How to Plant, Grow, and Care For String of Rubies

• One type of succulent that has an interesting and entertaining characteristic is called String of Rubies. This plant changes to deep ruby red foliage when exposed to intense light. Its distinctive red, bean-shaped leaves also earn the plant titles String of Pickles and Ruby Necklace.
• It is a trailing or spreading succulent plant that grows slowly in the wild. In contrast, this plant is most frequently produced as a hanging plant in cultivation due to the appealing appearance of the trailing branches with thick, meaty leaves. However, it can only be grown in tropical conditions as a ground cover.

How to Grow

• This succulent grows swiftly and is quite simple to grow. This plant will truly take off and wow you with its growth and gorgeous foliage once you know how to take care of it.

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Light

• This particular succulent plant loves the sun, while many others prefer brilliant shade or indirect light. The foliage acquires its characteristic rich reddish-purple tone when it receives an abundance of sun exposure.
• Choose a location in a window that receives plenty of sunlight, ensuring your plant receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. If you are cultivating it outside, choose a location that receives lots of sunlight in the morning. Look for a spot that receives morning sun and some shade in the afternoon because the afternoon heat might be harsher and more intense.

Water

• This plant can be a little difficult to water, in my experience. Because it’s a succulent, overwatering can lead to root rot. But in my container garden, it seems to like more water than most other succulents, so my advise here might seem contradictory to what you read elsewhere.
• Although it shouldn’t stay dry for too long, let the soil to dry out in between waterings. Make sure to give this plant a thorough soak as soon as the soil is dry to the touch, about one inch down. Make sure to wet it all the way through. The plant’s tiny, bean-shaped leaves are very moisturising, and they have a tendency to shrink and dry up when they become dry.

Soil

• A string of rubies requires excellent drainage. Because of their sensitivity to moisture, you face the risk of root rot if the soil remains wet. Additionally, this plant favours soil that is somewhat acidic—pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Using commercial cactus and succulent potting mix is a great choice.
• As normal potting soils hold more moisture than this plant requires, if you would rather mix your own potting soil, you can start with a standard potting mix and then add ingredients that will increase the drainage. To improve the drainage of the mixture, add a generous amount of pumice, gritty sand, or perlite.

Temperature and Humidity

• This plant thrives in temperatures between 50° and 80°F (10° and 27°C). Your plant will start to suffer from cold damage if it is left outside when the temperature falls below fifty degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as there’s a chance of evening lows in the 40s (~4°C), I bring mine indoors.
• More humidity is what it prefers than most other succulents. The ideal humidity range for this plant is between 40 and 50 percent, which is roughly average for a home. Low humidity may be the cause of your luscious leaves appearing shrivelled even when you are watering them correctly. One succulent that won’t mind a little sprinkling is this one.

Fertilizing

• This plant just needs sparing fertilisation, just as the majority of succulents. It’s acceptable to fertilise once or twice a year, in the spring and summer, if you wish to promote and support new development. Select a fertiliser with a lower nitrogen content; 0.5-1-1 is the optimal ratio, and a slow-release formula will assist in avoiding overfeeding.

Maintenance

• This houseplant doesn’t need to be pruned. However, as the stems elongate and flow over the container’s edge, you can notice that they become somewhat woody and unkempt. Propagating some new stems is the greatest solution for this. You can propagate in a different container or simply add chopped sections of the plant to the top of the plant.
• Removing dead branches from your plant can have both positive and negative effects. Although it will result in a fuller plant at the base, this may worsen the density problem at the plant’s crown. Since the roots are weak, repotting is rarely necessary because the plant doesn’t mind being root-bound. Repotting should only be done every two to three years. When doing so, use a pot that is only marginally larger and ensure that it has the right kind of drainage holes.

Growing in Containers

• It is most often kept in a container because this plant cannot grow outdoors outside of zones 10–11. Make sure the container you select has plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. Because the terracotta pots wick moisture and keep the soil from getting too damp, they are excellent for succulents. However, any pot with enough drainage should function.
• As we mentioned in the soil section before, use well-draining soil. One readily available option that can be found in most plant stores is cactus potting mix. Make sure the container you select doesn’t go any bigger than the nursery pot. It’s best to keep this plant somewhat rootbound.

Propagation

• Sting of Rubies is a delightful plant to share with friends and is simple to grow. This plant is a succulent, yet I have successfully grown it in water. But soil propagation works just as well and could spare you from having to deal with root rot.
• Using whichever method you want, start by trimming portions of the parent plant that encourage root growth and have at least three or four leaves, ideally more. To make numerous nodes to work with, gently pluck a few leaves from the cut end.
• To propagate in water, just submerge the cut ends in water and place it in a window that receives plenty of sunlight. In two weeks, roots ought to start to take shape. These plants are easy to multiply since they root quickly. After a few inches of root remain attached to your cuttings, place them in the soil and keep them moist for several weeks to aid in the roots’ soil adaptation.
• If you choose to propagate your cacti in soil, put your homemade mixture or cactus soil mix in a shallow container. To root your cuttings in the soil, just place them on top of the soil and give them a little water spray every now and again. Till the cuttings get roots, keep the soil damp but not soggy.

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