Haworthia retusa

La Haworthia retusa It is a crass or compact non-cactus succulent, with a fairly small size and that produces flowers that, although they are small, attract a lot of attention since they arise from stems whose height is much higher than that of the plant.

It is interesting to grow it in a pot, especially if it is wider than it is deep. Having a great tendency to produce suckers, it is only a matter of time before you can get new specimens of your plant at zero cost.

Origin and characteristics of Haworthia retusa

It is a perennial succulent plant native to South Africa that reaches a height of about 3-4 centimeters and a diameter of 4-5 centimeters. It forms rosettes of leathery, deltoid, recurved leaves with a size of 1-4 centimeters long by 2 centimeters wide, and of a pale green color, with lines on the upper surface. The flowers arise from a simple stem up to 12 centimeters long, are white, and are about 1 centimeter in diameter.

The growth rate of the Haworthia retusa It is quite fast, but it must be taken into account that once it is an adult it is small, so it should not surprise us that, after a few years, it only spends energy in flowering and producing suckers.

What are the care that must be provided?

Haworthia in general are very easy plants to care for. They resist drought very well, and unlike the vast majority of succulents, they grow in areas where the sun does not reach them directly.. For this reason, they could be a good option to grow them indoors, although it is outside the home where they are best. And, there is no plant that is indoor, since when humans began to evolve, the plant kingdom had millions of years ahead of us.

In addition, the decoration of the houses with plants is even more recent. It is not known with exactitude, but surely it began during the reign of the pharaohs, in the year 1500 a. C.

But let's not stray from the topic. How do you take care of Haworthia retusa? If you dare to have a copy, we recommend that you provide the following care so that you can enjoy it both inside and outside your home:

Location

• Exterior: it must be in a protected area of ​​the star king.
• Interior: the room in which it is placed must be bright, that is, it must be very bright.

Irrigation

Irrigation will be rather scarce. It is a plant that resists drought, but the excess humidity hurts it a lot, to the point that you could lose it as a result of the rotting of its roots.

So that there are no problems, the ideal is to water only when the soil is completely dry. This means that you should re-wet it about once or twice a week during the summer, and every 10 to 15 days the rest of the year.

During the winter water once a month if there is frost and / or if it rains frequently. And if you have it in a pot, do not put a plate under it since stagnant water would cause damage to the root system.

Earth

• Flower pot: fill with universal substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts, or with mineral substrate such as pumice.
• Garden: the land must have excellent drainage. If it does not have it, make a hole of about 40 x 40 centimeters, and fill it with pumice or quartz sand.

Subscriber

Apart from water, you Haworthia retusa will appreciate being paid from time to time, from early spring to late summer. To do this, we recommend applying specific fertilizer for succulents, like this one they sell No products found.. Of course, it is important to follow the instructions specified on the package so that there is no risk of overdose.

Multiplication

It multiplies by seeds and suckers from spring to summer, following this step by step:

Seeds

1. First, a wider than deep pot has to be filled with soil for cacti and succulents.
2. Then, it is watered thoroughly.
3. Finally, the seeds are spread on the surface of the substrate, ensuring that they are separated from each other, and are covered a little with quartz sand (for sale No products found.).

Keeping the seedbed watered, they will germinate in about 5-15 days.

Young

The suckers they can be separated from the mother plant when they are about 2 centimeters in size. If it is done before, there is a risk that they will not work. The reason is that, being such a compact plant, it is a bit difficult to separate the suckers from the mother. In fact, the most advisable thing is to remove it from the pot, and carefully separate them, ensuring that it is with some roots.

Afterwards, they are planted in individual pots (or in groups  ) and watered.

Planting or transplanting time

En spring, when the minimum temperature is 15 degrees Celsius or more.

Rusticity

La Haworthia retusa resists cold and frost down to -2ºC, but it is advisable not to drop below 0 degrees.

What did you think of this plant? Did you know her?