Haworthia Watering Guide
Watering Haworthias - A Detailed Guide
Written by Miles Ridgway - Henry's Haworthia (owner)
Haworthia watering guide? Don't I just.. you know.. water it? Well yes, but...
- Why is watering correctly so important?
- How growing medium and external conditions affects plants' water needs
- Clues to help you determine how wet or dry a plant's container is
- How often should I water Haworthias?
1. Why is correct watering so important?
Watering can be the most difficult skill to master when keeping Haworthia plants. Anyone who has kept succulents indoors knows that they live or die a horrible, mushy death depending on how they are watered. Because of their tuberous roots, Haworthia are even more sensitive to overwatering in many cases. Native to the rocky outcrops and sandy soils of South Africa's Cape, Haworthia are just not created to put up with sitting in soggy soil, as with most succulents. This is why even seasoned tropical houseplant experts may struggle with succulents at first.
There is a misconception that these plants do not like water. In fact, they do. They even thrive in high humidity under the right circumstances. The challenge is delivering the water in ways that they can best utilize it without encouraging bacterial or fungal attacks. It is not water itself that causes root rot, but a lack of oxygen to the roots caused by sitting in fully saturated soil. When water fills all the pore spaces and would-be air pockets in the growing medium, the roots suffocate and begin to die. Then, sometimes, opportunistic fungus and/or bacteria infect dying tissue and move upward, killing the entire root system or the entire plant.
One of the best ways to prevent root problems, provided there are no other poor conditions present, is to provide your plants with continuous (24/7) gentle, diffused air circulation. This can be done by keeping your plants outdoors (as weather permits), with a ceiling fan, or box/oscillating fan placed some distance away from the plants. Airflow will not only help wet soil to dry a little faster but may also encourage air penetration into gritty mixes, for example. Never keep plants in hot or cold, drafty areas or near the output of a heater or AC unit.
2. How growing medium and external conditions affects plants' water needs
Growing mediums and container specifics are discussed in this article. But let's say your plant is already potted and you want to know how to water it best.
The more water your container is retaining, the less you should water the plant. Various environmental circumstances, mostly light and temperature, play a role as well. Here are lists of what to look for when trying to determine how much water your Haworthia plants actually need.
Water application needs decrease when:
- Percentage of organic or porous ingredients in growing medium increases
- Pot size and depth exceed the size of the plant
- Light decreases (< 4~6 hrs of direct sun)
- Air is stagnant
- Temperature decreases
- Ambient humidity increases
Water application needs increase when:
- Percentage of nonporous grit in growing medium increases
- The plant is under-potted
- Light increases (>4~6 hrs of direct sun)
- Air circulation increases
- Temperature increases*
- Ambient humidity decreases
*Note: As nighttime temperatures enter the mid-70's F, Haworthias will begin to enter dormancy, which greatly reduces their water requirement.
If you find that your plants' leaves are never plump or start to shrivel despite consistent watering and healthy roots, consider whether any conditions are present that increase the plants' water requirements. If your plants' growing conditions favor lots of water retention, consider being very careful about watering, making sure that the soil is never waterlogged.
3. Clues to help you determine how wet or dry a plant's container is
Color of the soil: growing mediums are usually darker when wet (less helpful with pumice). Unglazed terracotta pots also darken when wet. Be aware that the surface usually dries faster than the rest of the pot. With gritty mixes, especially, it is possible for the top to appear completely dry and still have perched water at the bottom of the pot. This clue is most reliable with peaty mixes (50/50 potting soil and perlite, for example) because of the strong moisture-wicking property of peat.
Weight of the container: this is learned from experience. Each time you water your plant, pick up the pot and feel the weight of it before and after. After a while, you will get a feel for when it is ''dry'—feels a lot lighter—and when it is ''wet'—feels heavy. This is most helpful with succulents growing in plastic containers and peaty growing mediums. The difference will be much less noticeable in clay pots or gritty mixes.
