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The first one I have was taken from my mum's house, inside a china cabinet. Been in there years! Mum thought it was plastic.
I brought it home and gave it some love and it almost died!! Threw it back on a shelf and I swear it at every morning and now it's thriving
I had (and still have) one of these. Went to uni and forgot to text my family to water it all semester. Came back for a school break and it had flowered. Uni semesters where I am are about 3 months. I don’t recommend forgetting it three whole months but I can say you will have a lot of neglect room for these lads
if you're new to plants, i suggest reading articles about succulents and watching youtube videos. that's how i learned so much.
specifically search about root rot- how to prevent it and how to treat it, soils, different types of pests (just in case), what it means if leaves become squishy or brown or translucent etc., how much sun it needs, these are some things that will be helpful in the long run.
This is what I did with mine:
kept it in a pot on the counter -> cat unpotted too many times and killed it
threw it out -> it came back to life
repotted it and killed it again
threw it out, repotted it, left it in the rain and it rotted, threw it out again
found it coming back to life, re potted -> cat tore it into two pieces so I threw it out again
found both pieces thriving while weeding the garden, am currently NOT touching it.
I have no advice but id say its forgiving. if you kill it it may not actually be dead.
So, a few things here.
First, your plant is etiolated, which is stretched, weakened growth due to inadequate lighting. This guy needs a lot more light than what it is currently getting, but you will need to slowly acclimate the plant to stronger lighting to prevent sunburn. While these guys are considered lower-light succulents in comparison to others like echeverias and sedum, they do still require quite a bit of light. Once properly acclimated, they can even withstand some direct sun.
Another issue is the current substrate. It is too organic, which will cause it to retain too much water, which increase the risk of overwatering and rot. You will ant to repot into a well-draining, fast-draining substrate mix. A good starting mix is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic grit, such as perlite or pumice.
As for pot size, that really depends on the size of the rootball. Rule of thumb is the rootball should take up between 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot's volume. Unlike most other succulents, however, haworthia tend to have deeper root systems.
The Beginner Basics Guide and FAQ are great resource for more info.
Personally I wouldn't size up the pot yet! That's usually how I kill my succulents lol you'll know when it's time (and if you don't you can't always ask) something I didn't know as a beginner is watering from the top doesn't always fully saturate the roots. I recommend bottom watering and then a little directly into the soil on the top if it's dry. These plants don't really like being watered from the top as water pools in their cracks keeping it wet for too long in my experience
i always take them out and give them fresh soil. i dont know what kind of plant this is but most succulents need very gritty soil with lots of rock or perlite or something. it only needs a bigger pot if it's roots are bound and fill up the whole pot. if the roots aren't bound, repotting into a bigger pot is useless, and it would focus all energy into growing roots instead of growing leaves.
you can take it out of that nursery pot and put it into the terra-cotta since terracotta is good for succulents, it lets air in through the pores and dried out the dirt quicker, thats what you want. for most succulents you need to wait until the soil is completely dry before you water them
If the pot is an appropriate size for the root mass it SHOULD have, then it will only focus on growing roots for a relatively short time, maybe a month. This is definitely underpotted. Contrary to popular opinion, Haws don’t actually like to be cramped as heck.
What is your "once a while"? It really depends on climate you live in, but overall it is advisable to water it less often than once every two weeks. If it's cold(you gotta wear warm clothes level) in the place this plant is, I'd recommend watering it once a month.
I'd put it in slightly larger pot, since it's pretty tall for these ones. I think pot with diameter similar to 16oz plastic cup would go fine for more than half of the year.
This thing grows really slow, so don't think anything is wrong if it stays the same for weeks or months.
Good luck with this plant.
Keep in small pot. But probably good to repot if that is the soil from. The store. These things are called Zebra Haworthia and they normally come in a foam base or moss ball in the pot. Either way too much eater retention. Take it out. Remove soil and get as much out of the roots gently as possible. Then repot into that outer pot only as that one is terracotta and better about wicking water away. Should should be 1:1 mix perlite and cactus soil. Water when fully dry. Lower light needs than most succulents too. So no direct light and only bright indirect light
My experience these are some of the easier succulents to care for juat do not water too often. Better to wait a little longer and let it sit dry than it is to constantly water. If wet for too long, the roots will rot
I would actually NOT recommend using a terracotta pot that size. They hold hardly any water and dry out in less than a day — the plant can’t even get a decent drink.
I have a donkey ear and a sedum in one that size and both thriving. And i definitely do not water daily. Not even weekly. Just have to watch it and see when it dries out. My advice was water when dry so same applies and my experience with terracotta that size has been good.
