The string of pearls plant is a beautiful and unique succulent that has recently gained popularity amongst plant enthusiasts. Generally a lover of more arid climates, the string of pearls plant can be difficult to grow in some parts of the world. I have had great success growing my string of pearls plant, despite living in the very beautiful, very wet, Pacific Northwest. Because of my success, I wanted to try my hand at propagating the string of pearls plant.

In order to start the propagation process, I chose some long, healthy-looking strands from my string of pearls plant, and carefully snipped them off. I then, gently removed a few of the pearls near the end I snipped from, so that the pearls were not submerged in water. I prefer to propagate in water, with a glass container, so that I can watch the process unfold. With this method, it is important to make sure the ends of the string of pearls clippings are completely submerged in water. It is possible to propagate directly into soil. However, the direct soil method does not allow for observation of the roots, and can be harder to control.

Once my string of pearls clippings were submerged in water, I set them in the window sill of the southwest window in my house (the window my string of pearls plant loves the most). Next, I waited, observing the roots as they began to take form over the next several weeks. It is important to note that I replaced the water in the container as it evaporated during this time, in order to keep the roots from drying out and dying.

Once the roots seem to have sufficiently grown, the string of pearls plant is ready for soil. This process took about 6 weeks. I chose a container with drainage holes in the bottom, and placed some pebbles in the bottom of the container to help facilitate drainage. Being a succulent, the string of pearls plant is predisposed to root rot, so proper drainage is important. I also chose cactus soil for the string of pearls plant, which helps to prevent over-saturated soil.

With the new string of pearls plant potted and rooted in soil, it is now ready to thrive on its own.