How Do You Care For Haworthia Pygmaea?
How Do You Care For Haworthia Pygmaea?
The Haworthia Pygmaea species belongs to the genus Haworthia in the family Asphodelaceae. It is only found in the Mossel Bay region of the Western Cape in South Africa, where it is considered an endemic species.
This species may be identified from its close relatives by its flat leaf ends (not convex like Haworthia emelyae), which have more rounded tips, and a gray coloration. Additionally, this species’ leaves are smaller than those of its relatives.
These papillate varieties have gained a significant amount of favor in the horticulture community.
This species of Haworthia is considered to be one of the “retuse” species of the genus, which means that it often grows buried in the earth, with its elongated leaves being the only parts of the plant that are visible above ground.
Its rosette of succulent leaves are rolled back, sometimes known as “retuse,” in order to give a level and flat face on the surface of the ground.
Haworthia Pygmaea needs the following to thrive;
Soil Requirements
Provide the plant with a light and airy growth medium that is mostly made up of inorganic material such as clay, pumice, and lava grit, with only a small amount of peat or leaf-mould included in the mix.
A sufficiently deep container to hold the long, thick, and contractile roots is required.
Watering Requirements
It needs consistent watering, but you shouldn’t water it again until the soil is completely dry. Additionally, this plant enters a dormant state during the winter months and requires very little water (if any) at this time of year.
Temperature Requirements
Protection against light frost should be used. A temperature of at least 5 degrees Celsius is required for growth to be considered safe; however, the plant may withstand temperatures as low as 5 degrees Celsius.
Sun Exposure Requirements
Light shading is necessary for full brightness (protect from strong midday sun). The body color will be predominantly green when it is in the shade, but when it is exposed to the sunlight, it will deepen and become a rich pink-red color.
If transferred too rapidly from the greenhouse or shade into the sunlight, there is a risk of sunburn.
The quantity of sunshine it can safely take in without being scorched is directly proportional to the amount of heat that the summer months bring to the place it was planted. If it is exposed to more light, it will have a more vibrant color.
It is possible that it will be able to withstand the full light during the spring up to the time that the summer heat hits.
In a location where the sun is intense in the afternoon, it could be able to tolerate full morning sun, but it has to be shaded or have some mild shade in the afternoon.
Fertilization Requirements
Haworthia Pygmaea is a plant that does not need much fertilization. However, it may benefit from some added nutrition in the form of fertilizer.
Make use of a dilute solution of the fertilizer that was designed specifically for African Violets or cacti.
If you use an excessive amount of fertilizer, it will result in plants with an abnormally large amount of leaf growth. Apply fertilizer while the plant is actively developing.
How Do You Propagate Haworthia Pygmaea?
If you want to propagate a Haworthia Pygmaea, you may do so in a number of various ways, such as through the plant’s leaves or its seeds; but, if I were to be really honest, I would say that the approach that is the least difficult to do so is to simply divide your clump or to remove the pups.
Offsets Propagation
Offsets are the growth that results from the union of a mother plant with its own young-produced vegetative or bud offsets.
In order to produce healthy offset shoots, the mother plant should be a healthy and vigorous one.
As soon as the leaves start to grow, select the offsets and remove them from the mother plant.
You should do this when the offsets are still very small.
- Use water to break up the dirt, and then carefully remove it. Because we want to remove as many of the roots as we can, aerating the soil before we start will be of great assistance to us in our efforts to save those little fellas.
- Remove the dirt from the roots with a soft brush and carefully separate the roots of the offset from the roots of the parent plant.
- Locate the point at which the offset is attached to the parent plant and use caution when severing the connection between the two.
- Replant your Haworthias, this time making sure the soil has good drainage and that they are contained in little pots. Your plants will perish if you disregard either of these two factors.
Seeds Propagation
It is a sexual method of propagation and one of the earliest ways of propagation. These seeds are widely available online at a cheap price, and you can even gather them from your plant if it is blossoming in your yard.
