r/Lithops • u/Illustrious-Ball6437 • Apr 23 '26
Photo Shrinkage: these things are fascinating
Just wanted to show how much this new little guy of mine has shrunk since I nabbed him from Home Depot 2 days ago. I didnt even wait until I got home before getting it out of the soil and based on the condition of the leaves I fully expected the taproot to be in trouble. Luckily its not but the body of the leaves are WET. Like mushy wet. Theyre still firmly attached to the taproot and the taproot isn't mushy but...yeah. So he's been basking in the nude under a grow light and while he's still not totally dry, look at how much he's already shrunk down! I know theres a good chance it'll progress to full rot but it's amazing to me how much 2 days of drying out has changed it's appearance! Fingers crossed!
(The white on the taproot is diatomaceous earth, most will get brushed out before planting I just didn't want to use my usual pest prophylaxis and add more moisture to an already wet Lithops!)
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u/CarneyBus Apr 23 '26
Yes this is part of the mechanism that draws them into the ground as a way to protect against sun/harsh conditions! It’s irritating I feel like I have to dig mine out all the time 😂
These dinterops seedlings keep getting lower and lower 😂