Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Tiger Jaws (Faucaria tigrina)— schedule & NPK
Also called Tiger Jaws, Tiger's Jaw, Tiger's Jaws, Shark's Jaws.
More about tiger jaws
About Tiger Jaws
Faucaria tigrina · also called Tiger Jaws, Tiger's Jaw · houseplant
Tiger Jaws (Faucaria tigrina) is a small clumping South African succulent whose paired triangular leaves bear soft tooth-like spines resembling open jaws, topped by yellow autumn flowers. Give it bright light, gritty fast-draining mix, and sparing water. It is not ASPCA-listed; treat as mildly toxic and verify with your vet.
Growth habit: Slow-growing, stemless, clump-forming rosette succulent. Pairs of fleshy triangular leaves emerge from the centre, their margins lined with soft, recurved, threadlike teeth that give the look of an open jaw. Offsets form at the base over time, building a low cluster of 'heads'.
Watch for — Etiolated, stretched, pale growth: Not enough light makes the rosette loosen and reach. Move it to your brightest window and give several hours of direct sun a day.
What fertiliser tiger jaws actually wants — and why
Tiger Jaws is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for tiger jaws: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed tiger jaws, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For tiger jaws:
Feed lightly only during active growth (spring to early autumn) - about once a month with a diluted low-nitrogen or balanced succulent fertiliser. A single feed before the autumn flowering season is enough to support blooming. Withhold all fertiliser during the winter rest period. Treat that as once a month between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when tiger jaws is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for tiger jaws
Half strength is the safe default for tiger jaws — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water tiger jaws first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the tiger jaws watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding tiger jaws
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for tiger jaws:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding tiger jaws
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full tiger jaws care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of tiger jaws with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for tiger jaws
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising tiger jaws — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does tiger jaws need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Tiger Jaws is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed tiger jaws?
Feed lightly only during active growth (spring to early autumn) - about once a month with a diluted low-nitrogen or balanced succulent fertiliser. A single feed before the autumn flowering season is enough to support blooming. Withhold all fertiliser during the winter rest period. Feed lightly only during active growth (spring to early autumn) - about once a month with a diluted low-nitrogen or balanced succulent fertiliser. A single feed before the autumn flowering season is enough to support blooming. Withhold all fertiliser during the winter rest period. Treat that as once a month between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for tiger jaws?
Half strength is the safe default for tiger jaws — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding tiger jaws look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding tiger jaws year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of tiger jaws?
Flush the pot of tiger jaws with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Tiger Jaws care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water tiger jaws — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise snake plant
- How to fertilise dracaena
- How to fertilise peperomia
- All 609 fertilising guides in the Growli library