The string of hearts, also known as the “ceropegia woodii” is one of the most beautiful trailing succulents out there. It’s a perfect succulent if you are wanting to grow an attractive, unique, easy to grow houseplant succulent. An evergreen succulent that wants to and is best to grow in a hanging basket. It can most certainly grow in a regular pot as well, it’s just a hanging succulent which means it wants to hang down and grow. This is why hanging pots are ideal for this plant.

Naitive to South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe, this hanging succulent has dark green, cream, pink, variegated silver, heart-shaped leaves with a hint of purple shade that truly look amazing. This succulent can grow fairly large, growing all the way up to 2-3 inches tall, but its long stems can grow to 3-9 ft long! This is why it’s very important to grow this succulent in a hanging pot that’s fairly high off the ground so it can grow long. This plant is very eye catchy, and people will just have to compliment it because it looks so unique and beautiful.

String of hearts will also produce fairly small pale, magenta flowers, making this succulent look even more beautiful. These flowers will bloom in the late summer and early fall, but there’s a chance they will bloom several times a year. They are tubular-shaped flowers that will grow about an inch long which have a bulbous base. These flowers also give this succulent another common name such as the “rosary vine”.

String of Hearts Quick Facts:

Proper Name: Ceropegia woodii

Common Name: String of hearts, Rosary vine

Type of Plant: Succulent, evergreen, vine

Growth: 2-3 inches tall, 3-9 ft long

Sunlight: Partial sun

Soil: Well-drained

Bloom Time: Summer, fall

Flower Color: Purple, red

Cold Hardiness: 9-12

 

Before we Begin...

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Growing the String of Hearts Indoors or Outdoors

Indoor Growing:

It’s very common to grow the string of hearts indoors, it’s known as a very popular houseplant. However, some growers struggle with giving this succulent enough sunlight when growing indoors. This is because of the lack of light their house gets for their plant to get enough sunlight. If this succulent lacks sunlight then it will start to lose its beautiful colors and start to look very pale. It needs sunlight to survive and look pretty!

Outdoor Growing:

As we mentioned, this succulent is a very popular houseplant and is most of the time grown indoors. However, you can still grow it outdoors for sure! It’s very common to grow this succulent in rock gardens, sprawling ground cover, or cascading down walls in warm mediterranean climates. It’s definitely best to grow this succulent during warm seasons such as spring and summer. This succulent isn’t cold hardy so it will die in frost, cold, or freezing temperatures. If you live in an area that gets under 30 degrees then you will have to move and grow this succulent indoors. We recommend growing it in a container that’s very easy to move so once winter hits you can easily move and grow it inside.

String of Hearts Care

The string of hearts can be grown indoors or outdoors. In order for this succulent to grow healthy and happy it will need proper filtered light, proper moisture levels, proper soil, and proper growing conditions. This succulent is known to be very fast growing if grown correctly and giving it the proper care it needs. It’s also very easy to grow and care for, but you can definitely mess up and most likely kill the plant if not careful enough. By the end of this care guide you will be able to grow a healthy and happy string of heart succulent.

Light and Temperature

It’s very important that you give your string of hearts enough sunlight/light. If you don’t then the plant will grow unhealthy and will get pale and lack color. Grow it in an area that gets bright filtered sunlight, make sure to avoid direct sunlight. It loves heat and bright light but will not tolerate or grow well in direct sunlight. If growing indoors make sure to place this succulent at the brightest window in the house. For outdoor growing the plant should be in partial sun and partial shade to avoid sun damage.

For temperature, it’s best to grow this succulent in 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the ideal temperature for growing this succulent healthy and happy. Again, if you live in an area that gets under 30 degrees, then it will need to be moved and grown indoors during the cold winter season. This succulent also doesn’t want to be grown in intense heat during its dormancy phase. It’s focusing on its roots and not really growing, so intense heat will prevent this succulent from growing its roots.

