Haworthia leaf tip necrosis

Symptoms: the tips of the leaves will die back in an otherwise healthy looking plant. Leaf tip necrosis occurs on older leaves of many species like major and in those cases it is not a big problem. When it occurs on newer leaves of more chunky leaved Haworthias it can render otherwise attractive looking plants very unsightly. Click here for an example.

Causes: Leaf tip die back occurs in many plants and is a problem in the cultivation of lettuce. In lettuce, research suggests that leaf tip die back occurs as a consequence of calcium deficiency caused by decreased leaf transpiration. Transpiration or evaporation of water from leaves enables the flow of nutrients to different parts of the plant. I believe that a similar phenomenon may be responsible for leaf tip necrosis in Haworthia. In Haworthia the problem occurs most often in the spring after the plants have been rained on for a long period. Perhaps the prolonged moisture is inhibiting leaf transpiration and preventing nutrients from reaching the leaf tips.