Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Ruby Necklace (Othonna capensis)— schedule & NPK
Also called Ruby Necklace, String of Rubies, Little Pickles, Trailing Othonna, Cape Aster.
More about ruby necklace
About Ruby Necklace
Othonna capensis · also called Ruby Necklace, String of Rubies · houseplant
Ruby Necklace (Othonna capensis, syn. Crassothonna capensis) is a trailing South African succulent with bean-shaped leaves on purple stems that flush ruby-red in bright light, plus tiny yellow daisy flowers. Give it bright light, gritty fast-draining soil and sparing water. It is not ASPCA-listed; treat as mildly toxic and verify with a vet.
Growth habit: Fast-growing, low and creeping trailing succulent. Slender purple stems carry small, elongated bean- or pickle-shaped blue-green leaves that turn ruby-red to magenta under sun, drought or cool stress. In its growing season it pushes out small, bright-yellow daisy-like flowers on thin stalks, which often open in sun and close in the evening.
Watch for — Loss of red colour: Stems revert to plain green in low light or with too much fertiliser. The red is a mild stress response, so brighter light, cooler nights and lean feeding restore it.
What fertiliser ruby necklace actually wants — and why
Ruby Necklace 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 ruby necklace: 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 ruby necklace, 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 ruby necklace:
Light feeder. Apply a balanced succulent or cactus fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during the spring and summer growing season. Do not feed in autumn or winter when growth naturally slows. Over-fertilising produces weak, stretched growth and dulls the prized red colouration. 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 ruby necklace 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 ruby necklace
Quarter to half strength at most for ruby necklace. 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 ruby necklace first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the ruby necklace watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding ruby necklace
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for ruby necklace:
- 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 ruby necklace
- 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 ruby necklace 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 ruby necklace until it drains clear, and refresh the gritty mix every 2-3 years.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for ruby necklace
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 ruby necklace — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does ruby necklace 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. Ruby Necklace 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 ruby necklace?
Light feeder. Apply a balanced succulent or cactus fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during the spring and summer growing season. Do not feed in autumn or winter when growth naturally slows. Over-fertilising produces weak, stretched growth and dulls the prized red colouration. Light feeder. Apply a balanced succulent or cactus fertiliser diluted to half strength once or twice during the spring and summer growing season. Do not feed in autumn or winter when growth naturally slows. Over-fertilising produces weak, stretched growth and dulls the prized red colouration. 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 ruby necklace?
Quarter to half strength at most for ruby necklace. Succulents take up very little, and a strong dose burns the fine roots before the plant can use it.
What does over-feeding ruby necklace look like?
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. Feeding ruby necklace like a leafy houseplant is the classic error — it produces a flush of pale, stretched, floppy growth that never firms up and is prone to rot at the base.
Should I flush the soil of ruby necklace?
Feed lightly enough and you rarely need to flush, but once a year run plain water through the pot of ruby necklace until it drains clear, and refresh the gritty mix every 2-3 years.
Keep reading
- Ruby Necklace care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water ruby necklace — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise snake plant
- How to fertilise dracaena
- How to fertilise peperomia
- All 609 fertilising guides in the Growli library