Fertilising guide

How to fertilise String of Buttons (Crassula perforata)— schedule & NPK

Also called String of Buttons, Necklace Vine, Pagoda Plant, Stacked Crassula.

More about string of buttons

About String of Buttons

Crassula perforata · also called String of Buttons, Necklace Vine · houseplant

String of buttons is an easy, fast-growing South African succulent whose triangular leaves stack in pairs along square stems, trailing with age. Give it bright direct light, gritty fast-draining soil, and water only when bone dry. Not pet-safe: as a Crassula (jade relative) it is best treated as mildly toxic.

Growth habit: Stems start upright then sprawl and trail with age, with squarish opposite leaves stacked in tidy pairs around the stem (the "stacked" look). Fast-growing and freely branching, producing many offsets. Excellent for hanging baskets, shallow bowls, and rockeries.

Watch for — Sunburn: Plants moved abruptly from low light into intense direct or midday summer sun can scorch, leaving pale or brown patches. Acclimatise gradually and shade from the fiercest midday rays in hot climates.

What fertiliser string of buttons actually wants — and why

String of Buttons is a light-feeding succulent — a gentle, low-nitrogen feed a few times in growth keeps it plump without forcing the weak, stretched growth over-feeding causes.

A cactus and succulent formula or a diluted balanced feed with modest, even numbers. Avoid high-nitrogen plant foods — they make a succulent etiolate and grow soft, fracture-prone tissue.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for string of buttons: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed string of buttons, and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For string of buttons:

Light feeder. Apply a balanced or low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during spring and summer. Do not feed in autumn or winter, or while the plant is stressed; over-feeding causes weak, leggy growth. Keep that to sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September) and stop entirely once growth slows for winter.

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when string of buttons is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for string of buttons

Quarter to half strength at most for string of buttons. Succulents take up very little, and a strong dose burns the fine roots before the plant can use it.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water string of buttons first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the string of buttons watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding string of buttons

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for string of buttons:

Stretched, leggy, pale growth with widely spaced leaves.
A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot rim.
Brown, crisped leaf tips and edges.
Soft, mushy tissue at the base — over-feeding plus damp soil rots it.

Signs you are under-feeding string of buttons

Uncommon — succulents tolerate lean conditions well.
Very slow growth and dull, faded colour over a long period.
Older leaves shed faster than new ones replace them in a tired old mix.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full string of buttons care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

Feed lightly enough and you rarely need to flush, but once a year run plain water through the pot of string of buttons until it drains clear, and refresh the gritty mix every 2-3 years.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for string of buttons

Organic options

A heavily diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed once or twice in summer. UK: a drop of Westland seaweed feed; US: quarter-strength Espoma Cactus! or Dr. Earth liquid. Fresh free-draining mix matters more than any feed.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

A dedicated cactus/succulent liquid at quarter to half strength — UK: Baby Bio Cacti & Succulent Drip Feeders or Westland; US: Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food or Schultz Cactus Plus.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising string of buttons — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does string of buttons need?

A cactus and succulent formula or a diluted balanced feed with modest, even numbers. Avoid high-nitrogen plant foods — they make a succulent etiolate and grow soft, fracture-prone tissue. String of Buttons is a light-feeding succulent — a gentle, low-nitrogen feed a few times in growth keeps it plump without forcing the weak, stretched growth over-feeding causes.

How often should I feed string of buttons?

Light feeder. Apply a balanced or low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during spring and summer. Do not feed in autumn or winter, or while the plant is stressed; over-feeding causes weak, leggy growth. Light feeder. Apply a balanced or low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during spring and summer. Do not feed in autumn or winter, or while the plant is stressed; over-feeding causes weak, leggy growth. Keep that to sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September) and stop entirely once growth slows for winter.

What strength of feed for string of buttons?