Ok, so I decided to remove some soil from the top and inspect the leaves a bit deeper and also take a look at the roots. From what I've seen (I may be wrong, I'm a newbie) the leaves seem to be doing ok under the soil and the roots are not rooted (checked with fingers after cleaning them of soil). Maybe I'm just panicking a bit? Also, I dried the removed soil a bit and put it back into the pot again.

IKEA's mix is pretty peaty so you should change it to make it more porous with (perlite, granite) etc because haworthias don't like to have continuously damp roots or they will rot.

I agree the squishiness sounds concerning, you should try to check the roots and see if you smell or feel or see any brown squishy rot.

This species gets this Wierd yellowness sometimes that affects the white stripes when it has too much sun (but it's just aesthetic) because haworthias can thrive with a bit less sun than other succulents, but plant wise you should still try to provide enough light for it.

heres my attenuata with the sun burn yellow which looks a bit different from that yellowness in your pic which is closer to the soil

Thank you for your reply ealdwood!

As mentioned, I checked the roots and they seem fine visually and touch-wise (also, no smell). Here is a sample of roots (I accidentally ripped it off the rest while digging the soil out...):

If not soft, it could be just discoloring from being deeper in the soil. But make sure it is not rot and I would do as ealdwood suggested - re-pot into much better draining, grittier mix.

Tiny brown scars (little lines) are most likely mechanical damage from rubbing against other plants so nothing to worry about; I would check parts that are circled in red (there are more, on some other leaves) - are they soft? Again, could be bruising, but...:

Rina, I checked the parts and they seem to be a bit softer than other parts of the leaves. Also, after digging some soil out I checked for the hardness of these suspicious parts and it seems like they are indeed quite hard (still, a bit softer than the rest). Do you think such mix (http://www.bonsaijack.com/Succulent_Soil_sas.html) could be appropriate? There was a link on this page (http://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/well-draining-soil-for-succulent-container-gardens/) that led me to the one with soils. Also, if the mentioned soil mix would be ok, which size should I go for for such a tiny pot?

Przemek - I think it's fungus/mould if growing from the bottom. The alternative is mineral deposits, but that is more hard and more whitish:

Getting a little yellowing on the lower leaves happens and can be controlled by using a faster drying (and not so water retentive) mix and better airflow. Once it turns more brownish and soft it's beginning to rot (as Ealdwood has mentioned).

With Ikea in Canada, I think you are able to return plants? I never tried, but it is not excluded from their policy (like Ikea in other random countries such as Hong Kong).

It's important to note that even though the soil looks dry, it doesn't mean that a succulent needs water.

Oh hey sorry I didn't see your second comment Przemek, okay so you did check the roots.

that white root you accidentally ripped out looks great actually, that's what healthy haworthia roots should look like. (Future reference: to avoid ripping out roots when unpotting, using water to wash the dirt away is how I do it, BUT don't wash the whole plant, and DRY it well in a normal spot (no direct sunlight, don't leave it on damp paper for a long time)

yeah drying peaty soil doesn't really work because basically when it's dry, it just compacts together, and then you have to water it again and it gets extremely wet again and stays wet for a long time which leads to higher chance of root or leaf rot. (I'm no expert by any means but if you look up natural environment of haworthias..many diff types I'm sure.. They are in these rocky sandy loose places that are sometimes inundated with flood, and then no water for a long time.)

i mean In my own opinion, IKEAs soil mix is way better than the stuff Altman plants or whatever they use for succulents at lowes and Home Depot but it IS very dense and peaty, and I have lost one ikea plant because I left it in the IKEA soil for too long.

im a bit worried about that yellow patch near the soil that rina circled as well. It could be just discoloration or it could be signs of rot. If you don't smell or feel anything then that's good sign.

So anyways, amending soil with something to loosen the soil and basically allows water to get to the roots but NOT stay there drowning the roots is great.

