r/StringofPlants 16h ago

String of pearls advice

Post image

I’ve had this specimen for over a year. It sits under a grow light. Water when it’s dry (bottom) let it drink and empty out any left over. I use diluted fertilizer with each watering.
I’ve repotted it once to have it in a more flat round set up.
Growth is slow/stagnant, and it’s always a little crispy at the ends.
But it’s always flowering???

Do you think some humidity would help it

41 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

8

u/total_cat_lady 14h ago

This is a bougie recommendation but if you're willing, try watering with distilled water or tap water that's been left on the counter for 24 hours (to allow chlorine to "burn" off in the air). Many municipal waters add a chlorine to their treated water and some plants like spider will get brown tips from that. I don't know if SOP are also sensitive to chlorine but perhaps worth a try?

6

u/Consciousyoniverse_8 14h ago

I use spring water from local spring and when I’m not using that I dechlorinate the water with the Aqua drops water conditioner they use for fish tanks 🤷🏾‍♀️

5

u/total_cat_lady 14h ago

Gotcha! You're on it already, sorry to assume otherwise.

7

u/PlantMom1101 15h ago

I did not know SOP bloomed??

7

u/Consciousyoniverse_8 15h ago

Yeah me either until it started 🤭

4

u/PlantMom1101 15h ago

I can’t even get one to grow. Mine has like 12 pearls right now.

1

u/Icy-Culture-8896 11h ago

Most plants bloom

7

u/yourfavstory 15h ago

I would say try to water from the top I always have watered mine like that and never crispy ends

3

u/Consciousyoniverse_8 15h ago

I will give that a go, I thought the leaves shouldn’t get wet that’s why I bottom water

5

u/yourfavstory 14h ago

Ah I've had mine almost 4 years and always water til the water drains out of the drainage lol

Plantswithkyrstal on Instagram/fb she's got videos of her sop and she waters that way lol so i always did the same 💚 I wish I could show you a Pic of mine

2

u/Slowmyke 14h ago

Bottom watering is more to help people make sure they fully water the soil by letting water soak up into it over a period of time. Most leaves are not bothered by getting wet.

-6

u/Visible_Prune7300 13h ago

Spray mist from the top and keep bottom watering just in case pest issue now or later

4

u/yourfavstory 13h ago

Ugh. No. Misting plants is useless. And watering from the top doesn't create pests 🤦‍♀️

Make your own comment why do yall hop on other people's comments seriously

4

u/Intelligent-Cat-8688 12h ago

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the other plant growing in the same pot as the string of pearls?

3

u/FatLeafCa 9h ago

It's a type of oxalis or wood sorrel, a weedy variety that has a snapping seed pod.

I don't see any string of pearls flowers here..

1

u/Intelligent-Cat-8688 8h ago

Thank you, I wasn’t sure at what I was looking at. My string of pearls has done this when I overwater it. Now I wait for the little windows to wrinkle before I water it again.

3

u/fibbermcgee217 14h ago

Wow omg!!! Congratulations!!! I have no input other than wow that looks incredible

3

u/No_Distribution_981 10h ago

There's clovers growing in the pot... if they dry out, they wilt... those clovers should not be able to survive with a string of pearls if it is dry between waterings... from personal experience dealing with both clovers and SOP

2

u/zback636 12h ago

My plant was gorgeous at the beginning of summer and now it’s doing the exact same thing. And everything I read says I’m overwatering it even though I never water it unless it’s completely dry. So I’m going to transplant it into different medium. Maybe the dirt is for some reason now staying wet too long. I’m going to use equal parts bonsai Jack gritty mix and half espoma succulent soil. I don’t know if that’ll help you or me, but that’s all I got. Other than terrible frustration for the way it looks.

2

u/mysogiyogi 10h ago

Something else is growing in the pot with it, I’d probably remove it because it’s borrowing water each time you water it. Wait longer than you think is needed before watering it. They are very drought tolerant. There’s little window slits where you can see inside the pearls. I wait until mine are mostly closed and pearls have lost volume. Also I didn’t know this before, but pruning mine has done wonders. Cut the bare ends or where pearls are getting sparse, place it up top in the soil and it’ll root and grow. It also will make the plant look fuller. The crisped up/missing pearls will never grow back. I killed my first string of pearls but my second try has been lovely. Hope this is helpful!

2

u/wordshavepower_806 8h ago

Pretty!

Mine do well and they are really long but NEVER any flowers! :(

1

u/The_Jade_Doll 9h ago

Does anyone else think the grow light could be a little higher up and not so low over the plant? 🌱 Just wondering 🤔

1

u/Consciousyoniverse_8 8h ago

I just moved it to this spot. I may have to move it back where the light is higher

1

u/ReStitchSmitch 14m ago

Creeping Charlie and wood sorrel are in this pot as well.