How Often to Water String of Pearls: Generous in Spring and Fall, Sparing in Summer and Winter

A seasonal watering guide

The round beads are leaves built to store water. A plant that dries out a little will not die quickly, but compost that never dries out will kill the roots. Water generously in the spring and fall growing periods and hold back in summer heat and winter cold.

In long humid or rainy spells the mix dries far more slowly. Even in the growing season, wait an extra day or two after the surface dries.

Read the soil and the beads, not the calendar

Decide when to water by how dry the mix is and how full the beads look. Drying time varies enormously with pot size, position and weather, and watering on a fixed day means drowning the plant whenever conditions slow down. When in doubt, wait one more day.

1. Feel the mix Push a fingertip into the compost near the crown. It should be dry to about the first knuckle, not just on the surface.
2. Lift the pot Pick the pot up right after watering to learn its wet weight. When it feels clearly lighter, the mix is dry all the way through.
3. Look at the beads In the growing season, fine wrinkles on the beads and a more pointed tip are a sign of thirst. Full, smooth beads mean you can wait.

When you water, water at the base and water well

In spring and fall, water until it flows out of the drainage hole. Frequent small sips only wet the surface, so the roots below stay dry while the top stays permanently damp, which is the worst of both. Where the strands cover the pot, part them gently and pour onto the compost.

1. Pour onto the compost Use a narrow-spouted can and aim between the strands at the soil. Pouring over the top knocks beads off and leaves water sitting among them.
2. Water until it drains Keep going until water runs out of the bottom. This wets the whole root zone and flushes stale air out of the mix.
3. Empty the saucer After a few minutes, tip out any water in the saucer or cachepot. Leaving the pot standing in water rots the roots.

Cut back in summer and winter

In hot weather the roots work slowly and drink little. Watering as you would in spring leaves warm, wet compost around the crown, and the plant rots from the base up. In cold weather growth all but stops, and cold wet compost damages roots just as surely. In both seasons, keeping the plant on the dry side is the best protection.

1. Water summer plants at dusk Midday watering in summer turns the pot into a steam bath. Wait four or five days after the mix dries and water once the pot has cooled in the evening.
2. Give less in summer Stop when a little water starts to run out rather than flushing the pot. After a long rainy spell, skip watering until the mix has fully dried.
3. Water winter plants in the morning In winter, water about once a month, sparingly, on a sunny mild morning. Evening watering leaves the mix wet and cold overnight.

Adjust for pot and position

Even in the same season, different spots dry at very different rates. Plants outdoors in a breeze dry quickly; plants on an indoor windowsill or in still air dry slowly. Learn how long your own pot takes rather than relying on general intervals.

Jot down the date each time you water. A few months of notes reveal the interval that suits your plant far better than any rule of thumb.

Telling thirst from overwatering

Shriveled beads do not always mean the plant needs water. They can also mean the roots have rotted and can no longer take water up, and adding more makes it worse. Check whether the mix is wet or dry and how firm the crown is before acting.

If you cannot tell, stop watering and move the plant to bright shade with good airflow. Far more of these plants die from wet roots than from drought.