We are going to show you a few different methods on how to propagate String of Hearts plant. All these methods work, as Ceropegia Woodii is really easy to propagate, so choose a method that works best for you. You can also try different methods at the same time and see which one roots fastest. Depending on the method, you will see new roots in as little as a week!
You can propagate a string of hearts to have a new separate plant or to make the mother plant look fuller.
All varieties of a string of hearts can be propagated with the same methods. However, variegated ones can be a bit fussier. They will usually require a bit more time, and propagation might not always be successful. With regular types, the rate of success is really, really high.
How to Propagate String of Hearts
There are many ways you can go about propagating a string of hearts plant. We’ll show you step-by-step instructions with photos of our favorite methods.
In general string on hearts can be propagated by:
- rooting cuttings in water
- cuttings in soil
- laying strands on soil or sphagnum moss
- looping strands back in the soil, without cutting them off the mother plant
- butterfly method cuttings
- propagating by using tubers
- propagating from seed
Once your plant is rooted in soil, or you have planted it in soil, take extra care of it for a couple of weeks. After that, the care is the same as with the mother plant.
Read: How to care for string of hearts plant
Will the Plant Keep on Growing Where You Cut it?
Propagating plants is fun, but cutting your mother plant to propagate it can be stressful. Which vine should you cut? Will it stay forever short? Or will it push new growth where you cut it?
Fear not. Your plant will keep on growing. Cutting the vines can even encourage more growth as multiple new vines can grow out of one, so you might end up with a fuller-looking mother plant in the end.
Is it Easy to Propagate String of Hearts?
This is one of the easiest plants to propagate, and propagation has a high success rate with most methods. If you are an absolute beginner to plant propagation, you can approach this one with confidence.
Where Do You Cut String of Hearts for Propagation?
For the most successful propagation, you need to have at least one node. You can either use a vine cutting or opt for the “butterfly method” and make many small single-node cuttings.
The length of the vine isn’t as important. If you cut a long vine, you can make multiple cuttings and root them all.
Propagating String of Hearts in Water (cuttings)
One of the most common methods where you will see new roots on the vine pretty fast. Water propagating is fun as you can always check the roots’ state and how fast they are growing.
Cut a couple of vines from the mother plant. The roots will grow from the nodes (where the leaves grow), so you need to have at least one node submerged in water. Clip off the leaves from the end of the vine that will be submerged in water.
Water should be at room temperature. Pour the water into a propagation tube (either the fancy one from the stores or any glass or clear bottle you have available and fits).
Pop them in water and place them in a warm area with lots of bright indirect light.
Check them often, you might see the roots developing in a week or two, but it can also take longer. This all depends on the time of the year and growing conditions. As long as the string isn’t rotting, you are doing fine!
Change water every 2 weeks or so, or when you see it becoming murky.
Once the roots start growing, they will usually grow fast, and you will see a noticeable difference almost daily.
Once the roots are roughly half an inch long (1 cm) you can plant your string of hearts in soil.
Fill the pot with moist planting soil. Make a hole (pencil is handy here) and pop in the string of hearts vine. Cover with soil.
We recommend putting your propagated string of heart into a clear plastic bag or an enclosure of sorts for a while (a week or so). This will keep the humidity levels high and make it easier for the plant to weather through the transition from water to the soil.
Propagating String of Hearts Cuttings in Soil
Prepare the cuttings the same way as you would for water propagation. Cut the strand and remove the leaves.
Prepare fresh potting soil (general potting soil is OK, succulent or cactus mix is perfect), water it, so it’s moist (not wet), and pop the strands in. The node without leaves should be in the soil but not too deep.
You can dip the strand in rooting hormone before popping it in soil but this isn’t necessary.
Place the pot into an enclosure or clear bag so that you’ll have high humidity around your plant.
Check the soil regularly as it should be constantly moist (not wet).
The plant should root in a couple of weeks. As long as the stem looks healthy and you don’t notice rotting, the plant should root even if it takes a little longer.
That said, we did find the soil method to be less successful for us than some other methods.
Propagating String of Hearts by Laying Cuttings on Soil
Another popular method is to cut vines of Ceropegia Woodii and laying them in soil.
With this method you need to make sure the nodes are always touching the soil, you can secure them with paper clips for example. The soil should be constantly moist too.
