Save my lithops?!

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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allygracebz
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Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 11:57 pm

Save my lithops?!

Post by allygracebz »

After visiting the beautiful cacti greenhouse at the Chicago botanical garden last summer, I've been itching to add a few lithops to my own garden. Soooo, being thoughtful, my boyfriend brings me home a small bunch from a greenhouse by his work. Fantastic right?! Well, I was ecstatic. But then I saw how the poor split rocks looked from this prestigious green house. Did the water them too much?? I know they often die from over watering and should barely have any water with filtered sunlight. What do I do?! Please help!!
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teo
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Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by teo »

Looks more like a Pleiospilos nelii than a true Lithops?
iann
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Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by iann »

Seems OK. Or do you think it is at death's door? Obviously grown with far too little sun, but I've seen much worse. Soil may not be suitable so you might want to repot. I'm guessing that is two separate plants. In the right soil you will be able to water them, although obviously not too often.

Do you have the climate to grow these in the garden?
--ian
HairyHarry
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Location: Amsterdam

Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by HairyHarry »

To me it seems quite a promising find. It is sometimes hard to find specimens that are not stacked (speaking for my locality). So it is great that you have one that has grown out of last years growth.

Repot in the right soil, deeper than it is potted on the photo; keep to watering instructions found elsewhere on these forums, and you are good to go.

Enjoy this great plant.
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adetheproducer
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Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales

Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by adetheproducer »

These I find pretty easy to care for, they like a nice and loose mineral based soil and will take a lot of water during the growing season but I tend to hold back on watering when new leave start to grown in the middle, they will usually drain the old leaves to grown the new ones so do not need quite so much water during this time. I give mine about 4 or 5 months dry rest over winter and start watering again in spring after the frosts stop. Most places I have read say they should have 2 or 3 sets of leaves, mine has 2 sets and so I wait for the old to dry out and shrivel away then start watering again until autumn kicks in and stop before the first frosts again.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
iann
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Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by iann »

adetheproducer wrote:Most places I have read say they should have 2 or 3 sets of leaves...
That's what the people who overwater them tell you ;) Better advice would be never more than two pairs of leaves. They can have two pairs for an extended period but should be back to one by the time the next pair appears. Depending on your timing that might mean they have two pairs for 10 or 11 months of the year although mine are generally gone pretty fast when summer hits. Just about gone now.

Other Pleiospilos species possibly 2-3 sets of leaves, but I only have one of them so I shouldn't generalise. Maybe I'm just overwatering it :lol:
--ian
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adetheproducer
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Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales

Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by adetheproducer »

iann wrote:
adetheproducer wrote:Most places I have read say they should have 2 or 3 sets of leaves...
That's what the people who overwater them tell you ;) Better advice would be never more than two pairs of leaves. They can have two pairs for an extended period but should be back to one by the time the next pair appears. Depending on your timing that might mean they have two pairs for 10 or 11 months of the year although mine are generally gone pretty fast when summer hits. Just about gone now.

Other Pleiospilos species possibly 2-3 sets of leaves, but I only have one of them so I shouldn't generalise. Maybe I'm just overwatering it :lol:
Mine is almost down to one set again the old set are very much shrivelled and the new set getting very fat, couple of more weeks then I can up the watering regime. I did not get any flowers this year though just straight to new leaves which I was a little disappointed with.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
iann
Posts: 17184
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:10 pm
Location: England

Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by iann »

P. nelii flowers randomly for me, sometimes in autumn, sometimes in late spring. I keep hoping it will do both but not so far. It is far too accommodating to different sorts of treatment. It would be much simpler if it had a definitive dormant period, but not so in the UK climate.
--ian
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adetheproducer
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Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales

Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by adetheproducer »

Yeah that would be nice. Also considering they are quite infamously 'difficult' I am surprised I haven't killed mine yet. Im not very good with non cactus succulents I tend to over water or get the soil mix wrong but these are actually faily robust and can even take repotting errors I made changing its pit 3 times at the start of the season and stll it grows well.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
iann
Posts: 17184
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:10 pm
Location: England

Re: Save my lithops?!

Post by iann »

I don't think they're difficult. They're insanely resistant to sun and heat, none of the problems that Lithops have. I suspect people get them pre-killed, so soft and flabby that they rot at the first sign of water. Or pot them in straight Miracle Gro, or grow them in the dark. Far better in a greenhouse than in the spare bedroom.
--ian
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