Plant care guide

Underwatered String of Pearls: Shrivelled Pearls and the Fix

Updated

Is my String of pearls underwatered?

An underwatered string of pearls has wrinkled, shrivelling pearls over dry, light mix. A slight wrinkle is simply the cue to water. Pearls that shrivel, yellow and drop, with bare strands near the pot, mean the plant stayed dry too long and some roots may have died. Shrivelled pearls in damp mix point to root rot instead.

What to do first

Push a finger or chopstick into the mix. If it is dry, soak the pot from below until the mix is wet through, then let it drain. If the pearls do not firm up and the strands are bare near the soil, take healthy stem cuttings and restart the plant.

Each pearl on a string of pearls is a small water tank. NC State Extension’s Curio rowleyanus profile explains that the round shape reduces the surface exposed to dry air, so the plant loses less water. When the tank runs low, the pearls wrinkle.

A little wrinkling is not an emergency. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension’s string of pearls article says to water when the leaves start to look a bit shrivelled. Trouble starts when that signal is missed for a long time.

How dry is too dry?

The sources differ in emphasis. Wisconsin says to let the mix dry out completely between waterings. NC State says never to let the plant dry out completely. Both fit one routine: let the mix dry, then water at the first wrinkle rather than leaving the pot bone dry for weeks.

Signs it went too far, from Iowa State University Extension’s page on succulent problems and Virginia Cooperative Extension’s watering guide:

  • Pearls yellow, shrivel and brown before dropping.
  • Stems look wrinkled or mottled.
  • The mix has shrunk from the edge of the pot.
  • The pot feels very light.

Iowa State warns that roots die when a succulent stays dry too long. When water finally comes, the smaller root mass may not supply the plant well. So a long-neglected string of pearls can stay shrivelled for a while after watering.

Rule out rot first

NC State says wilting leaves on string of pearls can come from underwatering or overwatering. Iowa State explains why rot looks like thirst. Wet mix kills roots, and a plant with few roots shrivels and drops leaves. Adding more water makes it worse.

So check before you water. Iowa State suggests pushing a chopstick into the mix. If it comes out darker and damp, do not water. Shrivelled pearls in damp mix call for a root check, not a soak. Wisconsin says root rot from overwatering is the most common cause of this plant’s demise.

Rehydrate it properly

Dry peat-based mix can repel water. Virginia’s guide explains that water may then run straight through and out of the pot.

  1. Water from below. Set the pot in a shallow basin of water for 15 to 30 minutes, as Virginia suggests. Refill if the mix soaks it all up.
  2. Or water slowly from above. Virginia says two or three slow applications help rewet dry mix.
  3. Check that it is wet through. Push a finger into the centre of the pot.
  4. Let it drain fully. Virginia warns against leaving a pot in water for more than 60 minutes.
  5. Watch the pearls. Virginia treats a plant that perks up after bottom watering as proof the root zone is wet. For string of pearls, look for firmer pearls.

If the strands stay bare

NC State notes that string of pearls tends to die back after several years. It advises propagating from cuttings rather than reviving an old plant.

Wisconsin suggests 8–10 cm (3–4 in) tip cuttings. Strip three or four pearls from the base and lightly cover the bottom nodes with moist mix. Mist the surface until roots form, rather than soaking it. Wear gloves: NC State says the sap can irritate skin, and the plant is toxic to people and pets.

Set up a steady rhythm

  • Use a shallow clay pot. Wisconsin says the plant has weak surface roots and clay dries faster. Virginia notes small and terracotta pots dry out quickly, so check them more often.
  • Use gritty mix. NC State suggests cactus mix or potting soil with sand or perlite. Iowa State’s indoor succulent guide warns that typical potting soil holds too much water.
  • Water more in summer than winter, as Wisconsin advises. NC State gives 21–27 °C (70–80 °F) in summer and 10–16 °C (50–60 °F) in winter.
  • Give bright, indirect light. NC State warns direct sun can scorch the pearls.

For mealybugs hiding among the strands, see string of pearls mealybugs. Our trailing succulents guide compares related plants, and overwatered or underwatered covers the checks in general.

Other string of pearls problems we cover: sunburn.

References

How this guide was put together: NC State Extension, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Iowa State University Extension and Virginia Cooperative Extension guidance.

Other String Of Pearls problems

Related plant care guides

Knowledge record: GR-9033