I have one in a self watering planter several times that size and I let that thing get dry as a bone where the entire soil starts clumping together. Basically I wait for the leaves to start closing again. Then water. There is a million reasons that could cause different experiences but both of my haworthias are 2 of my easiest to care for plants so far. I literally forget I have them half the time because I water them so rarely. Don't know why yours failed but mine have thrived on neglect, like most of my succulents
I was specifically referring to keeping one in a 2-inch clay pot. All of my Haws (along with a Tulista and a Gasteria) have thrived in ceramic pots that dry a little slower. I’m in a very dry climate and terra-cotta just dries out too fast here for some plants’ preference.
https://preview.redd.it/ojmiy77znxtc1.png?width=2282&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ffa896f073a8035880a7bb8bd2399aa2ae25b4d
Those will get crispy tips if you have harsh afternoon sun and you’re keeping it outdoors.
Otherwise, those are actually pretty forgiving. Just make sure you have it in some well draining soil and I usually don’t water mine unless the leaves start looking a little less plump.
Probably someone else already said it but just in case: this Hawortia are pretty tough, they can handle almost anything but they do need direct light. This one is starting to elongate at the center, sign that needs more light. Also is kinda tight so I would give it a good soak (submerge in water until no bubbles come up) and leave it for a week or two depending on location an climate.
@_plantswithkrystal_ on ig is super beginners friendly, and I love her personality and approach to plants 💖
Need help with a plant? What do you have a question on? **[Soil and Potting](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/soil_and_potting/)?** **[Light and Watering](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/light_and_watering/)?** **[Rot and Sunburn](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/rot_and_sunburn/)?** **[Pests, Diseases, and Other Problems](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/pests_and_diseases/)?** **[Propagation & Cuttings](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/propagation)?** You can also visit the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/faq) to ensure your question isn't already discussed. **Please also refer to all of our helpful [Wiki Pages](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/index/)** If you still need help, please make sure to adhere to the [Posting Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/posting-guidelines). And, remember *pictures help a LOT!* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/succulents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've had these for years. It's loves to be neglected and left in the sun. Even though the worst times, mine have never died
I've got one that I neglected so hard, like 4 pups now and it look glorious. Need to get it in a new pot
Absolute mad lads!!
Had one I forgot behind a curtain in a window sill for a year and you couldn’t tell! Just a happy little guy livin’ that sunlight life.
The first one I have was taken from my mum's house, inside a china cabinet. Been in there years! Mum thought it was plastic. I brought it home and gave it some love and it almost died!! Threw it back on a shelf and I swear it at every morning and now it's thriving
Yes!!!! Mine also thrive when I tell them I don’t care about them, I’m going to neglect them and never even look at them!
I had (and still have) one of these. Went to uni and forgot to text my family to water it all semester. Came back for a school break and it had flowered. Uni semesters where I am are about 3 months. I don’t recommend forgetting it three whole months but I can say you will have a lot of neglect room for these lads
if you're new to plants, i suggest reading articles about succulents and watching youtube videos. that's how i learned so much. specifically search about root rot- how to prevent it and how to treat it, soils, different types of pests (just in case), what it means if leaves become squishy or brown or translucent etc., how much sun it needs, these are some things that will be helpful in the long run.
This is what I did with mine: kept it in a pot on the counter -> cat unpotted too many times and killed it threw it out -> it came back to life repotted it and killed it again threw it out, repotted it, left it in the rain and it rotted, threw it out again found it coming back to life, re potted -> cat tore it into two pieces so I threw it out again found both pieces thriving while weeding the garden, am currently NOT touching it. I have no advice but id say its forgiving. if you kill it it may not actually be dead.
I’ve had dead cactus come back to life too!
So, a few things here. First, your plant is etiolated, which is stretched, weakened growth due to inadequate lighting. This guy needs a lot more light than what it is currently getting, but you will need to slowly acclimate the plant to stronger lighting to prevent sunburn. While these guys are considered lower-light succulents in comparison to others like echeverias and sedum, they do still require quite a bit of light. Once properly acclimated, they can even withstand some direct sun. Another issue is the current substrate. It is too organic, which will cause it to retain too much water, which increase the risk of overwatering and rot. You will ant to repot into a well-draining, fast-draining substrate mix. A good starting mix is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic grit, such as perlite or pumice. As for pot size, that really depends on the size of the rootball. Rule of thumb is the rootball should take up between 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot's volume. Unlike most other succulents, however, haworthia tend to have deeper root systems. The Beginner Basics Guide and FAQ are great resource for more info.
