From down here in the soil, the difference between too much and too little water is a matter of life and suffocation. When you overwater, my roots are constantly submerged. The air pockets in the soil fill up, and I cannot breathe. Root cells need oxygen to function, and without it, they begin to die, rot, and turn to mush. This rot can then spread upward, threatening my entire existence. Conversely, when you underwater, my fine, white feeder roots, the ones responsible for drinking, simply desiccate and die back. They become brittle and ineffective, leaving me unable to absorb moisture even when you finally do water.
My leaves are my most honest communicators. Their texture and firmness tell you everything about my internal water status. When I am healthily hydrated, my leaves are plump, firm, and turgid—they have a satisfying rigidity when gently squeezed. If I am being overwatered, the cells become over-saturated. The pressure builds, and the leaves may become soft, mushy, and translucent, especially at the base. They might even burst or split open. If I am severely underwatered, the opposite occurs. My leaves will start to shrivel, wrinkle, and become thin. They will feel limp and deflated as I use up my internal water reserves to survive. The lower, older leaves are often the first to show these signs.
Observe my color and shape closely. A Haworthia receiving ideal care will typically display a vibrant green, sometimes with beautiful white banding or spots. Underwatering often causes me to change color, but not in a healthy way. I may become dull, lose my luster, and my green can take on a reddish, brownish, or pale, washed-out hue as I become stressed and my pigments break down. Overwatering, however, leads to more drastic color changes. The green will often turn to a sickly, faded yellow or even a blackish color, starting from the base of the plant where the rot begins. This is a critical sign of decay.
While I, the plant, do not feel the soil directly, my condition is entirely dependent on its state. The best way to understand my needs is to check the environment you have provided for my roots. Do not water me on a schedule; water me based on this soil check. Insert your finger or a wooden stick into the soil near my pot's edge. If the soil is still damp or cold to the touch days after watering, you are likely overwatering me. My roots are drowning. If the soil is bone-dry all the way to the bottom of the pot and has pulled away from the sides, you have been underwatering me for some time. I am living on borrowed reserves.
