String of Hearts Care: Keiki Paste for your String of Hearts

Grow new shoots and leaves on yourString of hearts (Ceropegia woodii/Rosary vines) with Keiki paste.

String of hearts is a succulent vine from Southern Africa. I  found mine at a local garden center looking thin and straggly, so I’m currently nursing it back to health.

In the wild, the stem nodes ofCeropegia woodii put out roots once covered with soil. Keiki paste will work like a dream on its thin stems.

1.  Find nodes

Nodes are points on the plant stem that produce shoots and leaves. The nodes of String of Hearts show up as raised bumps along the stem. They look like tiny elbow joints and you might need a magnifying glass to find them. You may see tiny shoots already growing out of them. A String of Hearts node is highlighted in the image below.

The more light your String of hearts receives, the more nodes it will produce on its stem.
It should never be placed in direct sunlight but still needs lots of bright indirect light to thrive. If it gets enough light, it will produce nodes that are closer together along the stem and the plant will look bushier as a result. If your plant is not receiving enough light, it will conserve energy by growing nodes spaced further apart. 

2.  Apply Keiki paste

Take a small amount of Keiki paste onto a cotton bud. You need very little paste for the delicate String of Hearts stem. Swab the paste onto the nodes where you want new shoots to appear. 

3.  Wait

Keiki paste can take several weeks to work. Eventually, you will see tiny new petioles (stalks that join leaves to stems) emerge.  
While you wait, give your plant optimal conditions. Place your String of Hearts in a position that receives bright indirect sunlight. Ideal places would be next to a frosted window that faces East or West, or a South facing window shaded by trees.  

You will need to fertilize your plant after applying Keiki paste. This helps it push out new growth. String of Hearts requires a nitrogen fertilizer.
If you have applied Keiki paste during the dormant (fall and winter) season, give your String of Hearts one dilute dose of fertilizer after applying the Keiki paste.

You should not fertilize otherwise during the dormant season. If you have applied Keiki paste during its growing season (spring and summer), give it a dilute dose of fertilizer on top of your normal monthly fertilizer. 
String of Hearts does not need water unless the soil is completely dry. When you water, make sure none of the leaves get wet.