Help string of pearls experts!!!! I got this string of pearls back in March because I thought I was up to the challenge, but she proved me wrong 🫩 She was perfect for a while up until today when I was going through all my plants and saw that she looked absolutely dreadful!! Any clue what I’m doing wrong or whats wrong with her?
Get much sun? Mine sits in a south window and soaks up sun AND water. I can see some shrivelled pieces - may just need a drink or 2...
1 like Oh yes shes definitely shriveling because comparing the two shes definitely not as full as before. I had her in complete sun but I just now put her on my shelf with a grow light which also gets sun sometimes throughout the day. The soil is still very damp though from her last watering
0 likes May just be adjusting to new spot and different light then. Grows lights are decent substitutes, but may not offer the same effect/drying time as the window spot.
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Is it in cactus potting soil? It really needs a very well draining soil. And you shouldn't water until the soil is 100% dry.
1 like I’m not entirely sure since I got her from Lowes and have been hesitant to check since she seems fragile, but upon looking she doesn’t seem to be in cactus soil? Not 100% sure though, but she does have drainage
0 likes It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like it has sphagnum Moss on top. I have a string of turtles that is the same way. You just look at it cross eyed and part of the vine falls off! When I repotted, I just turned the whole thing upside down onto my hand got as much soil off as I could had a pot ready and just flipped it back over into the new soil. It did lose some bits, but I got a whole new plant out of them 😊. Considering how it looks, I don't think it would get much worse by making sure it is in a well draining cactus soil or at least a very chunky soil.
1 like These are the specs I found on it
You have a lot of shriveled stems. Some stems are not getting moisture. Cause can be either underwatering or overwatering. Since some stems look fine, my best guess would be overwatering and some of the roots have died of rot. These plants have a very shallow root system. They probably only go down about 2 inches into the pot. Any soil below that is going to stay wet. That’s why very gritty substrate and/or terracotta pots are best for these guys plus a shallow planter.
when i first tried owning SOPs i killed it, and i've come to realize they love neglect. it helps to remember that it's a succulent and they loveee sun and evolved to store water in their leaves (aka drought tolerant). make ur it's getting top-down light so the top the plant is getting sun, not just the sides. i would say bright direct light, but if you live in FL perhaps keep it in bright indirect light. they need a good chunky soil. let it dry out between waterings. in fact, don't water it until it tells you it's thirsty. u'll know its thirsty when the pearls start to shrink and get wrinkly. what i think it most important is giving it a very thorough water when i do water her. i get a bowl, fill it up with water, and completely submerge the entire plant under to make sure the soil is sufficiently watered. often the problem isn't giving too much water at a time, but rather watering too frequently because SOPs love water but hate wet roots.
2 likes Gotcha! Omg tysm for this! With all my babes I completely water them through and they all seem to love it but when I did it with my new girly (the SOP) the photo is what she turned into without me realizing. But now knowing the lighting and all that helps so much!!! I’m not in FL but I am in TX so.. Close enough weather wise lol
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"love water but hate wet roots" is a game-changing phrase for new succulent owners. You really struck gold, there.
1 like HAHA thank you sooo much i'm happy that phrase reasonated, i'm sure i've heard some version of the phrase at some point so i can't take all the credit!
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