Okay, so, taking into account mixed opinions on what the brownish thing could be - should I wait a bit and make sure it's rot or repot straight away? Also, I have never repotted a plant in my life, so I don't really know how to do it (I guess just take the soil out gently not to damage roots). If it's rot, I assume I should remove the affected leaves as well?

Yes, that mix is probably good mix that you could buy ready-made. I never bought/used it, but read some good comments from ppl that did. I wouldn't buy it since it would be too pricey for me - I would need a lot and make my own for fraction of price, but if you have one or few plants, it make sense. Probably smallest bag unless you plan on buying few more succulents?

If my plant, I would take it out of pot. Shake off/wash off all the soil. Crumble off the soil, or 'pick' it (chopstick helps!), or wash off by gently swishing in bowl of water. Double check roots, cutting off any slimy-or broken/damaged.

Really check those spots too - if soft and/or kind of sunken, it could be rot. Watch it closely, could be just a bruising (who knows how the plants were handled!). If it stays soft and looks like it is spreading it is most likely rot.

Let plant to dry out on some newspaper or kitchen towel, then pot into new mix.

edited to add;

seems that all of us were posted at the same time...if you have real concern, maybe you should return it.

Okay, so it's only getting from bad to worse (as I expected...). Some leaves (around 9) started to wilt and curl at the tips (see photo), meaning they don't get enough water (?), or meaning there is indeed rotting somewhere deeper. I will try to fight for the plant but I guess I will just have to go to Ikea and buy a new one after this one dies :/

Yet another update. As the leaves wilting continued, I decided to take it out of the soil and unfortunately most of the roots were already rotten... So I overwatered it - a lesson for the future. Now can anyone please at least try to help me rescue the poor thing? In the photos you can see how it looks now, what should I do? Should I cut off all but the healthy roots, or all of them? What about the wilting leaves? Should I cut them off as well? I would really appreciate a response.

Thanks

I couldn't edit my previous comment to add the photos so here they are.

Do a little exploration. Peel away the lower yellow leaves. Try to peel completely to expose the main stem. If you find evidence of rot (softness, squishiness), cut that away with a sharp sterile knife until you only have healthy tissue. Remove ALL rotten tissue. Keep in mind that it can be quite and aggressive surgery. Remove leaves as necessary to extract rot. Dust the cut surfaces with ground cinnamon (an antifungal most common in households) and set the plant in a brightly lit area out of direct sun. Just to the side of a window will do fine.

Allow the Haworthia to callous over the cuts. It may take a day or a week, depending on your environment. The callous will look like a thin brownish scab.

You'll want to repot it in a different soil mix once it's calloused and keep it in a protected area for a few weeks.

Once the callouses are set, post a picture and potting, soil mix, and location can be prescribed for your situation.

Dont give up hope just yet. H. attenuata is very hardy in my experience.

If you do give up hope on this one and return for another from IKEA, you will need to repot it (remove all the peat and replace with a coarser soil mix) before any watering. Return for advice on that as well. These H. attenuata bloom and spread like crazy when they're in a good situation.

Best of luck!

dorkstenia, thank you very much for your quick response!

I did what you instructed me to do and here is the outcome:

The stem looks to be fine as well as the wilting leaves (no rot, hard, healthy color). Should I try to remove the rest of these wilting ones (the big ones from kind of the "deeper" parts of the plant - the biggest leaves - are wilting a bit as well, so I guess I would have to remove all the other ones too in such case).

Also, I generously sprinkled it with cinnamon as suggested:

Also, do you think it would be appropriate to mix John Innes No. 2 with perlite in 1:1 proportions (as seen here: http://www.handi-cacti.org.uk/compost.htm)?

I would not dust with cinnamon generously - shake off all excess. It will cake on. I use cinnamon on large cuts, it works well but too much of good thing isn't always good :)

Judging from the photo, the leaves do not look rotting. Best way to know is to feel for squishiness/softness as mentioned few times. Do not cut off wilting leaves - what should be removed is diseased parts not wilted ones.

As dorkstenia mentioned, if stem has any rot that should be removed. Same with the roots - again, in the photo you posted they look good.

