring, before they start growing.
Do String of Hearts Flower?
The silvered marbled leaves and trailing habit are the main appeals of the String of Hearts. But they also produce tubular pink flowers, which inspired this plant’s alternative name, the “Rosary Vine.” These usually appear in the summer or fall but may show up sporadically anytime during the growing season.
Seasonal String of Hearts Care
- Winter Care: like many other houseplants, String of Hearts like to rest during the dark months. Since they’re not growing, their moisture requirements slow down. Adjust your watering accordingly, taking care to only water when they’re dry, and spare them any fertilizer until they start growing again in the spring.
- Spring and Summer Care: when the days grow longer, they’ll start growing again. You may notice their water uptake speeds up. They’re not a plant that needs a lot of fertilizer. At most, give them a monthly dose of half-strength fertilizer formulated for cacti & succulents during the spring and summer.
String of Hearts Aerial Tubers
If you’ve mastered String of Heart care and the plant is healthy, it will also grow beige spheres on the vines. These intriguing pearls are called aerial tubers, and they’re one of the plant’s ways of reproducing. When the balls are buried in soil, they grow into a new plant of their own. In fact, they can be used to propagate more String of Heart plants, if that’s what your heart desires!
How to Untangle String of Hearts?
When you take it home from the greenhouse, and sometimes as it’s growing, the vines may become tangled. Untangling the vines encourages that beautiful waterfall look we like and helps all the leaves access light. When untangling, do it slowly and carefully to avoid any broken vines.
When you string together the proper care, these houseplants reward you with dangling locks of silver-green leaves. Even if you’re not a houseplant lover, the String of Hearts can easily tug on your heartstrings and inspire you to fall into a deeper love affair with the plant world!
We’d love to hear all about your plant successes and help you avoid any failures””come see us soon!
