Back around August 2018 I started some string of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus) cuttings in water. I removed the lower few leaves (pearls) and put the stem in water. I normally grow cuttings in soil, but thought I would give water propagation a try to see what happens. You can read about it in my previous blog post.
Being a succulent I wasn't sure that growing them in water was a great idea. As it turns out my sting of pearls cutting grew roots pretty fast. That made me wonder how long it would survive like that.
I then left it in the water, it was just water, nothing else. I top up the water when it is low, and keep the cutting by the window, that is all. I thought it is time for an update as it is December 2019 and the cutting has been growing for about 16 months.
As you can see below, it is still alive - who would have guessed? It is growing far slower than the cuttings I grew in soil, but is is growing. I assume the low growth rate is due to the lack of nutrients in water. It has not rotted like I thought it would. I am really surprised that it has survived this long in nothing but water.
The only thing that it seems to be struggling with is the lack of sunlight. You will notice that the newer parts are decidedly less green than the older parts. I also bruised the stem when I got it out of the water once to inspect the roots, but it seems to have survived that pretty well.
I am expecting this cutting to die at some point if it is constantly kept in water like this. I think I will leave it in water at least a bit longer, once it starts to decline I will probably try to pot it up into soil and see if I can revive it.
I do sell string of pearls plants and cuttings through my for sale page. Rest assured, none of them have been kept in water. They have all been grown in pots of soil.
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| String of pearls cutting after 16 months of growing in just water |
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| You can see where it started to grow roots on the left, everything to the right is new growth |
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