Tiger Jaws Succulent Care Instructions.
Tiger jaws is a robust perennial succulent that has low rosettes of fleshy, triangular leaves that are bordered with spiky “tooth,” which is where the plant gets its popular name. Although it seems to be quite dangerous, the spikes are really rather gentle and bendable when touched.
There is a possibility that throughout the autumn or winter the plant may produce lovely yellow blooms with petals that are elongated and thin.
Tiger jaws is a plant that is indigenous to South Africa. Although it can survive the winter in USDA zones 9 through 11, it is most often kept as an indoor houseplant.
The plant’s growth is quite sluggish, and it may live for many decades if it is properly cared for. An established plant will generate numerous offsets, which you may plant during the tiger jaws’ typical growth season in the spring or summer. Offsets can be grown from seeds.
Tiger Jaws Dental Care
Succulents known as tiger jaws may be found growing in the subtropical deserts of the Eastern Cape region in South Africa. These deserts are characterized by rocky terrain and clay soil.
Although it is possible for them to blossom when grown inside, it is not very typical for them to do so.
Their growth season starts in the spring and continues throughout the summer. In the autumn, they exhibit magnificent yellow flowers.
In warmer zones, tiger jaws may be cultivated as a garden plant; however, it is most often grown as a container plant in a coarse potting mix that has good drainage. If you provide your tiger jaws succulent with an area in your house that gets enough of light and sun, it will flourish.
It is also able to live peacefully on a patio or deck during the summer, when it may grow, and it can withstand light frosts; nevertheless, it has to be moved within when the winter weather becomes consistently chilly. The height and width of a tiger’s jaw is around 6 inches.
Light
The tiger jaws succulents are sun-loving plants that need at least three hours of strong, direct light every day, and ideally six or more hours of light each day. The plant will be able to get the necessary amount of light if it is moved outdoors during the summer months.
Although it is not very typical for tiger jaws succulents to produce flowers when they are cultivated inside, moving the plant outside during the summer will assist to enhance the likelihood that it will do so. Even these tiger jaws succulents may survive with less light throughout the winter months, they still need to be kept in a sunny spot.
Soil
Tiger jaws succulents, like most other types of succulents, need a soil that is porous and has good drainage in order to flourish. When discovered in their native environment, tiger jaws are most often located in open, rocky locations that have clay-rich soil. However, if you are growing your cactus inside, a regular cactus soil should be OK.
Some cultivators believe that even normal cactus mix has an excessive amount of peat moss because of its ability to retain moisture; as a result, they customize the potting mix by adding more chicken grit or sand.
Alternately, you might produce an excellent potting mix for tiger jaws by combining two parts of sterilized potting soil, one part fine pumice, and one part sand in a three-to-one ratio.
Water
Rainwater and dew are guided by the spiky tiger mouth teeth down to the base of the plant, where it may be absorbed by the roots. A tiger plant requires special care when it comes to watering; it is not unusual for a tiger jaws plant to pass away overnight if it is fed an excessive amount of water that does not drain out of its container.
When the potting mix of a tiger plant is totally dry, and only then, should you water the plant. Give the plant a deep watering as soon as the soil looks to have dried out entirely and the plant itself appears to be shriveling. After this, wait for the plant to totally dry out before giving it another thorough watering.
During the time when tiger jaws succulents are developing, increase the frequency of waterings (April to August). Allow the soil to go through long periods of time without being watered, and when you do water it, do it in such a way that it just becomes slightly damp rather than completely saturated.
Both the Temperature and the Humidity
Tiger jaws succulents need very dry and warm temperatures in order to thrive in their natural environment in South Africa. Nevertheless, in contrast to a great number of other succulent plants, they can survive at cooler temperatures.
The temperature that is thought to be best is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit; however, they do well at temperatures that are considerably higher (up to 90 degrees) during the summer months, and they can even withstand short frosts.
However, if you don’t reside in zones 9 to 11, you’ll need to bring this plant inside before the onset of the harsh winter months.
Tiger jaws succulents may thrive in the typical humidity levels seen in homes when planted inside; however, they should not be subjected to high levels of humidity and should be kept out of the bathroom. An excessive amount of humidity has been linked to the spread of fungal illness.
Fertilizer
Tiger jaws succulents do not need frequent fertilization. In point of fact, if a plant receives an excessive amount of fertilizer, it may experience imbalanced and mushy development, which may lead it to wilt or even fall apart.
Nevertheless, during their active growing phase (April to August), tiger jaws succulents may be treated once or twice with a diluted liquid fertilizer to assist stimulate new growth. This can be done anytime between the months of April and August.
Varieties of Tiger Jaws
F. felina is yet another species of the genus Faucaria that is sometimes kept as an indoor plant. This plant is often referred to as “tiger jaws,” however in comparison to F. tigrina, its teeth are far smaller and less fearsome.
The plants are similar in every other respect. Some commercial producers believe F. tigrina to be nothing more than a cultivar of F. felina; hence, they refer to this variety as Faucaria felina ‘Tiger Jaws.’
Pruning
Tiger jaws do not need any maintenance trimming, but you should remove any leaves that have become brown or mushy.
