When to Repot and Propagate String of Pearls

Best season to repot

Spring, as the plant comes out of its cool, dry winter rest. UW-Madison Extension recommends repotting every year or two, or giving a light feeding in spring instead. N.C. Cooperative Extension calls spring the best time to repot houseplants in general, since the plant then has the whole growing season to settle in.

Do not repot during the winter rest. NC State and UW-Madison both advise keeping the plant cool, between about 50 and 60°F, and drier in winter. A fresh pot of damp mix at that time sits wet around roots that are barely growing, the conditions that lead to rot.

Signs it needs repotting

• It has been a year or two since the last repotting, UW-Madison’s suggested interval.
• Roots show at the drainage hole or on the surface, which N.C. Cooperative Extension calls a sure sign.
• The mix dries out much faster than it used to.
• The plant has thinned in the center. NC State notes that string of pearls declines after several years, so this can also mean it is time to start fresh from cuttings rather than repot.

Pot and mix

Stay shallow. UW-Madison explains that the plant does not make an extensive root system, and a deep pot holds wet soil the roots cannot dry out. Unglazed clay helps the mix dry faster. Fill with cactus mix, or potting mix amended with grit, sharp sand, pumice or pea gravel, up to half and half. Go up no more than 2 inches in diameter, the general limit in the Wayne County Extension guide, and set the crown at the same depth as before.

When and how to propagate

Take cuttings in spring or summer. The stems root fast in active growth, and Iowa State notes that summer outdoors is a good time to root cuttings in general.

1. Cut stem tips 3 to 5 inches long (NC State) or 3 to 4 inches (UW-Madison).
2. Strip 3 or 4 pearls from the bottom.
3. Lay or set the cuttings on moist mix with the bare nodes lightly covered.
4. Mist the surface instead of watering heavily until roots form at the nodes.

Because older plants tend to decline, rooting a new pot every few years keeps you supplied with a full plant.

When to move it outdoors

None of the plant’s extension sources give a night temperature for moving it out. Iowa State and Illinois Extension use the general houseplant rule: wait until nights are consistently above 50°F. NC State’s preferred summer range of 70 to 80°F shows it is happiest once the weather is truly warm.

Acclimate it slowly. UW-Madison warns that outdoor pots must be eased into the light to prevent sunburn, and Iowa State says sun damage on succulents is permanent. Start in full shade and add more light over 10 to 14 days, ending in partial shade, which NC State recommends for outdoor plants. Keep it under a porch roof or eave: UW-Madison says to protect it from excess rain, and Illinois Extension warns that heavy rain causes root rot in succulents. Outdoors it will dry faster, so check the pearls and mix more often.

When to bring it back in

Bring it in when nights begin to dip toward 50°F, as Iowa State and Illinois advise for houseplants, and in any case before the first fall frost, which NC State says it cannot survive. Its winter rest temperature is 50 to 60°F, so cool fall nights are not a problem until they approach that floor.

Check it for pests first. Iowa State lists scale, mealybugs, aphids and whiteflies on the plant and ants in the soil as common hitchhikers. Rinse the stems outside if needed, let them dry, and keep the plant away from other houseplants for 3 to 4 weeks. Indoors, put it in bright, indirect light and cut watering back for its winter rest.