You will probably need to mist the soil frequently to maintain moisture levels.
In time, you should see roots at every node.
While this method works, we absolutely prefer propagating by laying the strands on sphagnum moss.
Propagating String of Hearts in Sphagnum Moss
Propagating in sphagnum moss is our favorite method as it’s easy, has a high success rate, and it’s fast. You can get it in many plant stores or pet stores – it usually comes in dried compact blocks that expand a lot when water is added.
You will most likely see first roots in as little as one week! Propagating in sphagnum moss is the middle way between water and soil – it’s almost like it combines the benefits of both.
You can use strands, cuttings, or use the butterfly method to propagate string of hearts in sphagnum moss.
Start by soaking sphagnum moss.
If you have a clear container, those work great (ours is from a salad), but you can use any container – as long as you can either pop it into a clear bag or cover it with a clear lid or clear foil.
Place the sphagnum moss into the container.
Cut vines of a string of hearts. You can use the whole strands or small cuttings, aka the butterfly method, where you cut a little bit away from the node from both sides, leaving the leaves on the node.
For whole strands, you don’t need to cut off leaves for this method.
Place the strand or cuttings or both onto the soaked moss, tuck it in a little so that most of the nodes are in contact with the moss, and close the container.
Place in a warm area with bright indirect light.
Open up the container every once and a while to let the fresh air in and check on the roots. You can expect good growth in about a week (see image below).
Once the roots are about half an inch long, you can pop your plant in soil.
Looping The Vines Back to Soil
This method is handy if you want to make your mother plant look fuller. It’s a bit more hands-on than other methods, and it will also take more time. Planting propagated cuttings next to the mother plant would be a faster option.
First water the mother plant, the soil needs to be moist.
What you do with this method is take a strand, and loop it back into and across the soil. Do not cut the strand!
You will need to secure the strand, with nodes constantly being in contact with the soil (leaves up). You can use bobby pins, paper pins, or similar. Whatever works and keeps the strand in place without damaging it.
You will need to keep the soil’s top layer constantly moist until the plant develops roots and is rooted. Moist, not wet, you still need to “honor” the mother plant and not keep the soil wet or damp for long periods of time.
It’s best to frequently mist the soil with a spray bottle.
This method takes time, but eventually, roots will form, and there will be new growth, making your mother plant fuller.
Tuber Propagation
Depending on how old the plant is or how long it has been in your care, you might spot aerial tubers forming along the strands. These look like marble-sized potatoes, and they can be planted in soil to produce new vines.
For the most success, leave the tuber attached to the vine and press it into the soil (new pot, moist soil).
You will need to keep the soil moist at all time.
In a couple of weeks, the tubers should be rooted and you can cut the vine off the mother plant.
Propagating from Seed
The string of hearts bloom. You might notice odd flowers (we think they kind of look like flamingo heads) throughout the year. If pollinated, the seed pods will develop. You should wait for the seed pots to start opening on their own and seeds to fall out. Collect the seeds and plant them in moist soil (get soil specially mixed for germinating).
Keep in a warm and bright space. Ensure soil is moist but not wet. In a couple of weeks, you should see signs of growth.
You likely won’t see this indoors with your plant, another option is to buy the seeds online and grow them like that.
Can you Propagate String of Hearts from Single Leaf?
Yes, it is possible. However, this isn’t a method that has a high success rate. Even if your leaf manages to produce roots, it might not go beyond that. You would still end up with a super cute and thriving single-leaf plant.
When propagating with a single leaf, you can try it directly in the soil, water, or sphagnum moss. The key is the leaf itself should remain dry. If it stays wet it will rot. You should maintain high moisture as well.
The leaves also need to be in perfect health. You can’t use a leaf that has fallen off your plant (and has been on the floor for a while).
You should see first roots relatively fast, a couple of weeks. However, for new growth, the leaf needs to produce a tuber, and this can take quite a while, even many months. Once the tuber has formed, the waiting game will continue.
This is a cool method for using up the leaves you have cut off from cuttings to propagate them, a fun little side project. But we don’t recommend this as your main method of propagating your string of hearts.
When is the Best Time to Propagate String of Hearts?
While you can propagate this plant all year round if you have it inside your home, the best time to propagate string of hearts is during the growing season.
If you propagate in spring, you can expect to see the most out of your newly propagated plant as it has the whole growing season ahead.
