What soil is best for growing Haworthia cooperi in northern China? Soil mix methods explained

Haworthia cooperi is a succulent plant in the genus Haworthia of the family Asphodelaceae. Its fleshy leaves are arranged in a rosette, and the leaf color is translucent like jade, making it look very attractive. Many people want to grow it. So, what soil is used for growing Haworthia cooperi in northern China?

1. What soil is used for growing Haworthia cooperi in northern China?

For growing Haworthia cooperi in northern China, granular material + leaf mold can be used. For the granular material, you can choose akadama, Kanuma pumice, perlite, coarse river sand, maifan stone, etc. Because the climate in northern China is relatively dry, try to use soil with good water retention, use a little less granular material, and add a little more leaf mold. If it is in southern China, where the climate is relatively humid, try to use soil with good air permeability, use more granular material, and less leaf mold.

2. How to grow Haworthia cooperi in northern China?

1. Temperature: Haworthia cooperi likes a cool climate, is not cold-tolerant, and dislikes high temperatures. When the minimum nighttime temperature is around 8°C and the daytime temperature is above 15°C, the plant can continue to grow. It can tolerate short-term low temperatures of 0°C, but the overwintering temperature is best maintained above 5°C. If it is kept in a low-temperature environment below 5°C for a long time, the leaves will be frostbitten or frozen to death.

2. Light: Haworthia cooperi likes semi-shade, is afraid of deep shade, and avoids harsh sun exposure. During the growing season, it should be given sufficient light, but the light must not be too strong, so as to avoid poor leaf growth. If there is strong direct sunlight, it will scorch the leaves; if it is too shaded, the plant shape will become loose and not compact, the leaves will be slender, and the transparency of the “window” will be poor.

3. Watering: During the growing season, keep the soil moist, but it must not become waterlogged, nor should it be rained on, and it should not be kept dry for a long time. When the winter temperature is between 8-15°C, water normally. In summer, when temperatures are high, the plant enters dormancy or semi-dormancy, growing slowly or completely stagnating, so do not water too much. Haworthia cooperi likes an environment with a certain amount of air humidity. When the air is dry, you can often spray water on the plant and the surrounding environment to increase air humidity.

4. Fertilizing: During the growing season, apply a diluted decomposed liquid fertilizer once a month, or a compound fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus and potassium. During the dormant period in summer when temperatures are high or in winter when temperatures are relatively low, there is no need to fertilize.