How To Prune String Of Hearts For A Fuller, Cascading Look

Did you know that the string of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) plant can bring luck and good fortune, according to Feng Shui? Whether you grow this vining stunner in a hanging pot or place a standard container on a pedestal, those vines give the impression that you're in a jungle surrounded by lush greenery. Not to mention that it's one of the best trailing houseplants for a sunny window. The heart-shaped leaves and the long trailing stems can grow to incredible lengths, but there's one problem — vines such as string of hearts can sometimes become a little bare and forlorn near the pot, with more of their volume occurring towards the tips. To make it look fuller with more cascading vines coming down to fill some of that sparseness, you need to strategically prune some of the vines and, in turn, encourage new growth.

It's best to prune this plant in spring or summer while it's actively growing, so you'll start to see new growth quickly. But before you even make that first cut, you'll need to gather your equipment. Basically, all you'll really need is a sharp pair of pruning shears or garden snips. Even a good pair of kitchen scissors will work, but it's important to ensure your pruning tools are clean and sterilized. This is easy enough to achieve with just a wipe over with an alcohol-based cleaning wipe or some isopropyl alcohol. In a pinch, even hand sanitizer can help disinfect blades and reduce the risk of spreading bacteria or fungal spores.

When pruning your string of hearts, it helps to understand what will happen every time you make a cut. For most vining plants, cutting at the correct spot can stimulate two new growth points. This is precisely why pruning often results in a much bushier and fuller plant. So, where should you cut? Essentially, you want to make the cuts directly above a node — this is where the heart-shaped leaves attach to the stem. Once you do this, two new vine sections will grow from that point.

The trick to making your string of hearts trailing plant look fuller is to trim each cascading stem at a different length rather than cutting all the stems back to the same spot (think of it like giving your plant a layered haircut). You'll even want to take a few of the vines back closer to the pot to allow for that extra growth to fill out those emptier sections. You can even use those healthy pieces that you've cut off to create new plants, since the string of hearts is one of the easiest houseplants to propagate. Those little bumpy growths or beads (called aerial tubers) in between the sets of leaves are where the roots will grow, so you can develop more plants by planting these in some potting soil and keeping it moist. Alternatively, set your cuttings in water after removing any leaves that would otherwise be submerged, and watch new roots develop.