Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
I think this thread is going to be a wealth of information for me. The one in the yellow pot I had for a year and a half, after doing some research, I read NOT to water until old leaves are gone. It's been almost a year since I watered that one. All 4 leaves were ferm the entire time until the last 3 weeks. The old leaves are getting spongy really fast now. Can I assume since we're going into fall now and loosing daylight hours fast now too it's finally going to start it's growing cycle? The one with the blue sand I bought with it's old leaves small but not gone like in the picture. At this point how should I start treating the two? The last one has been giving me problems, in early spring it shed a lot of it's leaves is that normal for them? I water it about once a month in fear of over watering them I never see the green leaves get dry looking. When it shed it's leaves, the leaves yellowed and shriveled at the same time. Do these too have a dormant cycle similar to the ones in the first 2 pictures?
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Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
I found a great guideline for the "other lithops" . I am horrible speller and not even going to try. Read the article and you'll see. https://www.littleemeraldthumb.com/spli ... succulent/
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Lithops and a Dinteranthus far left under 50% shade cloth. Dont know the exact species of lithops ? Seed started in 2016 from a Mesa gardens Mixed lithops seed pack. They need careful watering the same or maybe less than cactus.
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Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Many of these Lithops rotted this Summer I'm guessing they want a Summer dormancy . The ones left seem to be growing again now that Summers over.
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Hey Keith,
For what its worth, I've learned that the lithops seem to go dormant during the summer based on the nightime as opposed to daytime temperatures. When nightime temperatures stay consistently above 20c they seem to go dormant. That said, I still watered my adult lithops sparingly even with nightime temps were above 20c, but only when they showed clear signs of shriveling/dehydration.
For what its worth, I've learned that the lithops seem to go dormant during the summer based on the nightime as opposed to daytime temperatures. When nightime temperatures stay consistently above 20c they seem to go dormant. That said, I still watered my adult lithops sparingly even with nightime temps were above 20c, but only when they showed clear signs of shriveling/dehydration.
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Hi MBM7
IDK it rarely stays above 20C here at night but clearly they were unhappy. The other Lithops I had bought as plants they were fine no rotting and Flowering now , some are at least.
I transplanted what I could salvage of the mixed lithops pots into a 50% more sand mix so way more sand less pumice. Only rotted one other in the past months but I'm not really watering now either. I do have many more seedlings going right now and they are in way more sand also, I think I went too much pumice the last few years. Got a few conophytums going also they are way harder to keep going the first year than Lithops . They go Dormant in Summer and never come back.
IDK it rarely stays above 20C here at night but clearly they were unhappy. The other Lithops I had bought as plants they were fine no rotting and Flowering now , some are at least.
I transplanted what I could salvage of the mixed lithops pots into a 50% more sand mix so way more sand less pumice. Only rotted one other in the past months but I'm not really watering now either. I do have many more seedlings going right now and they are in way more sand also, I think I went too much pumice the last few years. Got a few conophytums going also they are way harder to keep going the first year than Lithops . They go Dormant in Summer and never come back.
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Most Lithops should be as fat as they can get by Fall.
I water from mid spring until mid Oct, and when I water, I drench them so the water flows out the bottom. The soil should be mostly dry again in couple days. Pretty much the same for the rest of the summer growing Cactus collection.
Lithops schwantesii, 11/8/20 Lithops dorotheae Lithops salicola "Bacchus" flowering along with bunches of "Rubra"
Thanksgiving Day Lapidaria and Dinteranthus on Thanksgiving Day
I water from mid spring until mid Oct, and when I water, I drench them so the water flows out the bottom. The soil should be mostly dry again in couple days. Pretty much the same for the rest of the summer growing Cactus collection.
Lithops schwantesii, 11/8/20 Lithops dorotheae Lithops salicola "Bacchus" flowering along with bunches of "Rubra"
Thanksgiving Day Lapidaria and Dinteranthus on Thanksgiving Day
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
I water from mid spring until mid Oct, and when I water, I drench them so the water flows out the bottom."
yea that's what I do and all my older Lithops are fine but the little ones must have had a bad soil mix.
Now I just spray all Lithops in Summer once and awhile when they are wrinkled looking. They dont need much water in my climate. A few days after spraying they get really fat.
yea that's what I do and all my older Lithops are fine but the little ones must have had a bad soil mix.
Now I just spray all Lithops in Summer once and awhile when they are wrinkled looking. They dont need much water in my climate. A few days after spraying they get really fat.
Last edited by keith on Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Conophytum herreanthus waking up. Most of the conophytums are starting to grow now and it could be time to plant more seeds.
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Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Hi i recently received some colorful lithops from an online retailer they have taken root and are growing well I would like to add a photo but I do not know how to shrink the size of the file I make sure they get water when needed but I keep the soil more on the dry side.
- jerrytheplater
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- Location: Bloomingdale, NJ (USDA Zone 6b)
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Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
You can use this site to resize your photos: https://picresize.com/Lithops11 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 1:02 am Hi i recently received some colorful lithops from an online retailer they have taken root and are growing well I would like to add a photo but I do not know how to shrink the size of the file I make sure they get water when needed but I keep the soil more on the dry side.
You can also use image hosting sites to upload your photos and just paste in a link: https://imgur.com/
I think there may be a sticky at the top of most sub folders on this site that details how to post up photos.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
Thanks Jerry
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
I use Microsoft Picture Manager
Which comes with Microsoft Windows
Just use the program to open your photo
click on edit pictures, then resize
Click on "Custom Width x Height"
enter less than 1000 pixels to the top line
It will figure out what the height will be
and click on OK
Which comes with Microsoft Windows
Just use the program to open your photo
click on edit pictures, then resize
Click on "Custom Width x Height"
enter less than 1000 pixels to the top line
It will figure out what the height will be
and click on OK
Re: Growing Lithops and Other Difficult Mesembs
I have an I phone 7 how can I shrink my photo images?