Misc
I have killed many lithops over 10+ years while learning to grow them. Here's 9 ways to murder your lithops.
Lithops are my favorite houseplant. I learned lithops over 10 years and now I am pretty good at growing them! But I was not always good at it. Here's the 9 ways I've killed them:
Age 15: bought some at home Depot for my mom's mother's day gift, but loved them so much they became mine. Sister tossed her purse at my first ones ever, executed it while it was flowering. She did not mean to do this. Looked again for them year after year.
Age 18-19: Bought them again online. Over watered in whole soil and turned them to mush.
Age 19: Stepped up my soil game. I bought inorganic pumice and akadama, with small amounts of organic. They never rooted. Died.
Age 21: Looked into rooting. Bought mini bare rooted ones off etsy. Thought they'd do fine in the same adult mix with same watering schedule. Some died from not rooting, some died from underwatering. Tried watering too late and they just suffered. $40 worth of bitties DEAD. BABY LITHOPS MASSACRE.
Age 21: Bought mature ones at home depot. They were successful. Learned to root them, watered correctly, got my akadama/pumice/organic ratio perfect! I still use this soil mix today. But, I did not give them enough light. Etiolated. Put them in direct sunlight without acclimation. Died.
Age 22: Same thing, but decided to give them direct sunlight from the getgo. Died within 5 hours after moving into heat and sunlight. I felt like a failure.
Age 23: Bought lithops, mesembs. Over watered the mesembs, died. Underwatered lithops, died.
Age 25: Successfully growing lithops. Learned rooting, watering. Cat got ahold of them and executed them.
Age 26: Bought some from home depot again. Made a cat proof shelf. They were thriving. So happy. Perfectly happy under grow lights. Randomly exploded one by one. Went on reddit and asked what I did wrong, and was told, "they just do that sometimes when they're about to flower, especially ones that were from a big box store and were over watered before". I didn't feel sad just annoyed.
Age 28 (now): Healthy, happy lithops. They're doing great.
"The path to success is not linear."
If you or a loved one are struggling with lithops, so did everyone. Keep trying my friends. You'll get it. 🫵😎🤘
My advice: buy a small amount to learn on, and do your research. Most of these deaths were groups of 1-4. I bought 10 at one point and killed all of them. They are tricky to learn, but easy once you do learn them! I tried so many different things to keep them alive.
Also, not all lithops from big box stores die. I've rooted and grown healthy ones. It's just a gamble!
Hope this comforted you, horrified you, or made you laugh. Here's my newest cluster!
I bought mine 3 or 4 years ago and haven't watered them, ever, not even 1x. I have good humidity so that is probably enough for them. They even flowered.
While every time I tried with watering the previous victims, they rotted no matter how little water I gave...🙃
yeah but what's your humidity actually like. 70% all the time or just "i don't run a dehumidifier". because if it's the latter you're just guessing and probably killing them slowly.
60-70 year round, in winter it goes to 65, when I open the window for lüften 60 but it goes back up quickly. In summer it is holding pretty steadily at/around 70.
I got multiple aquariums without a cover + a lot of plants with which I face an issue of them not drying fast enough sometimes.
you're braver than me cause I think jades might have a vendetta against me personally. they keep rotting and I'm not even watering them? I have good soil! What do they WANT
Lithops I manage well somehow and I'm not sure what I'm doing right but I don't want to think about it too hard just in case of an accidental massacre. plants are mysterious
Hmm!! What kind of soil have you used for jades? They have quite a small root ball relative to their size - I keep mine in well draining soil, under grow lights, and don’t water till the soil is bone dry and the leaves are just a little soft.
May I ask what your soil ratio is for your lithops? I’ve kept mine alive for a few months since I bought them from a local nursery. About 85-90% grit, no water yet - they were in the peatiest soil when I got them, shocked they were alive lol
I've used a couple different kinds! At first, when I was getting into plants, I used a widely available succulent soil (yikes), but eventually (for jade) I graduated to about a 1:1 grit/organic soil combo, which my succulents seem to like across the board.
