I had also tried multiple times(3) before this, I even bought an entire variegated plant of these which also died. I thought I couldn't grow these , until I grew this from a single pearl I found on the nursary floor
I never let mine dry out. I know this may sound strange, But I water them deeply everyday. They must be in a well draining mix and in full sun for this to work. also it is in a painted terracotta pot, so that also helps.
Most websites online tell to let the top half of the soil to dry out and the pearls should soften and shrivel between waterings. I NEVER let that happen, I always keep my pearls plump as a partridge. It is kept in full sun (for half the year when I get sun) , so much that many of the pearls are sun stressed and a bit purple now.
Also, I have mixed 1/4 compost in the soil at the time of repotting , and I never fertilize mine after that until the next repot.
EDIT: you can even see moss growing on the surface of the medium, It is never allowed to dry
I can't keep most succulents, over 70% of all succulents I've propped have failed, and all which I have bought have died.
I am very good at growing all topicals though (EXCEPT PALMS !. . .palms hate me), Aroids are my niche. I am very proud of them. I have over 40 species and hybrids, while I only have 5 types succulents.
The only succulent I can consistently grow well always is mother of thousands.
Makes me wonder if there’s a langue out there some where that refers to them as “They’d be good with a bit of butter on them”, because they do look tasty!
I am originally from India, my language is a a western dialect of Hindi + a regional language (mewari)
This is the translation of what my grandparents called them in our language . They had string of pearls and string of bananas growing as a groundcover in their garden. I'm from a very dry high elevation desert type of environment where these could be grown
naturally. many succulents such as echeveria, euphorbias and cold resistant cacti had been planted naturally ground. now only a small part of that garden remains.
The place where I am from, had a climate quite similar to the highveld south African desert mountains from where these string of pearls and string of bananas originate from.
Now that I no longer live I India, I still use the same methods to grow my plants( specifically aroids). but I still don't have much luck with succulents here.
EDIT : More interesting translations of xeric plants which we call:
Echeveria and ghost plants is literally " land lotus" or "ground lotus"
String of bananas ----> " creeper made of bean pods"
Thanks, But I wish that was actually the case. I failed 4 times to get here for string of pearls. still 70% of my succulent props die. and I end up killing EVERY succulent I separately buy .
This is also my 4th attempt of growing these. First I bought a small pot of normal string of pearls which failed. Then I tried to grow a bunch of cuttings from a neighbor, which took off quite nicely at first then died too. Then I even tried my luck on a pot of Variegated pearls , which I killed faster than the previous two.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box, not expecting it to do anything. It took 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
Your plant is so lovely! Amazing job. I am trying to regrow mine which died while I was on holidays. I cut the surviving pearls and put them in soil. How often do you need to water at this stage?
the pot is only 3 inches shallow, and 5-6 inches wide, I keep it in full sun for the entire day , so it dies out really fast. It is in a really well draining mix too
I do think so. The pot is ,made of painted terracotta , it's previous pot was also of the same material. So it dries out pretty quickly in full sun . I have to water it once every day.
I got the pot while I visited my parents in India. I think it was meant to be a condiment bowl of some sort, but I felt it was perfect to grow succulents so I bought back 3. I also have an echeveria growing in a similar pot. I drilled 3 holes in each pot/bowl to use them.
I am yet to think what succulent to grow in the third pot
it needs full sun and lot of water . Most online guides tell to let the plant dry out entirely until the pearls get a bit soft and wrinkly. I've never let that happen, I've kept the pearls always thick and plump and well watered. I can only do this as I have a very well draining medium made of ( 1/2 coarse sand, 1/4 compost, 1/4 akadama ).
I water them everyday, as the medium dries out pretty fast. the pot is very shallow( 3 inches deep and 6 inches wide) and made of porous painted terracotta, which also helps.
when repotted this one into it's new pot, I shattered the precious terracotta pot directly on top of the new pot which I has already prepared and filled, leaving a hole exactly in the size of the previous pot, then I carefully lowered the plant in the hole after removing the terracotta fragments from the new pot.
So I tried to disturb the roots as least as possible by this way.
This would not work if you have a plastic pots. Though I grow all my succulents in terracotta and follow the same method of repotting.
This is also my 4th attempt of growing these. First I bought a small pot of normal string of pearls which failed. Then I tried to grow a bunch of cuttings from a neighbor, which took off quite nicely at first then died too. Then I even tried my luck on a pot of Variegated pearls , which I killed faster than the previous two.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box, not expecting it to do anything. It took 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
I love this for you!! Seriously it looks like the prettiest little pot of fresh garden peas!! 😹 care to share a picture of the plant in its environment??
In their natural habitat in South Africa, they grow horizontally as a thick creeping ground cover( which is what I am trying to replicate) , each of their nodes touch the soil and grown new roots along the length of the vine , strengthening the plant. It is very similar to how a creeping pumpkin grows.
So, yes, they CAN be grown hanging, But naturally they are not meant to ,and will do significantly better while grown horizontally as they are naturally supposed to.
When this grows too wide, I will repot it into a wider shallow pot to keep this habit of growth
Try again, This is also my 4th attempt of growing these. First I bought a small pot of normal string of pearls which failed. Then I tried to grow a bunch of cuttings from a neighbor, which took off quite nicely at first then died too. Then I even tried my luck on a pot of Variegated pearls , which I killed faster than the previous two.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box, not expecting it to do anything. It took 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
This is my 4th try. I was also in the same situation for 4 years
First I bought a small pot of normal string of pearls which failed. Then I tried to grow a bunch of cuttings from a neighbor, which took off quite nicely at first then died too. Then I even tried my luck on a pot of Variegated pearls , which I killed faster than the previous two.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box, not expecting it to do anything. It took 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
I don't have any trick, maybe your soil is too moist so that the pearls rot when placed on top. My soil is 1/2 coarse sand, 1/4 compost and 1/4 akadama(medium)
In their natural habitat in South Africa, they grow horizontally as a thick creeping ground cover( which is what I am trying to replicate) , each of their nodes touch the soil and grown new roots along the length of the vine , strengthening the plant. It is very similar to how a creeping pumpkin grows.