Sticking your finger in the soil: This method can sometimes be helpful but is generally not recommended. Haworthia roots are pretty sensitive, and many varieties grow a lot of thin, shallow feeder roots in addition to their deep tuberous roots. If you're feeling for wetness an inch or two down, chances are you're also damaging these feeder roots.
Physical reaction from the plant: this can often be the best indicator, especially with gritty mixes. Assuming the plant is well established and its roots are healthy, its leaves should be plump and full for at least a few days every time you water it. When a plant begins to 'thirst,' the leaves will become duller for many varieties and will subtly shrink and wrinkle (see photos below). These physical reactions are a good indication of immediate water needs but also indicate the overall status of the plant. For example, a young or newly repotted Haworthia will have trouble fully filling its leaves with water, even if it is being watered perfectly, if it is given more sunlight than it can handle. In this case, the root system is not developed enough to keep up with the plant's water demand in that amount of sunlight. Giving more water will not help.
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| Two H. cooperi var. truncata plants. The plant on the left was recently watered, The plant on the right is thirsty. Both are otherwise healthy and well established. Image credit: Our image |
Foliage coloration can sometimes be an indicator of whether a plant is being kept too dry. Foliage can change color for a number of reasons, but water stress can be a contributing cause for a sudden color change. In general, bright colors (red, orange, yellow, pink, etc.) are a good thing, but dull or muted colors (paleness, gray, tan/brown, white, etc.) are a bad sign. Dull colors can arise in response to sudden increases in light intensity, temperature, or, in this case, a sudden dry period (see photos below). Foliage coloration is a better long-term indicator of a plant's status. This will be discussed in depth in a future article.
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| Two H. transiens plants. Both growing under the exact same light and temperature conditions, left plant has been getting plenty of water, right plant has been getting less water over the course of a couple of months. This plant is growing in a peaty mix, and had developed a dry hydrophobic center despite being watered the same as all the others. Image credit: Our image |
4. That's great.. but, How often should I actually water my Haworthias?
This is by far the question we get asked most often. For those of you who skipped to this section, unfortunately, the honest answer is that it depends on the things in sections 2 and 3.
The simple answer is that we recommend that you check your plant(s) about once a week, or at least every other week. Each time you check the plant, use the tips above to determine whether it needs water and how much.
Watering your Haworthia correctly will mean the difference between a healthy plant and rotten roots. You do not have to let the soil completely dry out between waterings. That is a good strategy for someone who is learning and wishes to "make sure" they are not overwatering their succulents. Strive to keep the soil continuously but lightly moist, similar to the way store-bought potting soil often feels when you open the bag. It isn't completely dry, but it is not sopping wet or saturated either. Water-saturated soil kills Haworthia quickly. Completely dry soil unnecessarily stresses the roots and is hard to re-wet (if peat-based).
If you are confident that there is no perched water (see below) currently at the bottom of your container and/or the soil or medium is 50% or more dry, it is most likely safe to water. Simply make sure that the roots do not spend time sitting in fully saturated soil. We find that alternating deep (saturating) watering with shallow watering is very effective. If you are using a high organic matter soil, such as potting soil or succulent soil, we recommend that you try not to ever fully saturate it.
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| Graphic explanation of perched water table in container plants. Drainage rocks don't work! Image credit: https://deepgreenpermaculture.com |
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| Graphic explanation of one reason we recommend deeper pots for haworthias Image credit: J. Musser |
Bonus: Should I bottom-water my haworthias? If you want to, sure! But you don't need to. Healthy, well-established Haworthias in good-growing conditions do not mind getting their leaves wet. Bottom watering (soaking) is very useful if you're using a peat-based potting soil and it has become completely dry.
Bonus Bonus: If you have multiple plants, do not feel obligated to keep them on the same watering 'schedule.' Some varieties definitely use water faster than others. If you're checking your plants often anyway, you might as well water them independently.
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Sources:
John 3:16
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