Propagating Tiger Jaws
Offsets from the mother plant are often used to grow tiger jaws succulents, much as aloe plants and haworthia succulents do. It is best to propagate tiger jaws in the late spring or early summer, when they are in the midst of their active growing period. How to do it is as follows:
Remove one or more of the teeny tiny offsets that are growing around the base of the mother plant by carefully prying them off with a small trowel or a kitchen spoon.
Put the offset away and wait one to two days for the broken surfaces to harden up completely after letting them dry out.
Plant each offset in its own individual pot that has been filled with a potting mix specifically formulated for cacti and succulents.
Position the planted offsets in an area where the light is not too intense. Reduce the frequency of your watering until their root systems have developed.
Once the offset has established its own root system, which should take about two weeks, gradually expose it to bright light and care for it in the same manner as you would an established tiger jaws plant. However, you should not expose the plant to direct sunlight until the plant has actively developed new foliage.
How to Germinate a Seed Into a Tiger Jaw
Faucaria plants can also be easily propagated from seeds (provided that your indoor plant flowers and produces them). However, because it is so simple to separate offsets and the seeds have a very slow growth rate, propagating Faucaria plants from seeds is not very common.
You will require temperatures to remain between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. For the seed-starting medium, you can either use sand or a cactus mix that drains well. Then, place the seedling flats under grow lights until the seeds germinate and sprout.
When planting the seeds, ensure that they are just barely covered by a light dusting of potting mix. It takes about 7–10 days for seeds to germinate. When the seedlings have developed multiple sets of leaves, they are ready to be transplanted into individual pots and grown in a location that receives lots of bright light.
Putting in new soil and repotting the tiger jaws
It is recommended to use an extra-coarse cactus and succulent potting mix when planting tiger jaws. The containers should be shallow. Since these succulents do not experience rapid expansion, they do not need to be repotted as frequently as other plants.
They shouldn’t be repotted until they have outgrown their previous container, which should be around once every two years at the most.
Because tiger jaws succulents will rot if left sitting in water, you should also check to see that the pot you are using has adequate drainage holes before planting them.
Overwintering
During the winter, you can reduce the amount of times you water your tiger jaws; a light watering once a month should be sufficient. Root rot is frequently the result of applying an excessive amount of water during the winter.
Insects and diseases that commonly affect plants
Mealybugs and scale, which appear as waxy fibers or sticky honeydew on the leaves of the plant, are the most common pests that attack tiger jaws, but the plant is generally very easy to care for. These can be dealt with using an insecticide that is designed for use inside.
The leaves may lose their color and wilt if they are overwatered, which can lead to a fungal infection called phytophthora. Remove the diseased leaves and refrain from watering the plant until it has fully recovered.
Can I grow tiger jaws in the outside garden?
In their natural habitat, the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, these plants are typically found growing in rocky crevices.
Tiger jaws might make a good specimen for a succulent rock garden or for planting in crevices in a stone wall if you live in USDA zones 9 to 11 and are able to recreate these conditions. However, in typical garden soil, tiger jaws typically receives an excessive amount of moisture, which prevents the plant from thriving.
How long does the life of a tiger jaws plant typically last?
These plants have the potential to live for many decades if they are grown in an appropriate potting mix and their roots are not suffocated by an excessive amount of water.
It is common practice to perpetuate a specimen once it has outgrown its pot by removing offsets, replanting them, and then discarding the overgrown parent plant. This is done so that the specimen can continue to grow.
How to Bring the Tiger’s Jaws to Full Blossom
It is common for these plants to produce bright yellow flowers from September until early winter if they are exposed to sufficient sunlight (at least three hours per day). The flowers typically open up around noon and then close back up again as evening approaches.
Plants that are kept indoors all year round almost never bloom because they are typically grown for their distinctive foliage rather than for their flowers.
However, indoor plants can frequently be coaxed into flowering if they are transferred outside during the summer and early fall, and then brought back inside for the winter.
Plants that are kept indoors throughout the year may produce flowers if they are moved to the brightest window in the room.
If the plant receives adequate light and a single application of fertilizer in the late summer, it may be prompted to produce flowers in the fall or winter if the conditions are right.
Common Issues Associated With Tiger Jaws
Tiger jaws is a houseplant that, for the most part, is trouble-free and, in fact, thrives on relative neglect. However, there are a couple of cultural issues that should be kept in mind:
The color of the leaves starts to fade.
This is a common sign that the plant is reacting negatively to excessive amounts of water. There is still a chance that the plant can be saved if you immediately cut back on its watering routine. Before adding any more water, the potting mix needs to be allowed to completely dry out.
The absence of sufficient light can also cause the plant’s leaves to turn a pale color. When the leaves are exposed to direct sunlight for longer periods of time, they will develop a beautiful pink to reddish-purple coloration.
The leaves begin to go mushy.
At this point, the root rot caused by the fungus is starting to become more noticeable. There is still a chance that the plant can be saved if the diseased leaves are picked off and watering is cut back, but if the rot continues to spread, the plant will have to be thrown away. There is a possibility that there will be offsets available for you to save and replant.
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