String of Hearts can be somewhat complicated plants to care for. While they are a succulent-type plant, they need lots of special care while propagating. Once propagated, they don’t need as much attention. In this post, I’m going to give step-by-step instructions for propagating String of Hearts. I’m propagating variegated String of Hearts, but these instructions apply to non variegated String of Hearts as well.

If you’re looking to purchase a mother String of Hearts, feel free to check out my plant shop, Sophie’s Plant Shop, as I usually have them in stock.

Make sure to start out with clean sheers. I like to clean mine with rubbing alcohol in between uses. String of Hearts do well in a chunky soil that is well-aerated to prevent rotting, as it doesn’t hold onto moisture for too long. They also have shallow root systems, and will benefit from a pot that isn’t very deep.

Step 1: Take Cuttings

When taking cuttings from a String of Hearts, you can either take butterfly cuttings with only one or two leaves, or you can cut a strand with multiple leaves. I find that butterfly cuttings will help you grow a fuller plant, but it’s totally your preference! Either way, make sure to have at least one node on your cuttings. Nodes are little bumps on the stem where roots will grow from shown in the photo above. String of Hearts also form balls from these nodes called tubers, which can also root and grow new stems from if placed in soil.

Step 2: Let Cuttings Dry/Callous

This is the most important step in preventing failure when propagating any plant! It’s recommended that you let the cuttings dry for about 24 hours so that the cut ends callous over. This is really important in preventing the plant from rotting.

Step 3: Root the Cuttings

The next step is to root the cuttings. This can be done by placing the cutting with its nodes submerged in any planting medium you prefer (moss, perlite, soil, water, etc). If you decide to transfer the rooted cuttings in the future, they may have a hard time adjusting to a different medium. For this reason, I like to root the cuttings in soil so I don’t have to transfer them later on. While rooting, I keep the cuttings very humid using growing trays with humidity domes. I find that String of Hearts root so much easier in higher humidity. Without the extra humidity, you’ll have to make sure the soil stays moist to help the plant root.

Step 4: Continue to Care for Plant

Once the plant is rooted enough, you have successfully propagated String of Hearts! They can now be removed from the humidity and cared for regularly. String of Hearts do best with bright light, and can tolerate direct sun. Variegated String of Hearts require even more sun to maintain their variegation. Allow the soil to dry between waterings to prevent overwatering. String of Hearts are very drought-tolerant and will get softer leaves when water is needed.