Help needed with Ceropegia woodii
I was so happy to find a string of hearts plant in my local DIY store this September, having been told that it’s super easy to grow and low maintenance.
When I first got it (first photo above), the soil was completely soggy, so I left it to dry out for a while before watering again - since I had read that overwatering is a problem with these plants. I’ve since only watered a few times when completely dried out, watering thoroughly and ensuring the water can flow off. I also noticed some tiny flies on the soil, for which I‘ve been meaning to get some of those yellow fly stickers.
However as you can see from the photos below, the plant is not doing great, many of its leaves have shrivelled and dried up, and it is no longer flowering.
Now I‘ve read that this plant tends to look a bit limp in winter, however I’m worried it’s something I’m doing wrong. It’s in a sunny place (well, not much sun these days in Berlin, Germany). Can anyone advise?
Comments (8)
Karen S. (7b, NYC)
5 years agoHi Nicole,
Sorry you're having a problem w/ them, it's likely a combination of poor soil & bad drainage.
I keep mine active all year long & am in NYC w/ cold winters & indoor heat. I manage them fine w/ fast draining soil & pebble trays.
Don't know what soils you can get where you are (where?) but we often recommend Cactus & Succulent Soil & Perlite or Pumice, mixed equal parts of each. That ensures fast drainage. I water every 7-10 days more or less depending on weather conditions & temps near my windows which I always keep open a little bit.
Mine doesn't always bloom, but usually has tubers (those white balls), like baby bulbs from which you can root or re-start them. I see yours has some tubers, so I'd correct your soil & plant them again, just barely covered in fresh, fast draining soil. That should help restart them.
Mine gets bright, indirect light in west windows.Karen S. (7b, NYC)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoRelated Discussions
Ceropegia Woodii (String of Hearts)
Comments (11)These reproduce either by cuttings or from tubers (the little white ball-like things that form in time down the length of the growing vines). I haven't done well w/ cuttings of this myself (have also heard/known of folks suggesting pegging down the cuttings as they're coiled in the pot (w/ bobby pins, papers clips, bits of pipe cleaners, etc.), to ensure contact btwn the leaf/root node & the mix. I've had better luck cutting back a cutting that has a tuber on the end & planting the tuber in the mix. I see you're leary of cutting back a long vine, but you'll have to if you want more of the plant. You could cut one vine w/ the tuber at its top, plant the tuber, just barely under the mix & then take a couple of cuttings from the rest of the vine. This way you only cut 1 vine but have benefit of having 2 or 3 pieces to try to root. Good luck & enjoy, fun plants....See MoreCeropegias Woodii Varigated? (pics) and suggestions to repot pls.
Comments (24)Hello again, And thanks Pirate girl. :) It seems I may not have explained myself well enough. Not surprised, have a headache right now..ugh! Anyway, I wasn't wanting to seperate so to say, and if this is best left as a whole, than that's fine. when I do repot, I will just knock out the worst of the soil to the outer edge, I know it's not good to mix soils, and I was planning on going with something along the lines of the girtty mix. I don't have the heart to cut through it! lol! It's too beautiful. I know what your saying, i've divided plenty of mint over the yrs that way. :) What I really wanted to do is thin out some of what's swirled around the top, and rim where it's so packed and pale from not enough light. Was wondering the best way to do that without tearing up the majority of the plant. I'll leave the rootball as is for now and leave it in this pot and see how it goes. The biggest reason i was wondering about repotting, is it will be going from outside to inside and the soil it is in is obviously retaining quite a bit of water. I think I will try and get a few cuttings where I can see tubers on top and a little from around the edge. I was planning on it tonight, while I still have the house to myself and minimal interruptions. (have pets, lol)...See MoreCeropegia woodii seedlings?
Comments (6)Hi! I've had crazy good luck so far with growing c. woodii from seed but they do need a tiny bit of help. I drop the seeds straight from the horn to moist c&s mix w/ perlite then seal the pot in a zipper bag. Then I put in a warm spot and forgot about it. Checked a few months later and had three seedlings. These were sown back in December in my windowsill. I'm also in FL....See MoreCeropegia woodii repotting
Comments (10)Hi Sd, I grow these, they're a type of succulent, even tho' sort of vining. Yes, as Rina said they grow tubers, which you're likely to find under the soil as well when you repot. I'd wait 'til the bloom is over (I never like to disturb blooms, why not enjoy these while they're there?), especially such unusual blooms. I grow mine in a fast draining, porous mix of Cactus & Succulent (C&S) mix & Pumice (or Perlite) that I make. I grow mine in west windows w/ strong light. Surprised to see yours blooming now, mine did so in Oct. May I pls. ask where in the US you are? You're right abt your mix seeming peaty & spongy, but I suggest you can check for moisture w/ wooden dowel or wooden chopstick. Push the stick down into the mix, all the way down, wait a moment & then remove. Check if stick comes up moist or the soil sticks so it, if so wait another couple of days before watering. Important too as that pot seems rather deep (can hold moisture way down deep), mine are not., just regular depth, small pots. Mine has a different style leaf, but it's that plant. From a recent repotting, here are the tubers, so white from being under the soil. These tubers are on the stems of some cuttings I took to water root for cuttings to share w/ my Indoor Gardening Group. Offers multiple options here as one can then plant the water rooted cuttings & later on also cut off the tubers on their stems to pot them up separately by burying the tubers just under the top of the soil. (I'd cut 1/2 to 1" above the tuber.) Yes, multiple choices for you. But I digress, your plant does look healthy. Those fading leaves can be removed as they dry up, the green leaves look quite good. I don't always leave mine hanging down, sometimes I curl it up inside the pot, sprinkle lightly w/ mix & let them grow like that. They'll grow out again & start hanging down again when long enough. All these techniques work for this crazy plant....See MoreNicole Kwiatkowski
5 years agoHi Karen,
Many thanks for your feedback. I’m in Berlin, Germany. I’ve now done as you suggested and repotted the plant, with a layer of clay granules for drainage followed by cacti/succulent soil. I found one strand of the white tubers you mentioned and have planted this, covered by soil.
However I am confused since now there is only one strand that is actually planted in the soil, the rest of the plant just seems to be hanging onto this strand (see photos). How does it work? Do I need to remove the rest of the strands which aren’t “attached”?
Nicole Kwiatkowski
5 years ago
christine 5b
5 years agoKaren S. (7b, NYC)
5 years agoKaren S. (7b, NYC)
5 years ago
Paul MI