The string of turtles is a plant that often gets labelled as a succulent because of it’s thicker leaves. Although it’s not quite a succulent it works in a very similar way and that is that it doesn’t like to be watered too often.
With this plant you want to err on the side of caution and underwater it rather than overwater it. The String of Turtles (or Peperomia Prostrata) can be prone to root rot and too much water can cause the plant to yellow and lose leaves. It may seem difficult to do this but neglect would benefit this plant much more than constant watering.
So what does underwatering look like? It’s all very well saying don’t overwater but this can often leave people confused about how often to water their plants.
Basically with this plant you want to allow the top few inches of soils to dry out completely between waterings. You can gauge this by using your fingers or your can buy a moisture detector which gives you a moisture reading in your soil. When the soil is dry water your plant thoroughly. To avoid the plant sitting in water that it doesn’t need make sure the pot you’re using has drainage holes and use a well draining soil mix.
It’s very important that your soil is aerated, a potting with with perlite or peat moss added can help this a lot. As well as watering your plants, another way they can get moisture is through humidity. Turtle strings like it a bit more humid than other plants so you may want to consider this when buying one. Make sure you’re able to provide it with humidity or try misting your plants every day or every other day.
If you’ve enjoyed this article then make sure you check out How do you treat Peperomia Prostrata?
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links meaning I receive a commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to yourself. This helps to keep OSERA ad free. Thank you for your support on this platform.
Leave a Reply