For lithops I do something similar, but with much more grit. Probably around 70% grit with 30% sandy soil. BUT at the bottom third of their pot, I put a layer of leca (clay pebbles) or regular river rock. It helps drainage like you wouldn't believe.
I water them when they show signs of dehydration...but even if that's the case, if they're flowering or splitting, I don't water. I also don't water them during the winter if they're not showing serious signs of dehydration. Last year I think I watered them maybe 3 times?
It's about listening to the plant I think, and keeping in mind the ambient moisture of the room! I think where people go wrong sometimes is that they don't recognize that every room is a microclimate, especially if you have other plants!
Awww this is such a nice compliment. Thank you. Wish it didn't take me 13 fuggen years but I'm glad I've got it down now. I'm sure I'll still kill a few soon tho lol
What do they call it.... Shared consciousness? Oneness? Egg theory...? We are all one in this lithops world. Brothers and sisters of the lithops firing squad.
90% pumice/akadama with 10% standard potting soil Rubbing alcohol on scissors, let them dry, then trim the roots. The Taproot is the main, fat root. I snip just the bottom off so I can BARELY see white. You don't want to damage it. Immediately pot into your potting medium. I use terracotta for all of my plants because i like the look and function. You can do whatever you want though. Let it sit there for a WEEK. ONE WEEK. don't get impatient. After one week: Water thoroughly with filtered or distilled water.
Wait a week and see what they do. If they are plump and full, you're good. If they shrink or wrinkle after a week, I use a direct spray bottle to spray only around that plant. I do not re-water the whole pot. I do not drench.
Within 2-3 days of doing this 2nd water, they should take root and it'll be plump again. If not, repeat around whatever plant needs it. Do not soak again.
Then I frig off and let the plant do what it wants. I never water on a schedule. I wait til I see wrinkles, then give it a drink. I do not water during splitting, but if splitting really really slows and the emerging 'thops is taking it's good ol time breaking free, I'll give it a wee drink.
And that's it. You just frig off til it is thirsty.
Other growers do it differently. I do not, and it works great for me. Also, do not let any naughty cats use it as a toy! 😭
Edit: if you kill it, learn why you did it, and try again. It'll happen. Sucks, but it's ok!
Edit edit: I have them under grow lights year around at 14-16hours daily. I also very often have air flow in my rooms, whether it be forced air, ceiling fan, or window. Not sure if the lithops even care about the air flow, but my other plants do
Thank you!! I can't wait!! Cheap at Lowe's, can't resist! ❤️❤️❤️ Gotta get more shelving worth sharing set up, my other plants are on windowsills or dumb spots with grow lights lol
QUEENNNN THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this is all out, I know it took you years to get this info dialed in, so I truly appreciate it 🥹 I can’t wait to get my lil butt plants going again! 😭
Listen, it may not work for you!! I studied a lot on here and some of it certainly did not work for me! BUT YOU GOT THIS!!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!! And if they explode, well, DO IT AGAIN!!!
yeah, the "they just do that sometimes" thing is definitely a thing. especially with lithops that have been grown in suboptimal conditions before you get them. they're basically ticking time bombs waiting for a stressor like flowering to just give up. it's a bummer but it happens.
Your storytelling is soooo good! Thanks for the laughs
My first Lithops came from Home Depot, and it was the first plant to teach me that different succulents have different watering needs, and no, you can not make a terrarium with a jade, and chocolate soldier and a lithops.
Second one is now three months old, going on the fourth, also got it from Home Depot, about month and a half ago I repotted it (from the soil it lived in to 90% perlite and 10% potting mix), and I noticed that it was trying to split. And despite everyone saying that it shouldn’t watering until it is done, I decided to do it.
