Propagating My String Of Bananas Plant Is Fast & Easy

It was time to get on with the propagating of my String Of Bananas plant and do some filling in.

I pruned off a couple of trails, both about 6-8″ long, to propagate and then plant back in the pot. Planting the cuttings in straight succulent and cactus mix 1st in order to root them is what I wanted to do rather than plant them directly in the hanging pot. I have to climb on a stool to water the hanging pot (which grows on my patio) so I could better control the moisture if they were in a separate pot. I didn’t want the cuttings to go too dry or stay constantly wet.

Propagating a String Of Bananas Plant

I took a few cuttings from my String Of Bananas plant that was left behind in Santa Barbara when I moved to Tucson. They’ve grown in well here, although nowhere near as fast as the String Of Hearts. Because there were no “bananas” on the top few inches of stem, I wanted to fill in between those bare stems. Make sense? The cuttings I took were about 6-8″ long, but with this plant, I’ve found that you can take cuttings that are 2″ or 12″.

Materials used:

2 string of bananas plant cuttings, micro pruners, a chopstick, 2 floral pins & a pot with succulent mix sit on an ivory cloth

2 String Of Hearts cuttings.

6″ Grow pot. It may seem too big for these 2 stems but I also put the String Of Hearts cuttings in here too.

Succulent & Cactus Mix. I use 1 which is produced locally but this one is good if you can’t find it locally. Succulents need a loose mix, especially when propagating, so the roots can easily form & water can thoroughly drain out preventing rot.

Floral pins. The cuttings, although not very long, are a bit heavy & can pull out of the light mix. These pins hold them down.

Chopstick. Yes, this works very well for “drilling” out holes for thin stemmed cuttings to go in to.

My trusty Fiskar Nippers. These are my go to’s for more delicate jobs like this.

A String Of Bananas plant cutting with small roots

The roots on this cutting aren’t extensive at all but no worries. Those roots will continue to grow when the cutting is transplanted. By the way, it took around 3 weeks for the roots to form like this.

Here are the steps I took:

1.) I took the cuttings, & for the sake of the video, planted them in the mix right away. With thin stemmed cuttings like String Of Bananas or String Of Pearls, I usually let them heal over for 1-3 days before planting.

2.) 2 holes were made in the mix with the larger end of the chopstick & I planted them in.

3.) The cuttings were secured down with the floral pins. By the way, the pins can be saved & used over again multiple times.

4.) Let them settle in for a few days & them gave them a good watering.

String Of Bananas Plant cuttings trail out of a pot with succulent mix

The cuttings happily planted in.

I placed the cuttings in the bright shade, under my Bougainvillea “Barbara Karst”. The temps were still very warm at that time so I watered the cuttings every 5 days.

Want to know how often you should water your plants? It depends on the temperature and how deep you planted the cuttings. If they’re closer to the surface, they’ll dry out faster. If your rooting yours indoors, make sure they’re in nice bright light but getting no direct sun.

I transplanted the cuttings into the hanging pot about 3 weeks later. You’ll see that in the video. They’re barely hanging over the edge of the pot but it’s winter now and I won’t see much if any growth until the temps warm back up in late February or so.

You can propagate them at any time of year, but spring, summer and early fall are the best.

2 String Of Bananas plant cuttings sit next to trails of a Fishhooks Senecio

Here you see String Of Bananas on the left & Fishhooks Senecio on the left. I believe the SOB is actually Senecio radicans glauca. Any clarifications on that? Regardless, you can see the difference in the leaves, both in size & shape, with these 2 plants.

The String Of Bananas is a fun hanging succulent just like its Senecio relatives the String Of Pearls and Trailing Fishhooks.

Mine outdoors year round but you can grow it as a houseplant too. It’s just coming into flower now (it’s mid-December) which is another perk. And, when it really starts to grow and branch off, you can take cuttings!

Happy gardening,

3 Comments

m. Jones says:
07/10/2020 at 2:42 pm
Thank you for your great directions on how to transplant a String of Bananas.
I bought one last year and it stays outside all year (N California).
Is there a best time of year to transplant the original plant?
I’ve had success with your directions for propagation of cuttings from this plant but now I want to transplant the original plant.
Best time of year to transplant and what is the best potting mix.
Many thanks, M
Nell Foster says:
07/11/2020 at 12:00 pm
Hi – You’re welcome. Spring & summer are optimum times along with early fall in your climate. Nell