lithops

hob · Post by **hob** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:59 am

is my lithops OK ?? one of the bits has split open

i don't know much about succulents.....i only have 4 of them.

templegatejohn · Post by **templegatejohn** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:01 pm

Hi, yes that is fine, each year Lithops produce a completely new body (head is the correct name). You should not water them while they are doing this. Not until the old body has gone paper thin and the new one has come through completely.

John

iann · Post by **iann** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:25 pm

Its out of season, it would normally do this at the end of winter. Newly-bought Lithops are often all over the place.

I'd be tempted to continue growing this group as normal. Normal, as in some water but not a huge amount! And full sun of course. The one with the new leaves will be somewhat reluctant to consume the old leaves fully at this time of year and there's no point starving the others in the same pot which might just be large enough to flower in a few weeks.

Kill the watering completely when they flower, and by October in any case, and it will all sort itself out in the spring. This is a tolerant species.

Buck Hemenway · Post by **Buck Hemenway** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:26 pm

John,

It seems a bit early for that. Our climate is so different than yours, but we usually don't get bloom until late summer or early fall and then the split. I think Hob should watch for shriveling and give them a small spritz at least until the end of September.

hob · Post by **hob** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:29 pm

thanks for the advice guys .....i normally water them about once every 2 weeks then leave them to dry out..they are in 3" plastic pots.......would clay pots be better ??

they are always right next to the glass in a south facing window of the sunroom...i could put them out on sunny days when i'm not at work ??

Buck Hemenway · Post by **Buck Hemenway** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:28 pm

Hob,

They look pretty good to me. I wouldn't change much.

templegatejohn · Post by **templegatejohn** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:35 am

Hi Buck, yes it is early. iann hit the nail on the head when he said that they are completely out of synchronisation with their growing season, or that head is at least. I was really just generalising. I have written so much on the forum about Lithops that I did not really want to start repeating myself.

To try and put it better: Stop watering immediately after flowering, probably end of September to mid Octob er and do not water again until the new heads have taken all the nutrient from the old heads, leaving it as a paper thin sheath. This will probably have happened by the end of May-June depending on your growing conditions.

Lithops are growing virtually all the time, it is just that you cannot see the new head that is being formed until it appears between the fissure of the two old leaves (head).

John

hob · Post by **hob** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:49 am

templegatejohn wrote:iann hit the nail on the head when he said that they are completely out of synchronisation with their growing season, or that head is at least.

they were right in the middle of the garden center when i bought them......only indirect light.....no sun at all

last time i visited, there was a whole tray of grafted cacti under the same bench.

......next time i go i might ask if they want to sell them off cheap to get rid of them

iann · Post by **iann** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 8:13 pm

They look fine. If it works ... no need to change it. I don't water Lithops to a timetable, only when they ask for water. If it is completely plump then watering will just cause it to do bad things.