String of Bananas Plant
Would you like to learn how to grow String of Bananas or Senecio Radicans? Read below for some helpful information on String of Bananas and how you should get you started.
String of Bananas or Senecio Radicans has cascading tendrils of juicy banana-shaped leaves. There are year-round, small lavender, yellow, or white flowers that occur in fall and winter. The tendrils or String of Pearls cascade beautifully from hanging baskets.
Read below how to maintain this beautiful succulent
Follow These Tips to Grow String of Bananas Inside the House:
- Banana Strings live in permeable, well-depleted soil. This plant can be grown together with a gardening soil intended for prickly cactus especially in a pot with perlite for drainage. If the soil requires it, add manure.
- String of Bananas can withstand the dry season. Allow the soil to dry completely before watering, which should be done once a week in the spring and summer and at regular intervals in the fall and winter when the plant is dormant.
- If you’re going to put the Banana Strings in a pot, make sure it has waste openings and don’t overwater them, as this might lead to root deterioration.
- Select a location with beautiful, circular light. Inside, hang the Banana Strings in a light window. If you’re going to plant outside, make sure the plant gets both morning and afternoon sun.
- The leaves will be consumed by direct sunshine because too much sunlight will burn it and if your plant has sparse foliage, it isn’t getting enough light, and if the leaves have brown tips, it is getting too much direct sunlight.
- In a warm climate, Banana Strings thrive. This succulent plant can withstand temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you live anywhere where the temperature drops below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, bring your plant inside the house for the winter.
- Use string to aid in the growth of the plant. The Banana Strings are rapidly growing and will follow a common pattern. Use a growing string to provide something to cling to for the plants, which can grow up to three feet long.
- To stimulate growth, prune the plant. If you need to encourage further development, you can trim the plant.
- Cutting a String of Bananas mostly down the plant will result in the development of two new plants.
Tips To Grow String of Bananas Outside the House:
Pot Dimensions
3′′, 4′′, and 6′′ pots are recommended. The plant can be if 6 feet. Because of its attraction and extended tail, it works well in hanging pots.
Experiencing Light
Grow it beneath a covered porch to shelter it from the scorching sun rays. The light should be both sufficient and spectacular.
This plant may endure more daylight because of the maritime layer and the fact that the light isn’t as strong as it is.
But simply keep in mind that if this plant, like other muscular succulents, is exposed to too much solid, warm sunlight, it will swiftly die.
Watering
You can change the watering of a series of bananas as needed depending on the conditions upon when watering the string of bananas.
Starting in late spring, water it once a week. During the cooler months, water it every 2-3 weeks.
Keep in mind that root damage is a possibility with this plant, you don’t want it to be moist all the time, but you also don’t want it to be completely dry for a long time.
Temperature
If a String of Bananas is quite cold, reaching temperatures of around 30 degrees Fahrenheit and if the night-time temperatures drop below 30 degrees, as happens a few times in winter, cover the pot with a cloth.
At another point, if strings of bananas have lived for half of the summer, the plant can survive the heat. In late June, the bananas appear less “full,” but they bob back nicely in the fall.
Compost
Cover them with 1/2 inch of worm fertilizer and 1 inch of manure in the spring. Because of its substantial composition, worm fertilizer is certainly a popular remedy that you should apply sparingly.
Soil
The ability of the combination to drain is crucial. Use a succulent and cactus combination from your local garden that is light and chunky.
Repotting
Repotting is also good because the leaves do not easily fall off. All you must do now is avoid severing the trails.
The crown of the plant must not fall more than 1 inch below the top of the pot. Otherwise, water will collect in the container, making drying and destroying the crown more difficult.
Pruning
Pruning a Banana String has numerous purposes: it allows you to obtain cuttings, manage the length, thin out the plant, and remove any dead stems or blossoms. During the coldest months, avoid doing any.
Flowers
Yes, indeed! The fluffy white flowers are held on tall stems that gracefully bend upwards. The flowers don’t have the same scent as the String of Pearls, but they’re still lovely. The blooming season for this succulent, like many others, is in the winter.
How to Grow String of Bananas in Summer Season
A summer vacation in the wide outdoors might be very good to your String of Bananas if you live in a cold climate. Make sure it isn’t exposed to too much direct sunshine, or it will quickly burn.
You might want to consider covering yours if you get a lot of rain during the summer. A covered patio or screened porch will suffice. The stems and bananas will rot and turn to mush if a String of Bananas gets too wet and does not dry out.
Also, give it a good hosing down before bringing it back inside your home for the winter to get rid of any hitchhiking pests and/or their eggs.
How to Propagate String of Bananas
String of Bananas is a challenging hanging plant to keep alive. The neglect of taking care this plant will lead it to die.
If you want your String of Bananas to see its flowers, take good care of it and you’ll be able to enjoy seeing the plant for a long time.
We can look at how to propagate a Banana String in five minutes today for you to keep your String of Bananas healthy and lively!
Anyone can propagate the String of Bananas since it is so simple. You’ll have to wait a while, but the first roots will appear soon. Only a pair of scissors and, of course, something to cut into are required.
What You Need
A piece of Banana String (Senecio radicans)
Scissors and disinfectant
In a flower planter, fill a container with water or new succulent soil.
Steps:
Decide on A Propagation Approach First
The Banana String can be propagated in two ways: in water or directly in the soil. Before you begin taking cuttings, it is a good idea to decide.
