The ideal hanging plant is the heart-shaped leaves growing on the beautiful thin vines that linger for feet and feet. But what happens if your string of hearts becomes a little too lengthy or scraggly?
After a while, hanging plants may lack their allure, but don’t worry! Simple propagation is the way to solve this issue. It allows you to trim and root the vines, as well as replant them in the same pot or produce a completely new plant.
So, do you know how to propagate a string of hearts? We have compiled three methods to do so:
- Propagate in water
- Use aerial tubers
- Propagate in soil
Read on to see the details!
How To Propagate A String Of Hearts
Method 1: Propagate In Water
![Propagate In Water How To Propagate A String Of Hearts](https://www.growgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Propagate-In-Water-How-To-Propagate-A-String-Of-Hearts.jpg.webp)
This method is a straightforward procedure that we have had a lot of success with. So if you want to make your heart strings fuller while retaining the length, this is a fantastic approach.
1. Set up the station for propagation
A couple of glasses of water will suffice in this case. It is entirely up to you whether it is clear or not. You should keep the roots clean so that you can see how they grow.
2. Take the cuttings
Cut a couple of strings of hearts off the present plant using your clean shears. When cutting them, ensure they aren’t all knotted up! Make the cuttings at a minimum of 2 to 3 inches long to offer you a few different choices for exposing the nodes.
3. Cut the hearts open, expose the nodes, then submerge the cuts in water
You have to cut the heart leaves off the plant, then submerge them in the water. This will reveal the nodes that connect those two hearts.
The roots will develop from this node, which will subsequently be immersed in water. Maintain the integrity of the hearts above water while keeping the nodes submerged at all times.
4. Place in bright indirect sunlight
Your string of hearts prefers bright, indirect light, with the best light coming from the west. It would be best to keep your line of hearts cut a few feet back if you have a large south-facing window.
This location not only receives a lot of brilliant indirect light, but it is also relatively warm for your plant to thrive.
5. Change the water regularly
Replace the water in the propagation station once a week or when it becomes filthy. More essential, you must replenish your water supply to guarantee that the nodes are continually submerged.
The node will dry out and perish if it is exposed to air. After several weeks, you should start to see roots emerge because they are at least 2 inches long.
Method 2: Use Aerial Tubers
![Use Aerial Tubers How To Propagate A String Of Hearts](https://www.growgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Use-Aerial-Tubers-How-To-Propagate-A-String-Of-Hearts.jpg.webp)
You may see some tiny, spherical growths developing on older strings of heart. Aerial tubers, also known as bulbils, are tubers that may be utilized to generate new growth.
This is a rather successful propagation technique, so if your string of hearts plant has tubers, give it a try.
1. Find the most extended tuber
Throughout the vines, you should see tubers developing from the bottom of the heart leaves. Search for the ones that are the biggest from your plant.
When it comes to tuber propagation, you have two alternatives. You have the option of leaving the tuber on the vine or attempting to remove it. Leave a small amount of the plant on the tuber if you remove it.
2. Press it in the soil
To not bury the tuber entirely in soil, simply place it on top of the soil and gently push it down until 1/2 part of the tuber is buried and the other part is visible. If the tuber is still on the vine, just place it in a second pot next to the parent plant and cover it with soil.
3. Water the soil
You should not overwater the soil, but it should be kept moist at all times to encourage development. After several weeks, the tuber should have roots and new vines coming from the top. To keep the soil wet, sprinkle it using a spray bottle every day.
You may also grow the tuber in water, which has shown to be successful in our experience. Insert the tuber in a propagation glass containing water, similar to the first propagating cuttings in water.
Method 3: Propagate In Soil
Another technique for propagation is to skip the water and place your cuttings into the soil.
However, this approach is less effective since these hanging plants do not have a high survival rate while they are young. That’s why, before moving them to the soil, make sure they have a robust root system.
1. Cut the hearts open, expose the nodes
Take a few cuts at a minimum of 2 to 3 inches long and slice the hearts to reveal the nodes, similar to the previous procedure. To enhance the chances of their roots in the soil, construct two nodes.