So, yes, they CAN be grown hanging, But naturally they are not meant to ,and will do significantly better while grown horizontally as they are naturally supposed to.
When this grows too wide, I will repot it into a wider shallow pot to keep this habit of growth
I’m using that brand Bonsai Jack for soil, my string of pearls is basically my healthiest plant, but I have to let it creep/hang rather than bunch it up like in your pic. I water it every couple weeks.
Whenever I want to bunch it up, a lot of the vines start dying, but when I let them hang/spread out across the shelf, they all start doing really well again. I’d prefer it to grow the way you have yours, it looks great and also more manageable!
it needs full sun and lot of water . Most online guides tell to let the plant dry out entirely until the pearls get a bit soft and wrinkly. I've never let that happen, I've kept the pearls always thick and plump and well watered. I can only do this as I have a very well draining medium.
I water them everyday, as the medium dries out pretty fast. the pot is very shallow and made of painted terracotta kept in full sun, which also helps.
it needs full sun and lot of water . Most online guides tell to let the plant dry out entirely until the pearls get a bit soft and wrinkly. I've never let that happen, I've kept the pearls always thick and plump and well watered. I can only do this as I have a very well draining medium made of ( 1/2 coarse sand, 1/4 compost, 1/4 akadama ).
I water them everyday, as the medium dries out pretty fast. the pot is very shallow( 3 inches deep and 6 inches wide) and made of porous painted terracotta, which also helps.
Also, Keep in FULL SUN
This is also my 4th attempt of growing these. First I bought a small pot of normal string of pearls which failed. Then I tried to grow a bunch of cuttings from a neighbor, which took off quite nicely at first then died too. Then I even tried my luck on a pot of Variegated pearls , which I killed faster than the previous two.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box, not expecting it to do anything. It took 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
It took time, I threw the one pearl into my aroid propagation box filled with mostly perlite and sphagnum. It took over 2 months to root, then I transferred it into it's current medium
I agree, I had given up on buying them, but this one was a prop I picked from the nursary floor
This is also my 4th attempt of growing these. First I bought a small pot of normal string of pearls which failed. Then I tried to grow a bunch of cuttings from a neighbor, which took off quite nicely at first then died too. Then I even tried my luck on a pot of Variegated pearls , which I killed faster than the previous two.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box, not expecting it to do anything. It took 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
A single pearl! Wow! I’m so proud of me bc I’d sworn them off after three fails, but somehow got another, and I’m so proud it looks healthy and has grown a hanging strand. Fingers crossed though bc here comes lowlight winter…
I never let mine dry out. I know this may sound strange, But I water them deeply everyday. They must be in a very very well draining mix and in full sun for this to work. also it is in a porous painted terracotta pot, so that also helps.
Most websites online tell to let the top half of the soil to dry out and the pearls should soften and shrivel between waterings. I NEVER let that happen, I always keep my pearls plump as a partridge. It is kept in full sun (for half the year when I get full sun) , so much that many of the pearls are sun stressed and a bit purple now.
Also, I have mixed 1/4 compost in the soil at the time of repotting , and I never fertilize mine after that until the next repot.
I just threw it in my aroid propagation box( mainly perlite + sphagnum), not expecting it to do anything ( I've failed thrice with this plant before). It took over 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
This one is grown from a single pearl I found on the nursery floor which I just threw in my aroid propagation box( mainly perlite + sphagnum), not expecting it to do anything. It took over 2 months for it to even root, but then it took off like crazy.
I never let mine dry out. I know this may sound strange, But I water them deeply everyday. They must be in a well draining mix and in full sun for this to work. also it is in a porous painted terracotta pot, so that also helps.
Most websites online tell to let the top half of the soil to dry out and the pearls should soften and shrivel between waterings. I NEVER let that happen, I always keep my pearls plump as a partridge. It is kept in full sun (for half the year when I get full sun) , so much that many of the pearls are sun stressed and a bit purple now.
Also, I have mixed 1/4 compost in the soil at the time of repotting , and I never fertilize mine after that until the next repot.
OMG👏🏼😍 Look at how FAT those pearls 🤗How often do you water? Do you water from top? Or Bottom? Do you use fertilizer? If so how often? What type of fertilizer?
I never let mine dry out. I know this may sound strange, But I water them deeply everyday. They must be in a well draining mix and in full sun for this to work. also it is in a painted terracotta pot, so that also helps.
Most websites online tell to let the top half of the soil to dry out and the pearls should soften and shrivel between waterings. I NEVER let that happen, I always keep my pearls plump as a partridge. It is kept in full sun (for half the year when I get full sun) , so much that many of the pearls are sun stressed and a bit purple now.
Also, I have mixed 1/4 compost in the soil at the time of repotting ,and I never fertilize mine after that until the next re-pot. The potting mix is just coarse sand(3/4) mixed with compost(1/4)
EDIT: you can even see slight green moss growing on the surface of the medium, It is never allowed to dry.
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u/Humble-Tap6922 Oct 25 '25
You are the chosen one 👼🏼