String of Turtles

String of Turtles Care

Peperomia prostrata

What is the plant

Peperomia prostrata, or “String of Turtles,” is a succulent native to warm climate zones and rainforests. It is a perfect plant for people that don’t have a lot of space, for example, who want to place it on the desk or a shelf and forget about regular repotting, as for other plants.

The string of turtles is a small plant with succulent round leaves on pinkish strands. It makes creeping vines, so if you put it on the top shelf, don’t be surprised when they will spread along the bottom of it. This plant can be perfect in your rock garden (if you want to plant it outdoors) because of its shallow root system.

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Humidity

High

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

17°C - 24°C

Hardiness zone

11b - 11a

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Overwatering is much worse for this plant than dry conditions. Let the soil dry out 1-2 inches between watering and make sure that your pot has drainage holes.
Pruning
Pruning is necessary not only for the appearance of this plant but also for removing dead or damaged stems and leaves. You can do it with sharp snips. Be careful: excessive pruning will make your plant grow slower and look unhealthy.
Fertilizer
Fertilize your plant during spring-summer using a liquid houseplant fertilizer twice a week.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

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Sunlight
The plant prefers bright indirect light. Too much light can make the leaves lose their color; on the other hand, keeping the String of Turtles in shady places can slow the growth.
Soil
The plant prefers slightly acidic organic soil rich in peat and drains well.
Propagation
Propagation is very easy for two reasons: it can be done any time of the year, and you can use cuttings without leaves for it. Plant the cut stem into the new container with potting mix and keep it moist.

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Temperature
Peperomia prostrata doesn’t like cold temperatures and needs to be humidified in dry summer, so the perfect temperature is between 68-75 ͦ F (20-24 ͦ C).
Container
The string of Turtles is very sensitive to overwatering, so if you want it to be healthy and live a long life, choose a pot with ample drainage holes. Also, it is not necessary to buy large containers as the plant doesn’t grow very large; usually, it stays small for all life.
Fun fact
The name of this plant (“Prostrata”) means “to grow on the top of the ground,” so it`s often called a string plant. Another name, “Turtle plant,” or “String of turtles,” is used because of plant leaves: they look like the turtle shell painted in multicolor patterns, which makes the plant very attractive.