String of Turtles Care & Propagation

How to care for the unique string of turtles!

Have you had a chance to see a string of turtles plant in person? This plant has become very trendy in the last few years, and for good reason. It looks really cool, but it’s a peperomia—peperomia prostrata—which means it’s pretty easy to care for, too!

I got my beautiful string of turtles at a local nursery for a really fair price. I was so excited to find one that wasn’t teeny tiny and was already trailing! It starts to look simply magical when the stems start cascading over the edge of its pot.

Background

Peperomia prostrata, or string of turtles, is a semi-succulent with thick little round leaves. The unique markings on the leaves look like turtle shells, which is what gives it its name. While the main leaf color is green, the “shell-like” patterns are white, deep purple, brown, and even a bit of a metallic sheen.

String of turtles plants are native to Brazil, but they’re adaptable plants that do well in a variety of conditions. I always like to know where plants come from, though, because I find that knowing a plant’s native environment almost always gives you a bit of insight into its care needs!

Light

Like many of its peperomia brethren, the string of turtles loves bright indirect light. I have had my plant hanging in front of a window that gets morning to early afternoon sun. It’s the same spot I had my curly lipstick plant in before rehoming that one.

You don’t want to give your string of turtles too much light, though. If you notice that your turtle’s leaves are turning a reddish/orangish color, you could be giving it too much direct light. This could be from too much direct sunlight or too much direct light from a grow lamp.

Speaking of grow lights, you can definitely grow string of turtles under grow lights, but you’ll need to play around with the proximity and intensity of the lights to make sure it doesn’t harm the plants.

Because the plant doesn’t do well with too much light, you might be wondering if this plant is tolerant of low light. Yes, it will survive in lower light levels, but it won’t thrive. It might get leggy and a bit pale, losing the high contrast in variegation.

Watering

Peperomia prostrata might not need a ton of light, but how about water? Well, like most houseplants, you’re better off underwatering than overwatering. Not only can overwatering lead to root rot, it can damage the plant’s thin stems and leaves.

Before watering your plant, check to make sure the top several inches of soil are dry. Semi-succulent plants store water in their leaves, so between that and the tendency of turtles to fall victim to root rot, overwatering will kill a string of turtles.

Faded, yellowing leaves and consistently wet soil are sure signs of overwatering. You can probably still save the plant by letting the soil dry out, trimming the affected leaves, and resuming a more appropriate watering routine. If the leaves become soft and mushy, that also likely means that root rot is setting in. 

What about underwatering? If the soil begins caking and shrinking away from the edge of the plant pot, you’ve waited too long! Grab a fork or something similar to aerate the top inch or so of soil before watering. Signs of underwatering could also be a lack of new growth or crispy, dry leaves.

Remember that your watering routine will change throughout the year. In the spring and summer, you’ll need to water more often since the plant is actively growing and the temperatures are higher. Once it gets cooler and the days are shorter, you won’t need to water as much.

Bottom watering

I have done a combination of regular top watering and bottom watering with my string of turtles. Much like string of hearts plants, the thin stems and delicate leaves do not like to sit in damp soil for long. And they definitely hate having pools of water sitting on their leaves.

Bottom watering is a great way to avoid damp stems and leaf pools. To bottom water a plant, you need to have a planter or pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Simply set the pot in a reservoir of water (I usually just use my kitchen sink).

After about 20 minutes or so, the soil will have taken up all of the water it needs through the pot’s drainage holes. Remove the pot from the water and let the excess drain away. To be honest, I only do bottom watering every few watering cycles since I like to be lazy and top water them. Read more about How to Bottom Water Plants if you’re brand new to the method!

Soil

These plants don’t like too much water. But since they are from the rainforest, they enjoy a somewhat damp soil. You can achieve the balance between over- and under-watering by choosing the right soil. I like to use an indoor potting mix with added coco coir or fine moss mixed in.

This helps to improve air flow in soil and retain some moisture without making it too wet. The soil can stay a bit damp without the roots sitting in water. I don’t overthink soil—I just pay attention to how well-draining it is and don’t give too much mind to the brand.

Repotting

These plants don’t need repotted too often despite being somewhat fast growers. Peperomias in general stay pretty compact. The root systems are also really shallow, like haworthias, so they don’t need to be in large pots.

In fact, planting a string of turtles in too large of a pot will lead to the soil retaining too much water. This will prevent oxygen flow to the plant’s roots and can lead to root rot. So always check the roots before repotting. Are they circling the bottom of the pot or growing out of the drainage holes? It might be time to consider repotting.

Temperature

Peperomia prostrata does well in a variety of normal household temperatures. It will be the happiest in the mid-70s to mid-80s, though. It can be grown only indoors in the majority of the United States because it isn’t frost hardy. That means USDA zones 10, 11, and 12.

Humidity

This plant also does well in higher humidity. It doesn’t need higher humidity to thrive unlike some other plants (like calatheas!), but it does enjoy it. I have mine hanging in an area with a few other plants, which helps keep humidity levels a hair higher.

I also occasionally mist the plant with plain water. That helps a bit more with keeping the foliage a bit more moist. I only do this once a week or so, though, because I don’t want water pooling around and puddling on the leaves. A humidifier nearby is really the best option.

Propagation

You can also encourage fuller new growth by trimming your plant’s stems, which will then encourage new branching growth. And when you trim the stems, you can propagate them to make more plants!

String of turtles is pretty easy to propagate, much like the other string of type plants. Below is an outline of how I like to propagate this plant—in sphagnum moss and perlite.

1. Snip a stem that is 5-6 inches long in the spring or summer.
2. Lay it in a shallow pot with damp sphagnum moss and perlite. Make sure the backs of the leaves are down on the soil. Don’t bury the cutting.
3. Cover the top of the planter with saran wrap and poke some holes in it for air circulation.
4. Every week or so, remove the saran wrap to let the plant air out. Mist with fresh water if the moss is dry.
5. You’ll see roots develop after a few weeks.

Peperomia plants also make great candidates for rooting in a DIY Plant Propagation Box, which essentially creates a little greenhouse that you can root multiple cuttings in at a time. Also, if you’re new to moss propagation, see my guide on Sphagnum Moss Propagation 101 for a more detailed tutorial.

Pest issues

Although string of turtles plants are easy to care for, they are vulnerable to spider mites. Spider mites are teeny tiny mites that you can barely see. You’ll likely notice their very fine webbing on your plant before you notice the mites themselves.

Spider mites thrive in warm, dry conditions. My elephant ear plants ALWAYS get spider mites when they are indoors for the winter (see the example photo below). So the best way to prevent them is to keep the humidity levels up around the plant. Mist the foliage with plain cool water to keep them at bay. If you already have an infestation, check out my post about how to get rid of spider mites.

Toxicity

String of turtles is a pet-friendly plant! The ASPCA notes that peperomia prostrata in particular is a non-toxic, pet-safe plant. That said, it’s designed to be ornamental—not to be ingested. So it’s best to keep it away from nosy nibblers.

Wrapping up…

I am a real sucker for trailing plants, and peperomia prostrata is no exception! From the little turtle-shell leaves to its general laid-back nature, string of turtles makes a great addition to your fuss-free plant collection. Happy planting!

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