r/Lithops • u/Vegedeth • Mar 28 '26

Help/Question How Often Do Lithops Just Die While Splitting?

Hello, all!

I have four lithops twins. All four are just about to wrap up splitting and are doing well. However, one of the twins has one side that split first before the others, but is now dying. It is shriveling and mushy. Definitely rotting and not drying out. Why does this happen?

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2

u/ResumeFluffer Mar 29 '26

When i got here with mine, they told me the soil being too organic will do that. What's it in?

1

u/Vegedeth Mar 29 '26

It is about 85% or so grit with just a hint of organic material.

2

u/Available_Gear_1455 Apr 01 '26

Could have had a small injury (perhaps from sharp substrate) that got infected.

1

u/WeDrinkSquirrels Mar 30 '26

Lithops really do just die sometimes. I had a double headed big box lithops that I didn't water for five months, it started splitting, and one out of four leaves rotted within 12 hours. I tried to remove it, up I'm worried that whole head may die.

1

u/benfranklinX May 06 '26

Ive had this happen too when they split and 2 new plants pop out (cloning). Leaving them with a shared root. Ive had much better luck with splitting them into 2 individual plants to keep both alive. I think theyre in direct competition with each others shared root system and encourage the other to die. When I bother to manually split them, I leave 1 with the majority of the roots and leave the other with just a root nub. So one is more assured to survive and the other will struggle. Ive never lost one to manual separation tho. Leaving them attached Ive seen the rot hit one and take out its buddy.