You will see some common growing problems if your string of hearts is getting too much sun or not enough sun. If the leaves are starting to look very pale and are losing color then the plant will need more sunlight. If you see the leaves are getting sunburned or wrinkled then the plant will need less sunlight and maybe some shade so it can take a break from the sun. Also, sometimes the succulent will get an uneven amount of sunlight which will make parts of the succulent look brighter than others. You will need to rotate the succulent so it can get sun on all parts of the plant, making it colorful on all sides.

Watering

Yes, the string of hearts succulent is a drought tolerant succulent, but it still needs a good amount of water. However, root rot will occur if you overwater just like it occurs when you overwater any type of succulent out there. It’s best to give this succulent water once a week, or when the soil looks or feels very dry. It’s best to put your finger 2-3 inches into the soil, if the soil feels very dry then the plant will need water. Dry soil usually happens a lot during warm seasons such as spring and summer. 

It’s best to let the soil dry out completely before watering again. After the soil is dry out completely then give the succulent a good amount of water but don’t overdo it. Again, too much water will cause root rot and will also cause swollen foliage. During winter this succulent will go dormant, which means it’s focusing on developing its roots. Cut back on water so there’s no chance that root rot will occur. Only water once every 3 to 4 weeks or when the soil feels very dry, this will protect this succulent from root rot during dormancy. 

Some common signs and symptoms of an underwatered string of hearts succulent would be dry/wrinkled leaves or lack of color. If you see these symptoms then definitely feel the soil with your finger. If the soil feels very dry then go ahead and water the succulent. If the leaves look very full and firm then it doesn’t need water. 

Be very careful when watering this succulent. Its leaves are very very delicate and some high water pressure may hurt the leaves and bruise them. Make sure to use a slight mist or a cup of water and gently hit the soil and try to avoid the leaves. This will also protect the roots from rot and damage.

Soil

The string of hearts succulent will need to be grown in well-drained succulent soil. The soil can’t stay wet for several days, this will cause root rot. Well-drained succulent soil will drain excess water and keep the soil very dry. This will help prevent overwatering and will prevent mold and bacteria from growing and appearing. Well-drained succulent soil is very important and you will definitely need it when growing this succulent.  

Use Well-Draining Succulent Soil

This succulent grows best in well-drained succulent soil. It's very important that you use well-drained succulent soil so the soil doesn't stay soaked with water for several days. If you overwater the succulent and the soil stays wet and not dry for several days, then mold and bacteria will grow and appear. The mold and bacteria will then attack the roots of the succulent giving it root rot. Root rot is known as the #1 most common reason why a succulent will die.

To avoid mold/bacteria and root rot, you must use well-drained succulent soil. Well-drained succulent soil will keep the soil dry at a very fast rate preventing mold/bacteria and root rot from appearing. Any succulent grower expert will tell you that you need well-drained succulent soil, it's definitely a requirement for growing this succulent and every single other succulent out there.

We recommend using arguably the best succulent soil out there "Ramsey Succulent Soil"

Ramsey Succulent soil is arguably the best succulent soil on the market simply because it gets the job done and is loaded with nutrients.

Ramsey Succulent Soil has ingredients such as perlite, sand, and seaweed. Perlite and sand are known as the best ingredients out there if you want your soil well-drained. The perlite and sand will soak up all the excess water that your succulent does not need, preventing the soil from staying soaking wet for several days. So yes, Ramsey Succulent Soil will prevent mold/bacteria and root rot (the #1 most common reason why a succulent will die) simply because there will be no excess water.

That's not all tho.

What makes Ramsey Succulent Soil arguably the best are the nutrients that's in the soil. These nutrients will help your succulents grow bigger, faster, and healthier.

Ramsey Succulent Soil has seaweed fertilizer, which has 60 trace minerals and nutrients. Yes, your succulents will be absorbing 60 trace minerals and nutrients. This will make your succulents grow bigger, faster, and healthier without a doubt. Compared to other succulent soil, this succulent soil will make a huge huge difference for your plants. Don't believe us? Check out this picture below. You can definitely tell which succulent soil is better for your succulents.

