I bought a string of pearls two months ago from Ikea and lately I've been noticing it's dropping a ton of beads, especially from the base. I water it when the soil is dry, I keep it near a window with indirect light. Is it normal for it to do that or am I doing something wrong?
Try watering it even less - maybe only when the soil has been completely dry for a few days, because senecio really hates excess moisture. I noticed with mine that it was dropping the beads when I watered it even once a week, and after about twenty days without water it started doing well again - the indirect light you have is perfect for it.
Leaf loss is pretty normal for this plant, especially when it changes environment. Two months isn't that long, so it could still be in an adjustment phase after being transported from Ikea. But it depends a bit on how the rest of the plant is doing: are the leaves that are falling dry and shriveled, or do they drop while still firm? And do you notice if the plant is still putting out new growth, or does it seem completely stagnant?
The critical issue is almost always air humidity. String of pearls loves humid environments, and if you keep it in a house with heating or dry air, it tends to lose leaves even if watering is technically correct. Try putting it on a tray with some water (without the pot touching the water directly) or mist it every now and then. Indirect light is fine, so that's not the problem.
One more thing: check that the soil is actually well-draining. If it holds too much moisture, the roots suffer and the plant reacts this way. This succulent needs a light mix, like cactus soil or enriched with perlite. If overall the plant isn't black or soft at the base (signs of rot), it's probably just a matter of adjustment and humidity.
How much water are you giving it exactly, and how much direct sunlight is it getting during the day? Because string of pearls is a succulent, and the problem could be coming from too much moisture more than anything else.
I had a similar experience with mine and figured out that the soil was staying too wet. This plant prefers to be almost dry, like very occasional watering. If the soil doesn't dry out well between waterings, the roots rot and it starts dropping pearls like crazy. Ikea generally sells them in soil that's too dense for this type of succulent, so it might be worth repotting with something more draining, like cactus soil mixed with sand or perlite.
Then, if it's really next to a window with indirect light and you're watering when the soil is dry, it could still be transport stress like others are saying. Two months isn't that long and it could still recover. But if things get worse, also check that there aren't spider mites or other bugs on the base - sometimes they hide where the plant is thickest and cause the same issue.
I've seen the same thing with succulents bought from nurseries, and often the problem is that they come from very humid and controlled environments. If you're watering when the soil is dry, you're probably already doing fine, but check that the pot really has good drainage - sometimes those Ikea ones are nice but they hold too much water around the roots. Another thing: string of pearls is pretty delicate and the "pearls" drop easily if you touch it a lot or if there's a sudden temperature swing, like if you move it from cold to warm. If it's still dropping pearls like crazy after a few weeks, then it could be excess moisture, but if it's stabilized after the first few months it's probably just finishing its adjustment phase.
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