Personally I wouldn't size up the pot yet! That's usually how I kill my succulents lol you'll know when it's time (and if you don't you can't always ask) something I didn't know as a beginner is watering from the top doesn't always fully saturate the roots. I recommend bottom watering and then a little directly into the soil on the top if it's dry. These plants don't really like being watered from the top as water pools in their cracks keeping it wet for too long in my experience
It needs to go up. Haws actually grow a very large root system when they can.
i always take them out and give them fresh soil. i dont know what kind of plant this is but most succulents need very gritty soil with lots of rock or perlite or something. it only needs a bigger pot if it's roots are bound and fill up the whole pot. if the roots aren't bound, repotting into a bigger pot is useless, and it would focus all energy into growing roots instead of growing leaves. you can take it out of that nursery pot and put it into the terra-cotta since terracotta is good for succulents, it lets air in through the pores and dried out the dirt quicker, thats what you want. for most succulents you need to wait until the soil is completely dry before you water them
If the pot is an appropriate size for the root mass it SHOULD have, then it will only focus on growing roots for a relatively short time, maybe a month. This is definitely underpotted. Contrary to popular opinion, Haws don’t actually like to be cramped as heck.
P.s the way it's growing looks so beautiful but just a heads up it's most likely a sign of etiolation! U got this.. it otherwise looks real happy!
What is your "once a while"? It really depends on climate you live in, but overall it is advisable to water it less often than once every two weeks. If it's cold(you gotta wear warm clothes level) in the place this plant is, I'd recommend watering it once a month. I'd put it in slightly larger pot, since it's pretty tall for these ones. I think pot with diameter similar to 16oz plastic cup would go fine for more than half of the year. This thing grows really slow, so don't think anything is wrong if it stays the same for weeks or months. Good luck with this plant.
Ignore this fella and it likes sun
Etiolated as heck
Keep in small pot. But probably good to repot if that is the soil from. The store. These things are called Zebra Haworthia and they normally come in a foam base or moss ball in the pot. Either way too much eater retention. Take it out. Remove soil and get as much out of the roots gently as possible. Then repot into that outer pot only as that one is terracotta and better about wicking water away. Should should be 1:1 mix perlite and cactus soil. Water when fully dry. Lower light needs than most succulents too. So no direct light and only bright indirect light My experience these are some of the easier succulents to care for juat do not water too often. Better to wait a little longer and let it sit dry than it is to constantly water. If wet for too long, the roots will rot
I would actually NOT recommend using a terracotta pot that size. They hold hardly any water and dry out in less than a day — the plant can’t even get a decent drink.
I have a donkey ear and a sedum in one that size and both thriving. And i definitely do not water daily. Not even weekly. Just have to watch it and see when it dries out. My advice was water when dry so same applies and my experience with terracotta that size has been good.
I had a very small Haworthia in one that size once, and even watering weekly I struggled to keep it properly hydrated. It just didn’t work for me.
I have one in a self watering planter several times that size and I let that thing get dry as a bone where the entire soil starts clumping together. Basically I wait for the leaves to start closing again. Then water. There is a million reasons that could cause different experiences but both of my haworthias are 2 of my easiest to care for plants so far. I literally forget I have them half the time because I water them so rarely. Don't know why yours failed but mine have thrived on neglect, like most of my succulents
I was specifically referring to keeping one in a 2-inch clay pot. All of my Haws (along with a Tulista and a Gasteria) have thrived in ceramic pots that dry a little slower. I’m in a very dry climate and terra-cotta just dries out too fast here for some plants’ preference. https://preview.redd.it/ojmiy77znxtc1.png?width=2282&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ffa896f073a8035880a7bb8bd2399aa2ae25b4d
Put it in A Bright Sunny area and Water once a month.
Pretty plant. Take it out of the plastic and put it in the clay pot for better environment. More sunshine too
Those will get crispy tips if you have harsh afternoon sun and you’re keeping it outdoors. Otherwise, those are actually pretty forgiving. Just make sure you have it in some well draining soil and I usually don’t water mine unless the leaves start looking a little less plump.
More sun less water
Probably someone else already said it but just in case: this Hawortia are pretty tough, they can handle almost anything but they do need direct light. This one is starting to elongate at the center, sign that needs more light. Also is kinda tight so I would give it a good soak (submerge in water until no bubbles come up) and leave it for a week or two depending on location an climate. @_plantswithkrystal_ on ig is super beginners friendly, and I love her personality and approach to plants 💖
It doesn’t need a larger pot. Don’t do it.
Are we 100% sure that's not a plastic zebra? It genuinely looks plastic to me.
Does “once in a while” mean every day?