Getting String of Pearls Through Summer Heat and Winter Cold

Treat summer and winter as rest periods

This plant grows in the mild weather of spring and fall. In summer heat and winter cold it barely grows, and the goal shifts from making it bigger to carrying it safely into the next growing season. Holding back water and fertilizer and choosing the right position prevents most losses.

In summer, preventing rot comes first

Hot, humid weather is the condition this plant handles worst. Most summer losses come not from heat itself but from damp compost heating up and rotting the roots and crown. In bright shade with good airflow and dryish compost, the plant may pause for the summer but will start growing again once the heat breaks.

1. Move it before the heat As humid weather sets in, shift the plant to bright shade out of the rain. Plants that sit in wet compost through a rainy spell tend to collapse in the heat that follows.
2. Keep the air moving Hang it up or set it on a high shelf where breezes reach it. Indoors, open a window or run a fan on its lowest setting nearby.
3. Thin a crowded crown If the top of the pot is packed solid with beads, remove a few old strands before summer so air can reach the crown. Root the trimmings as cuttings.
4. Hold back water and food Water four or five days after the mix dries, a little at a time in the evening. Stop feeding until cooler fall weather returns.

Common summer damage and what to do

Damage spreads quickly in hot weather. Look over the plant every day or two and act on any bead that has changed color or gone soft, because rot left in place moves on to its neighbors.

Slightly dull beads and stalled strands are normal in summer. As long as the beads stay firm, the plant is fine.

In winter, use freezing as the line

The plant survives down to roughly freezing if kept dry. In mild-winter areas it can stay outdoors under a frost-free overhang. In colder climates, or whenever nights drop below freezing, bring it inside to a bright window. If cold exposure makes beads shrivel or turn glassy, move it somewhere warmer straight away.

1. Bring it in before frost Move outdoor plants under cover or indoors before the first frost. Frosted beads go translucent and mushy and do not recover.
2. Give it the brightest window Indoors, choose the window with the most light. Weeks in a dim room leave the strands thin and the beads widely spaced.
3. Move it back from the glass Windowsills can get almost as cold as outdoors on a clear night. On the coldest nights move the plant into the room or close a heavy curtain.
4. Keep it out of heater drafts Hot, dry air blowing from a heater shrivels the beads. Choose a spot with steady temperatures and no direct airflow.

Ease it back into growth

As days warm in spring, the plant starts sending out new strands. Sudden strong sun or a heavy soak can shock it, so return to normal care gradually as temperatures rise. Wait for active growth before repotting or taking cuttings.

1. Increase water slowly Once frosts have passed, shorten the gap between waterings little by little. When the strand tips start growing, switch to the spring routine.
2. Reintroduce sun gradually Give plants going back outdoors a few days in light shade before moving them into brighter light, or the beads will scorch.
3. Resume feeding and repotting Start diluted liquid fertilizer once new growth appears. This is also the time to repot plants that have outgrown their containers.

Jobs to postpone until spring or fall

Roots damaged in summer or winter recover slowly, if at all. Anything that stresses the plant is best left for the growing seasons unless there is an emergency.

The exception is a crown that starts to rot in summer. Take healthy strands as cuttings right away and root them in bright shade so the plant is not lost.