In both cases, the first step is to disinfect the scissors. This can be done with either pure alcohol or a disinfectant.
Gather Cuttings
After the scissors have been thoroughly cleaned, it’s time to put them to work. Take the stem(s) from which your cuts will be made.
Make sure the stem is a minimum of 10 centimeters in length. You can choose to take multiple stems at once.
Make certain that the stems are cut long enough. It’s possible that the “bananas” on the bottom will still need to be removed. At least two “bananas” should remain on the trails of the plant.
Soak the Cuttings For A Few Minutes in Water or Soil
Here you can see the difference between propagating in water and on soil.
The following applies when cuttings are submerged in water:
In the water-filled container, hang the String of Bananas cuttings. Is the water still reaching the “bananas” at the bottom? Take the stems off these.
Do you prefer to start your plants from the ground? Then cut off the bottom “bananas” of the stem.
Plant the stem in the ground after that. Instead of placing the cutting in the soil, you might set it in a pot.
Make sure the place where the bananas will be chopped is on the bottom.
Waiting of Root Development
The cuts of stems should not be overwatered.
New roots can sprout in the regions where you cut the “bananas.” The cuts of stems in water establish roots more quickly than cuttings in soil. The soil method, on the other hand, is quicker.
After about a month, the cuttings will have adequate roots. If the roots have grown long enough, you can repot the cuttings from the water into the soil.
The Best Way to Take Good Care of String of Bananas
Strings of bananas are low-maintenance, fast-growing succulents that are suitable for beginners as well as experts.
Drought Resistant
They are drought-resistant and do not require regular fertilizer, repotting, or trimming. The most crucial part of growing a healthy Banana String is to make sure that the succulent gets enough light.
The plant will be content if you place your Banana String in a bright, sunny window and just leave it.
A String of Bananas can also be cultivated under grow lights if necessary. If this plant does not receive enough light, it will become leggy.
The banana-shaped leaves will become significantly more spaced out along the stem, which is an unattractive feature.
String Bananas need a well-draining soil mix to avoid root rot. You can either buy or prepare your own cactus or succulent soil.
Potting Soil Mix
Your Banana String will benefit from a basic mixture of two parts potting soil, one-part perlite, and one-part pumice or sand.
This drought-resistant succulent takes very little water to flourish. Because it depends on a variety of factors, there is no precise plan for how often a String of Bananas should be watered.
However, the soil should be allowed to dry completely between watering as a general guideline.
Prone to Root Rot
Because bananas are prone to root rot, it is recommended to submerge them rather than overwater them.
By planting the succulent in well-draining soil and ensuring that the pot has adequate drainage, root rot can be avoided.
String bananas are native to arid and hot climates in South Africa, yet they flourish in ordinary household temperatures and humidity levels.
Keep your plant away from heat/air conditioning vents, as well as drafty or cold windows, to avoid being exposed to excessive temperatures.
Fertilize
String of bananas, like other succulents, do not need to be fertilized on a regular basis, but light feedings in the spring and summer months might help them develop faster.
Organic fertilizers such as worm compost, liquid kelp, or fish emulsion are ideal.
String bananas don’t mind being root-bound; therefore, they don’t need to be re-potted as often as other banana varieties.
To keep the soil fresh, a row of bananas will probably only need to be replanted every couple of years.
The best time to repot is in the spring and summer, when the delicate roots have time to recover from the active growing season.
These plants are usually considerably easier to repot than other hanging succulent species like string of pearls because their leaves don’t fall off as soon.
Repotting
When repotting, however, care should be taken to prevent breaking any of the delicate stems.
Don’t worry if you lose a few strands; simply replace the broken stem’s end in the container and it will sprout its own roots.
Although they are susceptible to attract common houseplant pests and illnesses, succulents of the string of banana family aren’t very difficult to take care.
Overwatering can cause root rot, so keep a lookout for it.
Pests and Other Insect Problems
Sap-sucking pests to be aware of include aphids, mealybugs, and other scale insects, as well as spider mites. If noticed earlier as well as treated earlier, you can hold and keep these pesky insects under control and prevent an infestation.
Harmful to Dogs and Cats
Whenever ingested, String of Bananas is harmful to dogs and cats and somewhat poisonous to people. The sap of the plant can likewise prompt dermatitis. Keep it hanging far from pets and youngsters.
When pets or children encounter manifestations like heaving, skin aggravation, or looseness of the bowels after devouring a piece of string of bananas, contact a clinical expert.
Everybody is by all accounts frantically infatuated with that odd and brilliant String of Bananas and as it should be. String of Bananas makes a happy houseplant.
Origin and Common Names
String of Bananas is commonly known as the Necklace Plant, Hook Chain, Creeping Berry, Banana Vine or Pearl Necklace are just some of the names of this fascinating plant.
This creeping, perennial, succulent is native to the arid parts of southwest Africa. When seen in its natural environment it’s a breath-taking waterfall of plant hanging down from and covering a wall.
Conversely, its stems will trail on the ground, where they’ll take root and, as they touch each other, they create thick mats!
Final Thoughts
String of Bananas (or String of Pearls) is a very eye-catching plant that is fascinating to see.
It’s a thing of beauty and that makes it yet another ‘gotta have’ – look it up and you’ll see what we mean!
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