2. Press it in the soil
Although just the exposed nodes should be planted into the soil, the remainder of the string should be left hanging over the container. Alternatively, you can lay the rest of the string on top of the soil.
This will assist you in achieving a fuller appearance. You can use 50 percent potting mix, 45 percent cactus mix, and some orchid bark and perlite to aid drainage in the soil mix. You may also soak the nodes in a rooting solution to help in root development.
3. Water the soil
To stimulate the roots that you want to see, they should constantly be a bit wet. Please give it a nice sprinkling once or twice a day, and the soil should be moist enough.
Since cuttings require wet soil, we seldom return these cuttings to the mother plant because their watering requirements differ from cuttings. We generally start with a new container of plant cuttings and soil in it.
>> Read More Easy Propagate Houseplants: 16 of the Low Maintenance, Easy To Propagate Houseplants
How To Take Care Strings Of Hearts?
1. Light
![Light How To Take Care Strings Of Hearts](https://www.growgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Light-How-To-Take-Care-Strings-Of-Hearts.jpg.webp)
String of hearts plants, like many other houseplants, thrive in bright, indirect sunshine. However, they prefer several hours of direct sunlight, unlike many other houseplants, because they are native to the southern areas of Africa, where there is abundant light.
Find the sunniest spot in your home and ensure that your plants receive about 3 to 4 hours of direct sunshine every day. You may observe your plants become darker and scraggly if they do not get enough sunlight.
If you are having trouble getting sufficient direct sunlight for the plants, especially during the winter, consider investing in a grow light.
2. Temperature
You may keep the string of hearts plants at room temperature, although they like to be held at a higher temperature. Cold drafts are not ideal for the plant, so keep it away from draughty windows and air conditioning.
3. Soil
String of hearts plants require well-draining soil because they are native to arid places and do not thrive in standing water. A basic succulent mix will usually suffice, but you may add more perlite to make the soil even lighter and airier.
4. Watering
Overwatering can cause significant issues, such as tuber rot, although a string of hearts wants to be hydrated more frequently than “true” succulents. Along with picking or mixing the suitable soil, use pots with drainage holes to let water travel entirely through to prevent tuber rot.
In terms of watering, throughout the growing season, you only need to water once per week (from spring to fall). These plants prefer to be kept a bit dry in between waterings, and they are more tolerant if you forget to water them.
You can go even longer without watering it in the winter. Plants can even be kept almost dry until the growing season begins.
String of hearts plants, unlike other tropical houseplants, do not require a great deal of humidity to thrive. They enjoy some but aren’t as needy as other houseplants, so you can keep them in drier sections of the house where other house plants may not withstand as well.
5. Fertilizing
If your strings of hearts are producing a bunch of new growth throughout the growing season, give them a watered standard houseplant nutrient once or twice a month.
Fertilizer is not suggested throughout the winter because the plants are not growing as quickly. This is because any wasted fertilizer might cause the roots to burn.
FAQs
1. Will the plant continue to grow in the spot where you cut it?
Plant propagation is enjoyable; however, cutting your parent plant to reproduce it may be difficult. Which vine should you cut? Will it ever be this short? Or will it encourage new growth where you’ve already chopped it?
Worry not. Your plant will continue to grow. Trimming the vines can stimulate more excellent development because one vine can generate several young vines, resulting in a fuller-looking parent plant in the end.
2. Is propagating a string of hearts challenging?
No, it isn’t.
The string of hearts is one of the simplest plants to grow, and our mentioned techniques have a high success rate. You may tackle this one with ease, even if you are a complete novice when it comes to plant propagation.
3. What is the best spot to cut a string of hearts for propagation?
You must have at least one node for propagation to be successful. You can use the cutting vine technique, which involves cutting several tiny single-node cuts.
The vine’s length is not as significant. You can make numerous cuttings and root them all for a long vine.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article is beneficial to you. These few techniques on how to propagate a string of hearts, as well as the post-propagation care, will bring a high success rate. Thanks for reading!