The Succulent and Cactus Lady : Haworthia

About me

🌿 I've been gardening ever since a child, when I spent time with my father in his vegetable garden. But my fascination with Echeverias started in the 1980's, when my father gave me a pot with five Echeverias, which turned out to be E. imbricata. At first I wasn't much interested in them and planted them in some obscure corner of the garden and completely forgot about them. How great was my surprise when, a couple of months later, I noticed that they had spread and made a beautiful display - I was hooked!

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Haworthia

I’m absolutely crazy about cacti and succulents and never miss a chance to lay my hands on a new specimen not yet in my collection. This is Haworthia minima and I am thrilled that it's now making a pup!

Haworthias are small succulent plants native to South Africa. They are closely related to Aloe, Gasteria, Kniphofia, Poellnitzia and Astroloba.

Haworthias in the wild grow in Southern Africa. They are relatively small (pot sized) plants that are classified as succulent – which means that they can cope with relatively harsh waterless hot environments. Their leaves are swollen to store water and may be green or attractively coloured. They are however not frost hardy, which means that for cultivation they need either a sunny windowsill or preferably a greenhouse.

Haworthias are grown for their shape and markings. There are many different types (or species). Some collectors also grow hybrids, which are crosses between two or more plants and are selected for their attractiveness. In many cases they multiply by producing “pups” or offsets and may also be grown from seed.
Info from the Haworthia Society

Another Haworthia in my collection

At the moment my Haworthias are outside but every winter I bring them in as the frost here in Tarlton can get quite severe.

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Featured Succulent

Echinopsis grows pretty much anywhere. Here in South Africa they can tolerate summer temperatures of 30°C or greater, which is hot enough to spur growth of both Echinopsis pups and their amazing flowers. They also tolerate cold temperatures well during winter months. However, I bring my potted ones inside during hard freezes or their water-filled bodies will freeze as well. Compared to most cacti, Echinopsis bloom fast and furious. They typically begin blooming in spring. Most blooms only last one or two days and they frequently open at night. But it’s common to have several buds on one plant developing at different rates; so a single plant can be in bloom for several weeks. As a general rule, the smaller the diameter of the blooms a Echinopsis species produces, the more blooms the plant produces. Species that produce monster blooms (some over 6” in diameter) tend to have fewer blooms as so much plant energy goes into producing each one. Echinopsis generally begin to produce flowers when they are two or three years old. Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. One small species, E. chamaecereus, is known as the peanut cactus. The 128 species range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti.

A garden requires patient labour and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfil good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them. Gardeners are well primed to provide food for birds and animals, but the key to encouraging the widest possible range of wildlife is to think of creating a habitat for creatures to live in. The most important aspect of this is the provision of shelter from the weather and from predators, as well as a place to lay eggs, rear young or hibernate.

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Wednesday 19 February 2014

Haworthia