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Haworthia tessellata ?

birdguide
10 years ago

Hi....this is my first winter with my plants and I have a question regarding the attached Haworthia. I purchased it in early August from Highland Succulents and repotted it into gritty mix. It seemed to be doing much better a month or so ago and I'm wondering if there is something wrong with it or is it entering a dormant period. One of the plants at the edge is turning brown and seems very loose in the gritty mix. The others are losing the reddish tinge around the leaf margins...at least compared to a month ago. I have moved it inside under grow lights since it is getting into the 30's here in the evening. It was outside getting morning sun until early October and now is under the lights for 12 hours a day. Any advice on how I should care for this guy over the winter would be appreciated. Same for any opinions on the appearance of its health. Thanks!

Comments (9)

  • bikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
    10 years ago

    Haworthia are winter growers. That is they grow more in winter than summer. The color is from their previous location and the sun. As you now have them in a new location, they will tend to change color, just as Echeveria that are in full sun and then over winter in less light will lose their color. This is a picture of my Haworthia venosa ssp tessellata grown inside my greenhouse over the summer with 60% shade cloth, because I have orchids in the same greenhouse. I know it should be re-potted. I'm sure if Ryan (Hanzrobo) sees this he will be infinitely more capable of giving great info.

  • Colleen E
    10 years ago

    I'd say it might be time for some increased watering, as they are entering the winter growing season :)

  • User
    10 years ago

    This was one of my very first Haworthias, really a beauty w/ its great form & wonderfully patterned leaves, an early love of mine.

    I'd probably get it again if I saw it around. Easy care too as I recall (it's been a few years). Yours looks happy in your care Howard.

    I'm not sure abt light for 12 hrs. a day (might be a lot); I've always heard Haws are LOWER light succulents. I've grown mine on west windows, sometimes under another, taller plant.

  • Danielle Rose
    10 years ago

    All three pots of my Haws have been purple and somewhat shriveled-looking all summer (I do keep mine in full sun and water sparingly, so this was no surprise). About three weeks ago, every single one of them turned bright green over the course of a few days. Talk about a change of seasons!

    I don't know what, going on with yours, birdguide, but I'm thinking it needs more water, or maybe some fertilizing. This is when they're supposed to be waking up, and gritty mix doesn't provide any nutrients. For the one that feels loose: maybe you should pull it up and take a look. Extra watering would be bad for that one if there's no roots.

    Here's one pot of rooted cuttings on 9/15/13 (disregard soap spray; mealybug prevention):

  • Danielle Rose
    10 years ago

    Same pot, today (minus the one plant on the left; it lives with someone else now). The color change happened almost overnight, and I have not really changed up anything in its care routine:

  • birdguide
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Danielle. This gives me reason to be optimistic. I think I will check the loose one and begin watering more often with occasional fertilizer. Hopefully mine will resurrect the way yours did!

  • birdguide
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Danielle....how did you go about rooting the cuttings from your plant?

  • Danielle Rose
    10 years ago

    My apologies: I should not have referred to them as cuttings, birdguide, I was just blanking on the word earlier. These are pups I pulled off of the mother plant. They are just tiny versions of the main plant, which gets extremely crowded in its pot. Once pulled off, they root very easily on their own; I just put them into some dry soil for a week or so, then start watering sparingly until I see some growth. You can see some of the larger ones in the pot above are starting to put out pups of their own. Your plants will probably do the same eventually, maybe even this winter!

    I've grown new plants from leaves with other succulents, but never with haworthias, as the ones I have pup so profusely.

    The main thing I learned from watching these guys is that a change in appearance doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong ... in this case I think the plants are simply losing their summer tans. Good luck!

  • Danielle Rose
    10 years ago

    Double post! I shouldn't do this from my phone.

    This post was edited by Danielle317 on Thu, Oct 24, 13 at 22:49

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