String of hearts is an incredibly beautiful and easy-to-propagate plant that brings color and texture to your living spaces. It’s a trailing house plant that can be placed on shelves or table tops near windows and is fuss-free in that they don’t require much care.
There are three main ways for propagating string of hearts. Keep reading to see how easy it is to propagate this plant and exactly what you’ll need to do to fill your garden or home with the lovely string of hearts.
Why and When to Propagate String of Hearts
Propagating string of hearts can benefit not only you but the plant as well. Propagation can help the mother plant by making it fuller. If your plant seems leggy or bare at the root, propagating will certainly fill it back out. Pruning the plant alone helps boost new growth, but instead of tossing your cuttings, propagate them into more stunning strings of hearts.
Not only are you giving your plant the boost it needs, but you’ll also benefit from extra plants for practically no cost. Plants can be expensive, so it’s great when you can turn one houseplant into many more. Of course, you can also propagate string of hearts and give your cuttings or rooted plants away as gifts!
The best time to propagate string of hearts is late spring and summer; once fall starts, the plant will become dormant. While you could propagate during the colder months, the chances of failure are much higher, and the amount of time it takes to root is, at minimum, doubled.
Propagating String of Hearts: 3 Easy Ways
Before diving in, there are a few tools you’ll need to have before propagating string of hearts, depending on your chosen method.
- Sharp, sanitized pruning shears
- Propagation vases or jars to hold water
- Nursery pots with water saucers
- Well-draining potting soil (cactus and succulent mix is best)
- Rooting hormone (or a homemade alternative)
Propagating String of Hearts Cuttings in Water
One of the easiest ways to propagate string of hearts is by simply placing a cutting into water.
Step 1 – Select Cuttings
Choose a cutting by snipping a healthy stem from the plant’s base that has at least four leaf nodes on the stem. Continue by removing the leaves that are close to the bottom (stem that was near the soil), but leave a few leaves near the top (trailing stem out of the pot).
Step 2 – Placing Cuttings
Place the cutting bottom side in the water where at least two leaf nodes are fully submerged. Make sure no leaves are touching the water.
Step 3 – Let Cuttings Root
Place the cutting in a bright and warm location and change the water once a week or when the water begins to appear cloudy.
The roots should form within a few weeks.
Propagating String of Hearts Cuttings in Soil
Step 1 – Select Cutting
Like propagating string of hearts in water, you’ll need a cutting with at least four leaf nodes and the bottom section of leaves removed.
Step 2 – Prepare Pot and Place Cutting
Take a 4-inch nursery pot with a water saucer and fill it with well-draining soil like succulent and cactus soil. Then, dip the bottom of the stem in rooting hormone powder and bury at least two of the leaf nodes below the soil.
Water the soil to keep it moist but not soaking, and cover it with the detachable lid to create a small greenhouse for your cutting. Once a week, open the lid to let the plant get some fresh air and water, then replace the lid.
Creating a greenhouse effect just gives your cutting a better chance of rooting. The humidity keeps the trailing stem from drying out too much and gives the roots more of a chance to expand.
Step 3 – Let Cuttings Root
Place your cutting in a bright, warm location to ensure good root growth. You’ll know your roots are growing if you give the plant a slight tug and feel a bit of resistance. Once you do, you can remove the lid and resume a regular plant care routine.
Tuber Propagation of String of Hearts
Aerial tubers are small round growths that appear midway through the stem of your string of hearts. The final propagation method is planting these tubers or “beads” straight into potting soil.
Place a nursery pot next to your mother plant and fill it with well-draining potting soil. Without cutting the stem, place the tuber in the middle of the nursery pot and top it with a bit more potting soil. You can wrap the rest of the stem and set it in the pot with the tuber or let it drape over the side.
Keep the soil evenly moist and never let it dry out to ensure the tuber will have the perfect chance to root. Once it has rooted, you can snip away the stem that was connected to the mother plant, and you now have a brand new string of hearts.
String of Hearts Plant Care 101
Once you have a newly propagated string of hearts, you’ll want to make sure you have the best care practices set in place to keep the mother and new plants happy and healthy!
Soil
The best soil for string of hearts is a well-draining cactus and succulent soil. This will keep the soil moist without letting water sit, leading to rot.
Watering
When the plant is showing new growth in the spring and summer months, water once or twice a week, keeping the soil moist but letting it get dry before watering again.
If in the winter months, you can water every two weeks. Once the plant is dormant, it doesn’t need as much water as it did when it was in its prime growing season. You’ll know your string of hearts is overwatered if the leaves begin to yellow.
Fertilizing
String of hearts doesn’t require much fertilizing, but if you choose to do so, pick a tropical fertilizer and dilute it by half. Only fertilize during the summer months, as it could cause harm if the plant is dormant.
Light
The best place to keep a string of hearts is in bright indirect light, such as a shaded windowsill or a shelf.
Temperature
These plants thrive in temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Once below 60, the plant becomes dormant.
Humidity
String of hearts prefers a 40 to 50 percent humidity but can also tolerate dry conditions.
FAQs About Propagating String of Hearts
When do I place a rooted cutting from water into soil?
If you have successfully rooted a string of hearts cutting in water, you can plant the cutting in a well-draining potting soil once the roots are half an inch long. Keep the soil moist for a few weeks to ensure the roots become established, then resume regular watering and care practices.
How long does it take tubers to root?
Tubers root relatively fast, only taking about 2 to 4 weeks!
Where do I cut the stem of a string of hearts for the best propagation chances?
Cut the base of a healthy-looking stem with at least four leaf nodes for the best chances of propagation.
Wrapping Up Propagating String of Hearts
String of hearts doesn’t just have a romantic name. These plants are charming and propagate easily regardless of whether you use the water, soil, or tuber propagation method.
Once propagated, easy care practices keep these house plants thriving. Looking for more indoor gardening plant ideas or a place to put all these new houseplants? Check out our blog post about the best shelving!
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Lauren has three main passions: her family, writing, and gardening! Lauren has spent countless hours in her garden tending to different plants, whether those be beautiful flowers, vegetables, or different perennials.
Rest assured that if it concerns plants and gardens, Lauren has got you covered. So, when needing advice or looking for the best new gardening gadget, you have come to the right place and the right author.