Question

String of Pearls - Poo   QUESTION: Hello, please can you help?

I've got a string of pearls plant that was a cutting grown from my mum's plant that's been around for years.  I've had mine for just over two years.  It was fine until I had to move it for about a month as it was on the kitchen windowsill and we had a new kitchen fitted.  It's now very poorly with shrivelling green beads, and some of the beads are brown.  They keep dropping off too.  It's original windowsill was north-facing, so I've put it back on a north-facing windowsill, but don't know if it'd be better located elsewhere?  Not sure if I'm underwatering/overwatering or if it's got some sort of bug?  It did have a bit of whitefly a while ago so I sprayed it with a washing-up liquid solution - is this what's upset it?  I think I might try and take a cutting whilst it's still got a bit of green left, in an attempt to rescue it in one way or another!

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

ANSWER: Hi Tracy,

Thanks for the photo. I think your String of Pearls can be saved, but I am not quite sure how to instruct you because I don't know what has caused its decline. Let em explain why.

You mentioned that it was relocated for about a month, but you didn't offer any information about the light and watering during that period. A north windowsill is just about minimum light for a String of Pearls to do well. If it spent a month in less light, then that is probably the cause of its decline and it should slowly recover now that it is back on the windowsill.

The shriveling of some of the "pearls" may be caused by poor light or improper watering. Not providing enough water will cause shriveling and browning, but so will keeping the soil too moist. Constantly moist soil causes the roots to rot and then they are not able to absorb water for the plant. So the symptoms of over and under watering are the same.

It is best if you allow the top half-inch of soil to become dry before you water and that half-inch should dry out again in approximately a week. If it takes much longer, the roots will rot.

Trim off the dead stems and pearls. Also, trim back any stems that have lost a lot of their pearls. Pruning back will help promote a fuller, more compact plants. The pearls, with or without stems, can be rooted quite easily if they are in contact with damp potting mix in the same pot or a separate pot.

If the "washing up liquid" was a mild soap solution, then that is unlikely to have had an adverse effect.

If you improve the light and water as I have advised, I think you should see some improvement in the next month or so. But be patient.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at:
A link to PlantCareExperts.com

or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to PlantCareExperts.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Very many thanks for your reply - it may have been neglected slightly as it was on a south-facing windowsill for a month just above a radiator, so could possibly have dried out too much.  I have now inspected the soil - it was quite dry despite having watered it recently, so have now watered it again.  I'm glad the washing up liquid solution is unlikely to have poisoned it!  I'll give it a good trim now, and hopefully with a bit of TLC it'll be feeling better soon!

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Tracy,

Thanks for the top ratings and nomination. Much appreciated!

That additional information is helpful. The increased light and dry heat from the radiator both conspired to dry out the plant much more than usual. I am quite confident it was the excessive dryness that is the source of the problem. That is a good thing, because it should recover nicely now that the soil is kept properly moist. Over-watering is much more problematic to fix.

~Will