Also known as the Hearts Entangled or the Rosary Vine, the String of Hearts is an excellent addition to your garden.
However, the chain of heart-shaped leaves can get pretty long or scraggly. When this happens, you might want to propagate the plant. There are five tried and true ways to propagate String of Hearts, which we’ll be discussing in this article.
What Are the Different Ways to Propagate String of Hearts?
The propagation techniques are:
- Water propagation
- Tubing propagation
- Soil propagation
- Growing String of Hearts from seed
- Propagation by leaf
Keep in mind that when you propagate the String of Hearts, use well-draining soil, as the plant dislikes excessive moisture.
Generally, a succulent soil mix does the trick, as the String of Hearts is a succulent plant. You can also add some perlite to make the substrate airy and light.
Plus, when you cut out a vine, always choose a mature one with big and plump leaves. If it has thin/tiny leaves or recently sprouted, it won’t root well and might just die.
What Do You Need For String of Hearts Propagation?
The things you need to propagate String of Hearts depend on the technique. For the most part, you’ll need scissors, water, succulent soil mix, a pot, and a water spray.
In the water propagation method, you’ll require a vase, too. To grow the plant from seeds or leaves, you should just have a tray.
How Do I Propagate String of Hearts?
All of the methods are equally viable, but some are more efficient than others. Which technique you use is purely up to your preference.
1. Water Propagation
Water propagation is by far the easiest and least time-consuming method. It can also let you see the progress of the vines’ growth.
If you want to use water propagation, follow these steps.
- Using the scissors, cut off the vines you want to root.
- Snip away the leaves on the part of the vines that you’re going to submerge.
- Keep the leaves on the part that’s going to stick out of the water.
- Make sure that there’s at least one, if not two nodes underwater.
- Once the roots start to come out, put the vines into a vase.
- When they start sprouting new shoots and vines, you can either put them in a new pot or keep the plant in the vase indefinitely.
- Replace the water every two weeks, or when you see it getting murky.
2. Tuber Propagation
When you’ve had a String of Hearts for a long time, you might notice some small, rounded growths on the vines. While an inexperienced gardener might think of them as the work of parasites or diseases, these growths are part of the plant.
These are called aerial tubers, a variety of aerial roots that you can use to propagate your String of Hearts.
- Take a pair of scissors and a pot with soil.
- Find the largest tuber (preferably around as large as your fingernail).
- Once you’ve found it, cut the tuber out of the vine.
- Bury the tuber in the soil.
- Spray the soil over the buried tuber to keep it moist.
- Before long, new vines will be sprouting from the buried tuber.
3. Soil Propagation
If you prefer using pots over vases, then soil propagation is for you. This can also come in handy when your plant has become too long or scraggly.
- Snip off the vines you want to use with the scissors.
- Remove the leaves from the side of each vine you’re going to stick into the soil.
- Make sure that some of the nodes—the little bumps out of which leaves and stems grow—are either covered by or touching the soil.
- After that, spray the parts that are touching the soil every day to encourage the plant to take root.
4. Growing String of Hearts From Seeds
If you’ve had a healthy String of Hearts for some time, you might notice some flowers blooming. You can use the seeds from them to propagate your String of Hearts.
This method isn’t that time-efficient compared to the other methods of propagation. Still, if you’d like to test your gardening abilities, then this can be a good technique for you.
Usually, you could just leave these seeds alone if they’ve fallen out, as they’ll spread out by themselves to propagate. Still, if you want to grow your String of Hearts from seeds, this is how.
- Prepare a seedling tray, preferably one that has a humidity dome to trap moisture like a miniature greenhouse.
- Put succulent soil in the container, then plant the seeds.
- Spray water on the containers every day to keep the soil moist.
- After that, place the tray in a warm location with lots of indirect sunlight.
- After that, you need only wait until the plant starts growing.
5. Propagation by Leaf
It can prove to be difficult to propagate String of Hearts by leaf. Some leaves might form roots, but others might dry out or rot.
Usually, though, you’ll end up with a cute single-leaf plant.
- Prepare a pot with a suitable potting mix.
- Take a healthy leaf from the plant.
- Place the leaf inside the soil and keep it dry, as it’ll rot if it’s always wet.
- Spray the soil with some water every day to keep it moist.
- If successful, the roots should appear within a few weeks, but it can take months for a tuber to develop.
FAQs
What’s the best time to propagate String of Hearts?
We recommend that you propagate your String of Hearts in the mid to late summer or spring, as the plant will be dormant in fall and winter.
What’s the best temperature for String of Hearts?
String of Hearts thrives in temperatures between 60°–80°F.
Don’t expose it to temperatures anywhere below 41°F, as this plant is sensitive to cold.
Conclusion
Propagating String of Hearts is usually a simple process, and you can find success with any of the techniques that we’ve mentioned above. Water, tuber, and soil propagation are some of the easiest methods you can try.
However, if you like a challenge, you can grow your String of Hearts from seeds or leaves.
