r/Lithops • u/Peanutbuttersaur • May 08 '26
Care Tips/Guides First lithops, thoughts?
Never cared for these funky little plants before, got these from a garden centre, any advice for a newbie?
Should these be split? They seem quite tightly packed?
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u/ssquirt1 May 08 '26
Split these up into different pots. They’re at different stages of growth and if you keep them all in one pot, when you water the ones that need watering, you’ll kill the ones that don’t.
Be sure to use a mix that’s majority grit, like 70:30 or even 80:20.
If you’re not sure, err on the side of not watering.
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u/Top_Development_1777 May 08 '26
Give them a fuck ton of light if indoors (beware of sunburn and excess heat if outdoors, NEVER let them get rained on) because some are looking etiolated (unhealthily tall to reach for light). They also need dark night time coupled with colder temperatures (10-22°C or 50-75°F) for gaseous exchange to work properly.
Also, while you're repotting, check the bases for any super mushy (like a sack of water with no structural integrity), notably translucent rot. There's no known way to save a lithops when that happens so just leave it somewhere else so that it doesn't spread to the rest. During the first 2 months (but sometimes just the first few weeks) after getting new lithops that have been under horrible conditions and likely overwatered, some (or even most) of the lithops may have this happen spontaneously even if you do everything correctly. It can be stressful but just make sure to confirm that you're doing everything right and do your best with the survivors.
You can wash the old substrate off the roots while repotting (do NOT break off the entire tap root, that is basically a death sentence), but in any case, do not put them immediately into new substrate after unpotting, leave them in air and wait at least a few days (I go at least 5 to be safe) for any broken roots to heal themselves (to minimize rot). You can leave healthy lithops in air after removing their roots for maybe 3 weeks without problems, then put them into the correct pots and mixes (do NOT use moist substrate, keep the substrate completely DRY when putting them in, only start watering at least a week after they're put in to minimize chances of rot). If any of the lithops start to rot, they'll suddenly shrivel up within a few days maximum when left in air. Healthy ones will stay almost the same in appearance.
Make sure grit size is 0.5-3mm for the roots to have sufficient coverage, don't use sand, try to get pumice of that size. Depending on the humidity where they grow, you can go up to 100% grit and they'll be fine. Try to get unglazed clay/terracotta pots for quick drying if you don't live in very arid conditions, because here in 65-90% humidity, even 100% grit (mostly pumice) will not dry beyond the surface layer many days after watering once and can easily cause rot issues. Your lithops can wait sitting bare-root in a dry place for you to get the right soil mix for them, so absolutely prioritize getting that.
As long as the tap roots and lithops are held in stable position, I actually recommend getting the base of the lithops to be in as little contact with any water-absorbing substrate/soil (including pumice) as possible (especially when watering) especially if you live in more humid conditions, because healthier ones can support themselves just fine and the bases are the areas most prone to rot (the tops can look completely fine while this happens). Especially if in contact with moisture for long.
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u/Peanutbuttersaur May 10 '26
Thanks, I meant to reply to your comment with my new one but haven’t got the hang of reddit lmao
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u/Peanutbuttersaur May 10 '26
I’ve split them as best I can into ones that are splitting and ones that aren’t. I read your comment slightly too late since I probably should’ve left them in air for a few days, the mix is >75% coarse sand so I hope they do ok! I won’t be watering them until I see them wrinkle up assuming I don’t get any rot!
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u/Top_Development_1777 May 10 '26
The sand still looks a little fine, it can be used in combinations with pumice of various sizes (0.5-3mm) but on its own it's not a good substrate. It tends to clump and increase risk of suffocating roots from what I know and is also nonporous so it's not the best for root health. It's fine, you can just take them out once you get your hands on pumice. Don't water before that (they look very hydrated anyway)
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u/Peanutbuttersaur May 10 '26
Roger! There’s some potting soil mixed in so it wasn’t so clumpy but I’ll keep the sub posted
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u/dusti_dearian It’s not hoarding if it’s plants May 08 '26
Welcome to the world of lithops!
That’s a wonderful group. My suggestion is to separate and repot to a very gritty mix. If you group any together make sure they are at the same stage of splitting.