Propagate the String of Pearls from cuttings: just one cutting will be sufficient to get a new Senecium Rowleyanus plant
Senecium or Curio Rowleyanus - also commonly known as "String of Pearls" - is a very popular succulent, cultivated both indoors and outdoors worldwide. With its long branches of spherical leaves that look just like green pearls, this succulent has spectacular, drooping foliage, making it perfect for cultivation in hanging baskets, windowsill planters or pots placed in elevated positions. And if you really love seneciums, new plants can be easily propagated from cuttings.
The environmental conditions necessary for the String of Pearls
Senecium do not like very cold climates: the average temperature should be kept at around 15 degrees C, but they can tolerate temperatures as high as 30 degrees C. For brief periods, senecium can even tolerate temperatures as low as 5 degrees C.
As for exposure, this succulent prefers brightly-lit spots, and even exposure to full sunlight (in moderate climes). As for any succulent, the soil must be well-draining and watering should be done infrequently and sparsely (ie. only when the soil dries out).
Propagating senecium in water or soil
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You can use two different methods to propagate your seneciums. When you trim your senecium, you can use the cuttings to grow new plants in water or soil.
The first thing to do is collect your cuttings. To do this, it is essential to use sharp, sterilized cutting implements. Sterilize your tools with alcohol or heat from a flame.
The cuttings should be a maximum of 10-15 cm in length. Now, you get to chose whether to propagate the cuttings in water or soil:
- In water: take your cuttings and immerse them in a jar of water, so that the water level covers the lower half of the cuttings. Place the jar in a bright spot in the house or garden, but not in direct sunlight. Change the water every two or three days and wait for the roots to grow. The roots should be 4-5 centimeters long before transplanting the cuttings to soil (in pots). Use cactus-specific soil, and also place a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the pots to ensure proper drainage. Always use small pots and it is best to transplant to a new pot only when the roots have "taken over" all the soil in the existing pot (change to pots that are only one or two sizes larger).
- In soil: since these are plants that root easily, you can insert your cuttings directly into soil. However, if you want to increase the chances of the rooting, dip the cut end of the cuttings into a rooting hormone powder, then plant in soil. As the cuttings grow, proceed with repotting/transplanting as described above.
As you can see, it's really easy to propagate Strings of Pearls!