And there is healthy-looking pup there. I would be quite confident that this plant will grow well.

Do mot bury it too deep when potting up. Personally, I like to put a layer of gravel on top (could be larger pebbles or small rocks) for top-dressing, they help to support newly potted plant that didn't have chance to get anchored by roots yet, and they keep water off the lowest leaves.

Rina

What is going to happen to the roots after leaving the plant unpotted for several days? Will they die as well?

They shouldn't die as long as they are healthy. Succulents store lots of water and are used to be without for extended periods of time. Few days and even couple of weeks is typically not a problem. Succulents can survive better under-watering than over-watering.

Sorry, your question about using "John Innes No. 2" wasn't answered - I am not familiar with that soil (there are members here from UK that use it). Mixing it with perlite is a good idea; lots of advice here is given to do just that in ratio you mentioned.

You could use mix of gravel+perlite+ one or more of other ingredients - depends how easy it is for you to get other ingredients.

Personally, I would not add sand unless it is very gritty/grainy (I noticed sand is mentioned in the link you posted).

Rina

Thank you very much for your suggestions rina!

I currently study in the UK, so I don't have as good access to such a variety of soil mixes as you in the US/Canada region do. Both the soil mix and perlite are on their way to my house, so as soon as they arrive (let's hope it won't last too long!) I will repot the haworthia and, from what I've read, I shouldn't water it for 1-2 weeks to let the root system recover apparently.

Yes, the link mentions sand indeed, but I didn't intend on using it at all - too small grains would inhibit flow of water to the roots (am I right?).

Yes, you are right.

As mentioned, I don't know that soil at all, so maybe shouldn't comment :)

If you think it is too fine (very small particles), you can always use a kitchen sieve to sift it and keep what stays in the sieve. It may be good idea to do same with perlite to get rid of dust (don't breath it when sifting). I also rinse perlite in lukewarm water; mix with other ingredients and plant.

I think you'll do just fine with your plant - post any questions you may have (and any photos).

Rina

I surely will keep you updated! I really hope I will be able to keep it alive, but only time will tell (and my yet non-existent plant care skills ;) ).

You did just fine, just pls. remember a couple of things. These aren't fragile plants, it doesn't hurt them to be worked on, cleaned up & have their roots trimmed, etc. This is all towards future, improved health of this plant, so it's worth while.

Pls. remember a good rule of thumb for watering succulents is this,

when in doubt, don't.

Succulents can recover from underwatering much of the time, but not from overwatering. So that's an excellent rule for a newcomer to hear from the start. Good luck.

Good job! It looks better already and the roots do look healthy, healthier than I had anticipated. It even has a new little offset!

If you're worried about the roots, or if it will take you a while to collect new soil, you can shelter them. Wrap a moist paper towel (wet and squeezed out) loosely around the roots, just the roots, 1/4" from the root/ stem juncture. The plant and points of leaf breakage have to be allowed to dry out a bit, to callous over, but roots that are allowed to dry too much may die off. We want the roots to remain healthy and alive. Mist or sprinkle the paper towel with water (lightly- not to saturate to dripping) once a day or two to protect the roots. Change out the paper towel if you see signs of mold or discoloration. I do this, but only with rarer plants that I'm very worried about damaging/losing.

Keep the plant indoors in bright light for a couple days and then repot in a well draining mix. You can rinse off the cinnamon beforehand. Water thoroughly one week after repotting. Avoid pots that are much bigger than its original pot, should you choose a different one.

I see that the wilting leaves are not completely dessicated. I would leave them since they will still photosynthesize and provide energy for the plant to grow. The tips will probably not recover aesthetically, but they are at least doing some work to help the plant as it recovers.

The reason the leaves began wilting and failing is that the plant was planted too low in the soil, allowing moisture to collect and sit in the leaf joints. I think suppliers do this to provide physical support for the plant to stay upright when not well rooted. When you repot, make sure the leaf joints are all above soil level. Use toothpicks or chopsticks as needed to support the upper weight as the roots take hold over the next couple weeks. The lower surfaces of bottom-most leaves can sit on top of the soil surface to provide stability, but no lower.

