How to Propagate String of Pearls

You will need clean scissors, a shallow pot with drainage holes, succulent/cactus potting mix, and bent paperclips or U-pins.

1. 1 Select a healthy strand at least 4–6 inches long with plump, firm pearls. Avoid strands with shriveled or translucent pearls.
2. 2 Cut the strand using clean scissors.
3. 3 Gently remove the pearls (round leaves) from the bottom 2 inches of the stem by pinching them off — leave this section bare. Do not bury pearls under any circumstances, as they rot quickly in moist soil.
4. 4 Lay the cutting on top of moist (not wet) succulent soil, and pin the bare section down with a bent paperclip or U-pin so the bare stem makes contact with the soil surface.
5. 5 Do not water for the first 7 days — the cutting needs to develop root initials before it can absorb water, and excess moisture causes rot.
6. 6 After 7 days, water very sparingly — only enough to lightly moisten the soil surface.
7. 7 Keep in bright indirect light at warm temperatures (65–80°F).
8. 8 Roots develop from the leaf nodes on the bare stem section in 2–3 weeks.
9. 9 Once the cutting shows new pearl growth (4–6 weeks), it is established and you can begin normal watering when the soil is completely dry.

This is the best method for creating a lush, full String of Pearls in record time. You will need a wide shallow pot, succulent soil, and several U-pins.

1. 1 Take a long healthy strand (8–12 inches or more).
2. 2 Remove pearls from several points along the stem to create bare sections every 2–3 inches.
3. 3 Fill a wide shallow pot with moist succulent soil.
4. 4 Coil the strand on top of the soil in a spiral or circular pattern, pinning down each bare section with a U-pin so it makes contact with the soil.
5. 5 Do not water for the first 7 days.
6. 6 After 7 days, water very sparingly.
7. 7 Each pinned contact point will develop roots independently, creating multiple growth points simultaneously.
8. 8 Within 4–6 weeks, the coiled strand will have rooted at multiple points and begun producing new strands from each rooted section.
9. 9 Once the plant is well-established (8–12 weeks), you can remove the pins.

You will need a small container and room-temperature water.

1. 1 Cut a 4–6 inch strand and remove pearls from the bottom 2 inches.
2. 2 Place the bare stem section in a small container of water, ensuring no pearls are submerged.
3. 3 Change the water every 5–7 days.
4. 4 Roots appear in 7–14 days — faster than soil propagation.
5. 5 Plant in soil once roots are 1/2 inch long.
6. 6 Transition carefully — water-rooted cuttings are more delicate and need gradual adjustment to soil. Keep the soil slightly more moist than usual for the first 2 weeks, then transition to normal dry-between-watering schedule.