Thanks, Tyler

yeah, looks like a haworthia fasciata

Tyler,

It doesn't seem etiolated - I wonder if that's a light-coloured selection of what you see everywhere. I'm pretty sure it is a selection, anyway, because it's so pale. FWIW, I wouldn't separate, but if you do, just take it in both hands and bend along a visible axis. It looks healthy.

Can't see the inside of leaves clearly from my phone, but if smooth, it's H. fasciata. If it has dots/ridges, then it's H. attenuata. I have this paler one back home too.

Thank you Christina, cactusmcharris & chuckerfly.

Leaving them clumped together would sure save me some time & aggravation. If separating is not necessary I'll leave them be.

Smooth on the inside, bumpy only on the outside.

i have some 4.25" terra cotta. Big enough? I think I might be afraid to go bigger for fear of rot.

The label says Altman Plants and it seems they use a peaty mix. I'll be sure to clean off as much as possible before potting up in gritty mix.

Tyler

You've got a variegated H. fasciata known as Haworthia fasciata 'lime green'.

I like. So many variegated stuff these days!

Yes

Sorry, the mix Karen refers to is what I meant. Perhaps I should've said grittier mix (than what it is currently in).

Pagan, can you clarify just a bit on the gritty mix you use for your haws, please, if you wouldn't mind? I follow the posts and saw that you acquired some akadama. Your plants always look so nice, both the plants themselves and the way they look against the growing medium you use. Do some haws grow better in different mixes?

Thank you,

Tyler

Tyler, I use pure sifted and washed pumice, either 1/8" or 3/16", depending on the size of the plant and pot. I did buy a bag of akadama! I'm trying it now with about 6 haworthias so we'll see in autumn whether there is a difference (they have to pass the summer test before I call it).

I can't speak about other mixes though because I have only used pumice and never used soil of any kind for haworthias. Coastal Zone 7 has very hot, humid summers and ridiculous winters so using pumice simplifies a lot of things during these extremes. Also, when I pot them up, I mean for them to stay in the same pot for years. I don't like having to deal with dusty bits caking at the bottom of my pots after a couple of years.

Sorry then, I jumped the gun in thinking you meant THE gritty mix sometimes referred to around here.

If you mean grittier, more porous, then yes, by all means, that's what it would want. While I'm here, I misspoke, for my Haws, I use C&S mix w/ pumice (a finite supply, so I save the pumice for my succulents) & use the perlite w/ more houseplanty, tropicals.

I use real gritty mix for my Haws. Used to use just Turface and grit. Now I use mostly pumice, Turface and manna pro poultry grit, in even amounts. I have found that they grow better roots with the pumice. Almost everything does. But I also have a couple in 1/2 C/S soil and 1/2 pumice -- and they are the same as the others. I think the significant issue is drainage, no matter how you achieve it. I live in Florida, and I usually water my Haws (in gritty mix, in terra cotta) every 5 days or so.

You know, I was going to do the same and add Manna but when I got the bag, it looked too nice lol I ended up using it to top-dress my adeniums to slow down evaporation. But I agree--if there ever was a poster plant to demo how much difference gritty mix can make, it will be haworthias. You can keep them semi-active even in summer with no fear of losing roots, especially the finicky ones.

Tyler,

When I lived in SD and got in particular tuberously-rooted Haworthias, I found the best mix for them specifically was 50% coir and 50% 3/8" pumice, both of which are easy to get in SD. I'd expect the rest of the Haws would grow well in that, or 50% SuperSoil (seived) and 50% pumice, the mainstay for me then for the plants unlucky enough to not be PIG'd.

If anyone has the time I'd really appreciate I picture of your sifting or sieving device. Seems pretty simple but everything I'm finding has holes either too big & everything goes through or too small and nothing goes through.

Thanks,

Tyler

I constructed a 2x4 square frame and framed 1/2" hardware cloth, cut to size, to it, but you can have different sizes. Sometimes it's just as easily to use your gloved hands as manual filters and chuck out the major chunks of bark.

Are you or have you already gone to an SDCSS meeting? It will change your life.

This is a pretty fancy one-I found the plate at a salvage yard.

Thank you cactusmcharris. Using my hands and kind of eyeballing it is what I've been doing. Kind of a long process. I haven't been able to make it to the SDCSS meetings, yet. On my to do list, though.

Tyler

We all start somewhere, usually at the beginning. I didn't start until my much later 30s, so it sounds like you have a head start on me. Saturday, April 8 at the Casa del Prado building in Balboa Park. Www.sdcss.net