How To Propagate String Of Hearts

The string of hearts plant is a very popular indoor plant that is typically hanging up in a basket.

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As its name suggests, it has heart-shaped leaves with fine stems that look like a chain of hearts.

These pretty indoor houseplants, also known as Ceropegia woodii, are easy to propagate. You just take a few cuttings and place them in water or soil.

In this article, we explore some easy ways to propagate your string of hearts plant.

How To Propagate A String Of Hearts Plant

String of hearts plants are houseplants that are incredibly easy to care for. They are flexible on temperature and watering conditions, and they can grow very fast.

There are a variety of different propagation methods that you can use with a string of hearts plant.

Water Propagation Of String Of Hearts Plants

Just like every plant, string of hearts love water. That’s why, water propagation to get little roots growing from cuttings is very easy.

You just need to take some cuttings from your plant that are a couple of inches long, and then put them into water.

Make sure to remove any leaves along the cutting stem that would be underwater in your vase or glass.

This will keep the water fresh for longer and it stops the leaves from rotting.

It’s important that you have at least a couple of small nodes where the removed leaf meets the stem. That’s where your new roots will grow from.

The cutting parts that are above the water surface should have a few different leaves.

It’s a good idea to start with more cuttings as this will eventually create a fuller-looking plant with more leaves and stronger roots.

You will need to remove the old water once a week and replace it with fresh water. However, if you spot the water turning brown or murky, then change it more often.

Once you placed your cuttings into a vase or glass with water, you will need to put the container near sunlight. String of hearts cuttings need indirect light to thrive.

You should be able to see roots emerging within a couple of weeks. When your roots have grown to a length of half an inch, your string of hearts cuttings are ready to be planted.

Propagate String Of Hearts Cuttings In Soil

Another popular way to propagate a string of hearts plant is by placing the cuttings into the soil.

If you want to make sure that your cuttings root, then you can put some rooting hormones on each small node.

This will encourage roots along the nodes and help your cuttings grow roots faster.

You will need to regularly water your chain of hearts cuttings but the soil shouldn’t be too wet to prevent root rot.

If you don’t want to plant cuttings directly into soil, then you can just lay them horizontally on top of the soil.

Check that each node is in contact with the soil. It can be useful to gently pin the stems down with a paperclip.

This method isn’t always successful because string of hearts cuttings need the nutrients and water from the soil to grow roots.

That’s why, gardening experts usually recommend placing the cuttings into a propagation container or seal the plant into a bag.

This will increase the humidity around the plant providing plenty of water for the new root shoots to grow.

Once your cuttings show some longer roots, you can pot them into a fresh soil mix. You can plant a few small cuttings into the same pot to make the plant look fuller.

Chain Of Hearts Plant Tuber Propagation

Tuber propagation is similar to soil propagation. You just don’t need to cut any part of your plant off.

Instead, use some of the small tubers you see along the different stems of your heart vines and place them on top of some soil.

You can either put them on top of a pot of soil nearby or bury them a little into the soil.

After a few weeks, you will notice the first roots coming from the tuber. You can then cut it off from your mature plant and put it into its own soil pot.

You can also use this method to spruce up your string of hearts plant that has lost its leaves. Alternatively, just cut off some vine tubers and propagate them in water or soil.

Propagate String Of Hearts Leaves With The Butterfly Method

While you cannot propagate your string of hearts plant from a single leaf, there is a way to use leaves for propagation, known as the butterfly method.

The biggest advantage of this propagation method is that you can create a lot of cuttings with just a single plant stem. This makes rooting and root growth more likely to happen.

First, you will need to cut a section from your mature string of hearts vine. The cut should be done on either side of a leaf pair.

Make sure to leave around a quarter of an inch of the vine stem. This is what will give your cuttings the classic butterfly shape.

Then, put the cuttings on fresh, moist soil with the leafy hearts facing upwards. You will then need to cover your container or planter with a clear plastic bag or plastic wrap.

This is essential to create the high humidity that the cuttings need to grow roots.

Similar to other propagation methods, you will need to put the container with your string of hearts cuttings into indirect light that is bright enough to shine through the bag.

Remember to open the plastic bag every now and then to allow some fresh air in. This prevents mold growing and potential rot.

You should notice the first roots growing on your vines after two weeks.