Do Strings Of Hearts Like Humidity? (Ceropegia woodii)
Like many other succulents, the Strings of Heart plant (Ceropegia woodii) does not need a lot of humidity to grow and thrive. In fact, in most cases, the average indoor humidity works just fine for this plant because it prefers low humidity. Excessive humidity can cause serious problems for this plant. If your home is humid already, you may have to cut down on how much you water the plant.
Strings of Heart is quite easy to grow at home. However, like most houseplants, how well the plant turns out depends on the growing conditions. One of the most important factors to consider in growing this plant is the water and humidity conditions. Also known as Chain of Hearts or Rosemary Vine, Ceropegia woodii is a type of trailing succulent plant originally from South Africa. The plant is characterized by a unique beaded effect with dangling heart-shaped leaves that look like they’re linked by a string.
So how do you take care of your string of hearts plant? Here’s all you need to know about maintaining the right water and humidity conditions for your string of hearts plant.
What Is The Ideal Humidity For A String Of Hearts Plant?
The ideal humidity for your string of hearts plant is about 40 to 50% humidity. Since the string of hearts is a succulent plant, it does not need a lot of moisture to survive. One of the unique qualities of this plant is that it can thrive in drier areas that most house plants may be unable to tolerate. In most cases, your regular indoor humidity would work just great for this plant.
If you live in a humid climate, there’s no need to hydrate your chain of hearts plant frequently. The plant is regarded as semi-succulent due to its unique ability to store moisture in its fleshy leaves. Pay attention to this if you do not want your plant to die. Raising the humidity too high can cause irreversible damage to your plant. Note that this rule mostly applies to grown plants. During the propagation stage, you will need to crank up the humidity conditions to help the plant grow faster.
How Much Water Does The String Of Hearts Plant Need?
String of Hearts is a type of succulent plant. This means one of the biggest challenges when growing this plant is maintaining the ideal moisture condition. Root rot is likely to happen if you do not get this right. Leaving the plant sitting in wet soil for a long time is one of the worst things you can do for the chain of hearts plant.
As a general rule of thumb, a good soak of water about once a week should be good enough for your plant. Usually, you want to check and confirm that the top 2 or 3 inches of the soil is dry before you add more water to it.
The watering condition may also depend on the season of the year. String of Hearts needs more water in Summer and Spring since this is the plant’s growing season. However, in the winter and Autumn months, you have to tone it down with the water since the plant goes dormant during these seasons. In this case, you should only water the plant once every 4 weeks.
In addition to watering on the right schedule, another way to ensure that your string of hearts plant is getting the appropriate supply of water it needs to grow is to water the plant from the bottom instead of the conventional way. For this, you simply submerge about 1/4th of the pot in a container of water for about 10 minutes then leave it to drain before returning the plant to its regular spot.
How Do You Know When To Water Your String Of Hearts?
One simple trick to determine if your plant needs moisture or not is by observing the leaves. Feel them and observe if they’re firm to touch or not. If they are still firm, then you don't need to water the plant for a while. However, if the leaves feel soft to touch and can bend easily, then it needs some water.
Pay Attention To The Soil Condition
One of the factors that may contribute to high humidity in succulents like this is the soil condition. This plant does not enjoy sitting in wet soil. In addition to watering the plant appropriately, you should make sure that you’re using the right soil mix. Generally, the right type of mix for String of Hearts is a soil mix that drains well and can dry out completely in between waterings instead of staying waterlogged for a long time.
Premixed cactus soil is one of the most recommended soil types for this plant. You can also create a mix from equal parts of coco coir, orchid back, charcoal, and cactus mix. Any other well-draining soil containing a good amount of perlite and sand may work as well. Compost and worm casting may also be added to the mix.
Temperature Requirement for String of Hearts
Since temperature and humidity are closely related-with one affecting the other, you must pay attention to your indoor temperature if you’re growing a chain of hearts plant. Strings of Heart is a tropical plant. Generally, the temperature range for this plant should be between 70-85°F (21-29°C). You don’t want the temperature of your plant to fall below
60°F (16°C). You can monitor the temperature and humidity in the room you place your plant using a thermometer and a hygrometer. However, here’s a simple trick you can use-if you’re comfortable in a t-shirt, then your String of Hearts plant should be fine as well.
How do you make a string of hearts bushier?
If you're hoping to make your string of hearts plant fuller, there are a couple different ways you can go about it. One option is to propagate the plant and plant the cuttings back in the pot. Another is to take the vines and curl them into a circle on the soil, letting them root. Either way, you should start seeing new vines popping up in no time.
If you would like to watch a step by step video on how to propagate your string of heart plant click below
Can String Of Hearts Handle Outdoor Humidity?
Yes, if you live in a tropical region, it’s relatively easy to grow your Chain of Hearts plant outside. You may not be able to do this all year long if you live in a temperate area. However, you can still move the plant outside during the summer.
If you intend to do this, be sure to do so gradually. This way, your plant gets gradually acclimatized to the outdoor conditions instead of suffering sunburn or shock. You may start by moving it outside for about an hour per day. Subsequently, you can gradually increase the amount of time the plant spends outside. Your rosary vine should be fully adjusted in a couple of days.
The string of hearts plant does not do well in the cold. You must return it indoors before the cool weather hits. If your plant has been outdoor for a while, you should use the same technique of gradually acclimatizing it to
Make sure you bring it back inside before the cooler weather hits. Again acclimatizing the plant to the indoors a little bit at a time is necessary to keep the plant from dying as a result of a sudden change in condition.
Signs That Your Strings Of Heart Is Getting Too Much Moisture
If your string of hearts plant is getting too much water, the leaves will begin to turn yellow. If this is not checked right away, they’ll start falling off and the plant will dry. Excessive humidity can also aid the growth of diseases and pests that may damage the plant significantly.
Conclusion
If you’re growing String of Hearts indoors, you must pay attention to the humidity level of the plan. Monitor the humidity level in your home to ensure that you’re not overdoing it and watch out for signs of excessive watering and other things that may damage your plant.