PREFERRED METHOD
stem cutting
Also possible: layering.
How to propagate string of turtles
Peperomia prostrata
Propagate string of turtles by stem cutting. Roots in 21 to 49 days in soil. The cutting must include a node.
TIME TO ROOT
21–49 days
Roughly 3 to 7 weeks — middling for a houseplant. 39 of the 100 species
in this database root more slowly.
NODE REQUIRED
Yes
A cutting without a node has no tissue that can become root and will rot instead.
MEDIUM
soil
Not a water-rooting species. Keep the medium barely damp rather than wet.
BEST SEASON
Spring and summer
Cuttings taken in active growth root faster and rot less than winter ones.
GROWTH HABIT
trailing
Habit is what decides which methods are available at all.
Why stem cutting works here
Roots form at the node — the slightly swollen point where a leaf meets the stem. That tissue can still turn into root tissue; the smooth stem between nodes cannot.
Doing it
Cut a few millimetres below a node with at least one leaf above it. Strip anything that would sit underwater. Put the node in the medium, the leaf in the light.
Where it goes wrong
A cutting with no node will sit green for weeks and then rot. It is the commonest way to waste a month.
The other routes
Slower or lower-yield for this species, but each has a case.
layering
A trailing stem left in contact with soil roots at the nodes on its own. You are just encouraging what it already does. Nothing much. It is the lowest-risk method there is, and the slowest.
Before you cut
- Sap is not a concern here. String of turtles is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs, so offcuts and rooting jars are lower risk than with most houseplants.
- Take more than you need. Losses are normal. Three cuttings in one jar costs nothing extra and changes the odds.
- Use a clean blade. Scissors crush the stem and crushed tissue rots. A craft knife wiped with alcohol is enough.
- Do not fertilise a cutting. There are no roots to take it up, and the salts sit in the medium and burn what does form.
Also for this species
Full care entry — light, watering interval, soil recipe and difficulty, with sources. Toxicity to cats and to dogs.
Sources
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Peperomia prostrata Accepted name and family. Checked 2026-09-12.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Peperomia prostrata Toxicity of sap and offcuts. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q22108964
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Rooting times are typical ranges for indoor conditions, not guarantees. Warmth and
light move them more than anything you do to the cutting. How this is sourced.