If you're growing your gasteria indoors, like most gardeners, choose a spot that gets a lot of light but not direct sunlight. And if you live in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11 and want to plant your gasteria in the garden, choose a spot with dappled sunlight, like under a big tree. Also, gasteria plants that are grown indoors in pots can be moved outside and put in a lightly shaded area for the summer.

Be aware that plants don't like it when water falls directly on their leaves, so if you can, give them some protection from rain and sprinklers. If not, the leaves could start to go bad. In the same way, healthy gasteria plants need good drainage from both the soil and the pot they are in.

Light

These plants like bright light but not direct sunlight. Keep them out of the hot afternoon sun. If the plant has white or yellow leaves, it may be getting too much sun.

Soil

Use cactus potting mix or another fast-draining potting soil mixed with a few handfuls of sand to plant things in pots.

Soils with a pH between 6 and 7 and a bit of sand are best for gardens because they drain well.

Water

These plants don't need as much water as other succulents. Between waterings, let the soil dry almost all the way out. If it rains outside, the plant usually doesn't need to be watered any more.

Temperature and Humidity

Gasteria usually grows best in warm summers and mild winters (down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Frost can hurt or kill plants. Gasteria leaves may turn a lighter, brighter color when the weather is warm. This is normal.

Like most other succulents, Gasteria plants don't like it when it's too humid. So, if you live in a humid area, make sure you only water your plant when the soil is dry. The humidity will give the plant most of the water it needs.

Fertilizer

Use a cactus fertilizer once a year in the spring. Follow what the label says about how much to use. Gasteria plants like a little more organic matter in their soil than most succulents do. You can help them out by mixing in about 10% compost when you plant them.

There are more than 20 species of gasteria, such as:

• G. carinata var. verrucosa: with thick, oblong leaves that have white bumps on them.
• G. maculata: with similar characteristics to G. carinata var. verrucosa, but without the warts
• G. batesiana 'Little Warty': a small variety that doesn't grow taller than 4 inches and has rough, pointed, mottled leaves.
• G. glomerata: a small size, with a height of only 4 inches.

Gasteria is easy to grow more of by using offsets, the same way succulent cuttings are planted.

1. Use a clean, sharp knife or pair of scissors to cut off cuts. Cut as close to the stem of the parent plant as possible, leaving as many roots as possible on the offset.
2. Before repotting, give the offset at least a few hours to dry and harden.
3. Plant the new plant in a small pot with the same kind of soil as the original plant. Place the pot in a warm, bright place and keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy, until you see growth in a few weeks.

Choose a pot with lots of drainage holes to plant gasteria. Many gardeners like unglazed terra cotta pots because the walls let soil moisture evaporate. This keeps the plants from rotting from getting too much water. Also, choose a shallow, wide pot over a deep, narrow one because the roots of these plants are shallow.

Also, gasteria plants grow slowly and stay small even when they are fully grown, so you probably won't have to repot them very often. But over time, mature plants will send up new plants called offsets, which can make the container too full. You can either move the whole group of plants into a bigger pot, or you can take the "sprouts" off the main plant and put them in their own pots.

Gasteria plants can get fungal infections, which usually show up on the leaves as black spots. Most of the time, this is caused by too much water or humidity on the leaves. Most of the time, these fungal infections don't spread quickly, and they can be stopped by keeping the plant dry, making sure it gets more air, and using a soap that kills fungi.