How to care for gasteria

Gasteria · Ox-tongue

Gasteria (Gasteria) — a genus of stemless succulents that form clumps of rosettes of fleshy leaves (white-speckled in Gasteria bicolor), about 15 cm tall in a pot, with dangling tubular flowers on long stems in winter and spring. Gasteria needs partial shade. Water it about every 14 days while it grows and about every 45 days in the winter rest.

Checked against sources: November 5, 2026

Watering and repotting gasteria through the year

It lives indoors all year, so it has no sowing or planting dates: it grows from March to September and rests from October to February (the other way round in the southern hemisphere).

Repot it about every 36 months.

When to plant gasteria?

Plant or repot gasteria in spring, as it starts into growth; early to midsummer also works. It is a houseplant, so it has no outdoor planting date and no frost decides it: just avoid autumn and winter, when growth slows and fresh compost stays wet too long. After that, move it to a slightly larger pot about every three years, or sooner once roots circle the pot or grow through the drainage holes.

Watering in the growing and resting halves of the year: Watering and repotting gasteria through the year.

Sources: RHS: How to repot a plant · Penn State Extension: Repotting houseplants

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Latin name	Gasteria
Family	Asphodelaceae
Also called	Ox-tongue
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Repotting	every 36 months
Grown in	At home

Gasteria care by growth stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 14 days	—	potassium, 14 days into the stage; potassium, 44 days into the stage; potassium, 74 days into the stage; potassium, 104 days into the stage; potassium, 134 days into the stage; potassium, 164 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 45 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Partial shade, with direct sun for only part of the day, roughly 2 to 6 hours.

Soil

Fast-draining compost; RHS suggests cactus compost, or loam-based compost mixed with up to 30 per cent grit or fine gravel by volume. It likes to dry out occasionally.

Care

In spring and summer water thoroughly once the surface of the compost feels dry, let the excess drain, and never leave the pot standing in water; overwatering brings fungal disease and root rot. Give it a rest from November to early March in a cool room (night temperature about 8–10 °C) with little or no water. Feed once a month from April to September with a potassium-rich liquid feed such as tomato fertiliser. Repot in spring, only after several years when the roots fill the pot, and not into a much larger one. Watch for mealybugs and spider mites. New plants come from offsets divided off the clump.

Pests and diseases of Gasteria

1 problem is recorded for gasteria; it has a page with symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Pests

Two-spotted spider mite

Other plants of the Asphodelaceae family

Gasteria belongs to Asphodelaceae; 3 other plants of this family have a guide here.

Plant lists it is in

Part of: Houseplants · Houseplants for shade · Houseplants that need little water · Houseplants you rarely repot

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.