- Soak the seeds before planting to soften the seed coat. Allow the seeds to soak for 30 minutes in warm, not hot, water.
- Fill one or more small pots with the cactus soil mixture and sprinkle with seeds.
- Sprinkle a thin coating of sand or fine pebbles over the seeds, just enough to cover them.
- Place the pots in a plastic bag or transparent container and seal. Place the container in a bright, indirect light source and keep it at room temperature.
- Keep an eye on the moisture level in the sealed container. If it’s too dry, spritz it lightly with water. If algae start to bloom, unzip the bag or container and let it dry.
- Resist the desire to transfer the haworthia after it has sprouted. The root system develops gradually.
- It’s preferable to keep them in the sealed container until they’ve outgrown the pot.
Seeds Propagation
This method of haworthia propagation is best used at the conclusion of the dormant period or at the start of the growing season.
- Select a young, healthy leaf. (Older leaves towards the plant’s base do not root as well.) Remove the leaf with a sharp knife. To avoid damaging the fleshy leaves, avoid using scissors. Dip the leaf’s cut edge in rooting hormone.
- Let the leaf dry for a few days or until the cut edge heals or produces a scab. Plant the leaf in a container with cactus potting mix and water it.
- Place the potted leaf in a bright, indirect light source. Maintain wet but not saturated soil. The leaf will take many weeks to develop a strong root system. It can then be transplanted.
- Keep an eye on the leaf until it develops roots. Because the leaf is fleshy and fragile, it should be handled with care.
How Tall Can Haworthia Pygmaea Get?
Haworthia Pygmaea is a tiny, spreading species that forms flattened clumps 6-10 cm in diameter.
The term “Pygmaea” means “little,” however, the plant is comparable in size to other species.
The plant grows in a tiny region near Great Brak and Mossel Bay in the Eastern Cape.
It is found in nature on rocky quartz outcrops, frequently among grasses, near Haworthia Parksiana and Haworthia kingiana.
The leaves of this plant are 2.5-3 cm long (or slightly longer in cultivation) and up to 1. 8 cm wide, glossy dark green or olive green, retused, narrowly oval, with flattish leaf end areas and rounded-triangular leaf tips.
The leaf surfaces pellucid scabrid or papillate with raised tubercles, occasionally very papillose with 4-5 pale longitudinal lines.
What Is The Best Soil For Haworthia Pygmaea?
Let’s speak about the soil because this plant does not perform well in conditions where there is an abundance of moisture.
You should ideally go for a soil combination that is quite granular and drains water very quickly. It is strongly suggested that you improve your potting soil.
Even in the event that you are currently working with a succulent or cactus mixture. Because oftentimes, they are not as pretty as they could be, so make sure to amend your potting mix with things like perlite, bark chips, or anything else that is going to make that soil grittier and fast draining.
The mix that I use is honestly probably about 30 soil to about 70 amendments, and of course, this is extremely important with these plants.
How Much Sun Does Haworthia Pygmaea Need?
In order to get the greatest success with your plants, you want to make sure that they receive full sun.
You know, these plants will be able to take a good amount of sun, and they will do just fine indoors as long as they have either gotten acclimated to the sun or have been in some sort of situation that allows them to receive the right amount of sunlight.
The sun needs for these creatures are essentially high levels of bright indirect light. They especially dislike it when the hot, bright light beats down directly on their leaves.
Therefore, you should safeguard them from that.
You are able to place them within. Consider a window that faces east and receives only a little bit of gentle sunlight in the morning.
They take pleasure in the fact that they are able to withstand some gentle evening sun, but not the strong sunlight that may be found during the hottest part of the day.
In the event that you expose your whole Haworthia Pygmaea to an excessive amount of sun and direct light.
This is due to solar stress, and you will note that the leaves are beginning to take on a hue that is anywhere between brownish, reddish, and purple.
