String of Turtles (Peperomia Prostrata) Care And Propagation Guide

The string of turtles is an adorable house plant because of its beautiful variation on leaves. Its scientific name is Peperomia prostrate it is a variety of peperomia. This post will discuss its care and propagation guide in detail.

Care

Quick Guide

• Bright but indirect sunlight
• water when the soil feels dry
• Required best humidity
• well-drained potting mixture
• 20-25 degree Celcius temprature is suitble
• Fertilizers in the growing season
• Needs to be repotted when you spot roots in the bottom hole of the pot

Light

Bright and indirect sunlight is suitable, but it can survive under low light. But same as other variation plants (Marble Queen Pothos), it can also loos variation in low light. Shinny rays of direct sunlight can be dangerous and prevent such too bright areas.

Place this plant near a window or such medium where it can get required sunlight equally on all the plant parts from top to bottom if you want to see better growth.

Low or a little light can help to bring leggy growth with a few leaves over it. It shows that plant is trying to move towards a bright area. In some cases, if you’re living in a closed house or kept this plant in your workspace and didn’t have enough lights, grow lights can be a better solution for this. I have tested grow lights on my different plants, and the results were perfect.

Water

As mentioned earlier, this plant can store water in leaves that’s why you should be very careful regarding water. Too much water or water lagging can invite different root rot which will destroy your plant.

Water when the soil feels dry, you can check that with the help of your finger. Insert it about 1 inch deeper in the soil, and if it feels dry, it means your plant needs water.

Temperature

Here it is a little different from other succulent plants because it doesn’t like too warm temperature. But temperature rising between 20 to 25 degrees Celcius is suitable like other normal house plants.

Humidity

It is a semi-succulent plant of the rain forest, and it loves humidity, and for this, you can mist strings of turtles after every week or ten days. But a humidifier can be the best solution for this, I am also using a humidifier for this plant to maintain the required humidity level.

Fertilizers

Liquid fertilizers are suitable for this plant in the spring and summer seasons, you can fertilize in these seasons after every 20-25 days.

Repotting

The roots of this plant grow very slowly, and their roots don’t grow too much, but repotting does not mean that you have to change the pot, but sometimes you have to change the potting mixture. You can repot this plant after every year, and if you have seen some extra grown roots, you can also update your pot. Always repot the plants in growing seasons.

Cutting

You don’t need to prune this plant regularly, but always regularly cut down leggy vines or affected leaves when you spot them. Never do a lot of cutting or pruning a single time and if you spot any healthy branch, take its cuttings with a node, and it will be helpful in propagation which is discussed in the next section.

Propagation Of String of Turtles

You can easily propagate Peperomia Prostrata in different ways and grow your garden and be happy.

1. In potting Mixture
2. In water
3. Propagation through leaves

Propagation In Potting Mixture

Simple Cutting Method

This is the easiest method for the propagation of this plant. Get a cutting with the help of any sharp cutter or knife bout 6 to 8 inches long, and make sure that it has at least one node in it. Take the cutting just below a node, so root-producing will start here.

Now remove all the leaves which are too close to the node and now select a suitable normal-size pot and fill it with the best well0drained potting mixture and plant your cutting in it. Make sure that your node is in the soil and place this cutting at a place where it can access bright but indirect sunlight.

Always moist the top layer of potting mixture, but overwatering will not allow this cutting to produce roots. After two weeks or maybe a few more days, your cutting will produce some roots, and you can check that with your finger, after that, start treating your plant in the right way, as mentioned.

Burn Down Whole Cutting

For this way, get a cutting in the same way, and now instead of planting the lower part of the cutting, plan the whole cutting in soil with at least one or two noods. Under proper care like the first method, in two or three weeks, cutting will start producing roots, and you will get a healthy plant through this way.

Propagation Through Leaves

You can also propagate it through leaves in the potting mixture. Takedown some leaves from the plant with their petioles (a small stem connected to any branch and leaves).

Just plant its petioles in the potting mixture, not whole leaves. Give it proper care like other ways mentioned above.

• Bright and indirect light
• Moist potting mixture
• Humidity

This method is enjoyable for gardens, and it can take one or two months to produce roots. But this method will teach you a lot, and it will be an amazing experience for you?

Read More: Haworthia Plant Care And Propagation Guide

Propagation In Water

Fast propagation and germination of the root are possible in the potting mixture, but you can also try to propagate through the water.

Get a cutting with the help of any sharp cutter or knife bout 6 to 8 inches long, and make sure that it has at least one node in it. Take the cutting just below a node, so root-producing will start here.

First, of all remove all the leaves from this cutting and now fill a glass jar with water and place your cutting in this. After a few weeks under proper sunlight and humidity conditions, you will see some roots below your cutting. When these roots grow up to 3cm, you can now transfer them to your potting mixture and then give it proper care.