Ramsey Succulent Soil: Click here to Purchase

Humidity 

40-50% humidity is ideal when growing this succulent. This succulent can survive and grow in dry areas and climates.

Repotting:

To reduce growing risks it’s best to repot the string of hearts during the summer. Repot in a bigger pot if you want to, make sure to use well-drained succulent soil.

Fertilizer:

The string of hearts succulent does love fertilizer, and it’s best to give it some food about once a month in May-August which is their active growth period. Infrequent fertilizers and half-diluted fertilizers is best for this succulent and will make it grow bigger, faster, and healthier. 

Underwatering Signs/Symptoms:

When your string of hearts plant is underwatered and dehydrated you will start to see dried, curled up, wrinkled leaves. This is happening because the leaves aren’t full with water so they curl up and start to look thinner. To make sure that the succulent is underwatered, dig your finger 2-3 inches into the soil. If the soil looks or feels very dry then you need to water the succulent immediately. The succulent will then start to get hydrated again and the leaves will slowly fill back up with water and look normal again. You will see results immediately or within 2 days.

Overwatering Signs/Symptoms:

You will start to see mushy/moldy leaves when the succulent is overwatered. The leaves will also start and look yellow, brown, or black and will start to shed. These are common signs of overwatering, and if you don’t take care of it then the succulent could die. Hold off on watering and wait until the soil dries out completely, you shouldn’t water this succulent for about 1 week. 

This will turn the plant back to normal and will save it. To prevent overwatering use well-drained succulent soil and reduce watering. Only water once a week or whenever the soil looks or feels very dry.

Make String of Hearts Fuller

Sometimes when growing the string of hearts it will start to look leggy or lose their bright beautiful colors. To fix these issues you can prune your string of hearts to make them look fuller and cleaner. You just simply need to get some clippers and cut some of the cuttings off that look like they need it. Then plant those cuttings back into the soil and they will start to grow making the plant look fuller and bigger.

Propagating String of Hearts:

There are 3 ways to propagate a string of hearts, you can do it by soil, water, or by tubing. Propagation is very simple and easy to do, yet it does take some time and patience. It’s definitely worth the wait!

Soil Propagation:

For propagating this succulent through soil you will first need to cut off some cuttings. After cutting off the cuttings you will also need to cut off the leaves or the leaves will start to rot and so will the cuttings. Wait 1 day before planting then plant the cuttings in well-drained succulent soil. Grow in full shade for the first week then move to full sun, water 1-2 days a week or when the soil looks or feels very dry.

Water Propagation:

For water propagation you will need to also cut off some cuttings, and then also get a jar of water ready. Put your cuttings in the jar of water and let them sit in there for a couple of days. You must let it sit in sunlight for at least 6-8 hours.  As days go by you will start to see roots appear. After roots appear, take them out and plant in well-drained succulent soil. You will start to see more plants grow and appear.

Tubing Propagation:

For tubing propagation you will need to find a tube that you can at least fit your finger in. Simply put one of the vines/cuttings into the tube and press it all the way down into the soil. Basically you are taking out the cutting that already has roots. You will then need to take that cutting and plant it in well-drained succulent soil. Grow it in full shade for about 1 week and then move it to full sun after 1 week. Give it 4-6 hours of sunlight every single day, water 1-2 days a week or when the soil feels dry. You will then start to see the plant growing larger and larger every day.

For more information and a complete guide on how to propagate succulents, check out our article on it!

Growing the string of hearts succulent is very simple and easy to do. You just need to make sure that you are giving it the proper requirements that it needs to grow healthy and happy. Definitely grow this succulent, you won’t regret it. You will love the beauty it brings to your indoor or outdoor garden. 

Thank you!

Thank you for visiting our website and reading our article. We hope we brought value, and great information to you today. Our goal is to help fellow succulent lovers like you! Any questions or if you’d like more tips email us or comment below! 

If you are interested in buying live succulents, soil, cuttings, etc. We have them available here on our website. Go to our homepage, or click the links in our articles for more information.

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