These darker and more leathery varieties of Haworthia do best in morning sun and/or very late afternoon sun. The harsher midday sun tends to burn and bleach the leaves, which doesn't make for a very good looking plant. But I don't think harsh sun is a problem in the UK ;)

The most important thing to remember is to provide lots of bright light (not hot midday direct sunlight) and to not overwater. There are no steadfast rules because cultural factors are too varied- temperatures, humidity, wind, light availibity, soil structure, rain exposed or under cover, container material (terra cotta, plastic, glazed clay), root mass to soil mass, whether or not it's a growing period, etc. Change one factor and you create a domino effect. It's important to know your plant as an individual within its particular circumstance, all factors considered, and supplement its individual needs/ protect it from damaging situations.

Luckily, the H. attenuata are probably one of the easiest haworthias, and succulents in general, to cultivate and a great start to appreciating succulents. I keep mine in a greenhouse beneath a 50% shade cloth (very bright light all day- about 12 hours) and water once a week spring-fall and maybe once during winter months (which is only late December- mid February here).

The most important thing to understand about succulents vs. foliar plants in respect to water:

--foliar plants will 'drink' water

-- succulents 'absorb' moisture suspended in air gases. They cannot 'drink' water. This is why coarse and well drained soil mixtures are important. It allows for pockets of air that provide moisture rather than sitting water. Succulents sitting in straight liquid, or dense soil that does not provide for air exchange, will set rot very quickly.

There are a lot of suggestions for soil mixes on this subforum. Push come to shove, you CAN use a premixed cactus and succulent mix (miracle grow makes one, usually available in small bags at Home Depot or Lowes, I'm not aware of what availability is like is the UK). This is not 'ideal' but it will be a vast improvement on your current soil conditions and will eliminate many 'danger factors' with the lowest cost/ time input.

Additionally, collecting all the raw materials for making your mix can be cost prohibitive and time consuming (hard to locate local sources, which cause high shipping costs for online acquisition) for people who keep a couple house plants vs. hobbyist growers with 100s of plants and professional growers with 1000s of plants. The longest possible extra mile for you may be amending what mix you can get your hands on with perlite. Don't be afraid to be generous with it, 50% perlite may be called for in cooler moist areas. This will help ameliorate the hydrophobic tendencies of just C&S mix (mostly peat, which tends to be very hydrophobic once dry, is a measurable constituent of the mix) and afford more air pockets for available moisture/ air exchange. With lots of perlite, you may want to consider a gravel top dressing since perlite floats and every watering will result in some washing away and separating. Aquarium gravel works fine, and a white/ light colored gravel will provide some albedo for additional light availability from below.

Of course, if you're interested in acquiring materials to form your own soil, there may be some members here that know of sources in the UK. A bonsai society in your area may be a good resource as well.

Thanks everyone for suggestions!

So, I have perlite and John Innes No.2 with me, should I mix it 50:50 (volume-wise) just with hands in some container and just put the mix in the pot and put the plant back in? Or am I missing something?

hands - stick - spoon - scoop or just shake it around until thoroughly mixed.

Put a piece of mosquito screening or mesh-type drywall tape or coffee filter or if none available use piece of newspaper-I don't like it but it will do, over the drainage hole so soil doesn't fall out. Fill high enough with the mix so that plant will have roots buried, but not the leaves. Then fill around to cover roots, tap it down to settle (you could use a chopstick to poke around so the mix will settle around the plant-fill up any air pockets). If necessary, use some rocks to prop it and/or gravel-pebbles for top dressing if you like (see photos in ewwmayo's or my post how it looks).

Alright, so the plant is repotted.

I attach you some photos so you can see whether I did it all correctly or not.

Mix:

And the potted haworthia:

Does it look fine to you? Should I add/remove some perlite? How about watering? I heard I should not water it for 2 weeks after repotting...