I look up from the sink and a thick green curtain of dolphins spills off my east-facing kitchen windowsill. Dozens of tiny leaping shapes catch the morning light. Good string of dolphins indoor care comes down to three habits. Give the plant a bright window. Water it only when the soil is bone dry. Pot it in a fast-draining mix and you have the whole routine.
It did not start this lush. For the first few months I kept this indoor succulent in a dim corner of the living room. It stretched into long, pale strands. Wide gaps opened up between each leaf, and the little dolphin shapes flattened out. The plant looked tired and thin. Then I moved it to the bright window by the sink. Within a month the new growth came in tight and plump, full of those curved leaves again.
Light is the foundation of the whole thing. Put your plant in an east or bright north window. You can also set it a few feet back from a south window where the sun runs strong. The goal is plenty of bright, indirect light. You do not want harsh midday rays pressed right against the glass. Too little light and the strands stretch out and go pale. Too much direct sun and the leaves scorch brown at the tips. I gauge it by the leaf shape. When my dolphins look fat and curved, the light is right. When they flatten and the gaps widen, I know the spot has gone too dark.
Your pot and soil matter just as much as the light. Use a shallow pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Water should run straight through instead of pooling down there. Fill it with a fast-draining cactus or succulent mix. This well-draining soil keeps the roots from sitting wet, and wet roots are the main thing that kills this plant indoors. Air moves less inside your home than outside. So soggy soil takes far longer to dry out, and the roots stay damp for days.
Water your plant only when the soil is fully dry all the way down. Stick your finger in two inches deep to check. If you feel any cool dampness, wait a few more days before you reach for the can. In my warm kitchen that usually works out to about once every ten days in summer. In winter I stretch it to two or three weeks, since the plant slows down and drinks much less. When you do water, soak it well and let every drop drain out. Then skip the misting bottle for good. Those dense little leaves trap water against the stem, and that trapped moisture rots them faster than almost anything else indoors.
Bright indirect light, water only when bone dry, fast-draining soil, no misting. Nail these four and the rest is small adjustments.
A few small habits keep your plant even and healthy over time. Rotate the pot a quarter turn every week or two. This stops the strands from all leaning toward the glass and keeps growth full on every side. Keep the plant away from cold drafts near doors. Keep it clear of heating vents too, since that dry blast stresses the leaves. Feed it only lightly. A diluted succulent fertilizer once or twice in spring and summer is plenty while it grows.
Watch your plant and it will tell you what it needs. Stretched, gappy strands mean you should move it closer to light. Mushy, yellowing leaves mean you watered too soon, so back off and let your soil dry out all the way. Get your window right and stay patient with the watering can. Your string of dolphins will reward you with longer, fuller trails each season.
Read the full article: String of Dolphins Care Guide