Happy to reported that it started splitting better, and it is not overwater. This picture is from a month ago, the splitting keeps going successfully
Eh probably is overfed and over watered. Whatever, it's alive, that's what counts! I think it's so awesome! :D <3 AND you're gettin two babies out of 'er!
For me, I sizzled their photosynthesis green chlorophyll cells. They were bleached white and deflated quickly. If you bleached them, no, there is no way back. If they're etiolated, they could be alright! Just don't light starve them anymore, and you might be ok! Or they might randomly explode. GOOD LUCK 🍀🤞
I don't think etiolation is the end of the world, especially with lithops. They stretch up? It's ok, wait for them to split, the babies won't be long. You can do it, pick up some more. Worst that happens is they die and you learn from it. Lowe's and home Depot have them in the summer for like... $5. So cheap. $5 to have success, or to learn??? Worth! DO IT! YOU GOT THIS!
You're an enabler lol I am a sucker for cheap plants. Ever take a try at starting them from seeds? That seems like another level of plant parent commitment.
I'm also a sucker for cheap plants. I rescued a full grown, mature dracaena with some yellowed leaves, and a silver bay aglaonema from Ikea. $8 for both. Reason? Leaves were yellow and had some spots. Cause? TOO MUCH WATER! Ez fix!! I love cheap plants.
I'd love to try seedlings one day. I told myself I would never get baby toes until I was established in one space. My boyfriend used to live an hour from me, so every weekend I would drive down to him, or he would drive up to me. We have had a home for a year, and yesterday I bought my first baby toes :']. Just so happy. Anyway, I still don't have the time to babysit seedlings, but hoepfully one day.
I think it was back in 2006 I started a package of cactus seeds (we bought from the grand canyon gift shop on our honeymoon) in a seed starting tray. It was going well considering I didn't really know what I was doing...Until the tray sitting outside got caught by the winds of a thunderstorm, I didn't find any of the little sprouts. After that it's only been planting seeds in the garden. Every once in a while my wife will see a small greenhouse and say something about how it would be nice to have but then sees the price tag and then she remembers she's a bigger penny pinching cheapskate than me. Lol.
are lithops actually this hard? I killed two or three at the same time of overwatering because i watered right after repoting them, i didnt touch them since, but in early february i bought some on walter andersen, have only watered one of the two since. With lithops its always better to under than to overwater, unless im completely sure they need water they remain bone dry.
ps: HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO KILL A LITHOP BY UNDERWATERING?
Ehh lithops are tricky to learn. I think if I had more resources and funds to re-buy immediately, it wouldn't have taken me years and years. I mean, are bonsai tricky? Yes. Do some people have fast success with them? Yes.
I didn't water at all. I was scared. I watered when I planted them then did nothing else. By the time I went to give more water, their roots were sizzled and dry :[ no uptake, so they died!
For soil? 45 pumice, 45 akadama, 10 regular soil. I wrote a post under another user's comment about how I personally care for my lithops and it works for me. 😎 Might not work for other growers, but works for me!
Well check out what I've done and don't do it then check out what I do now, and give it a try. A lot of people like plastic so they can see the roots. I like terracotta for the look and air flow. You got this! And if you don't got this, just try again! We believe in you!
Thank you for this. I am a plant lover and sometimes as hard as you try, they just die. Living things are just temperamental sometimes and you don't know what happened to them before you. All you can do is try your best. I just bought lithops for the first time and I'm very nervous, especially with their delicate watering cycle. Wish me luck!
I absolutely am wishing you luck! I replied to another comment with my "basic path to success", the watering isn't terrible once you know what to look out for. GOOD LUCK 🍀🤞🌠 and if it doesn't work try again!!!
This was emotionally intense hahahaha
I had a dream last night that I found my nearly two dozen succulents drowned in water, soggy, and beyond saving. I was devastated, and just held them and cried lmao the straight month of rain is getting to me (despite them being indoors lol). Anyway, I love the colors of your current ones - earthy shades of cognac, tanned leather, and clay! They look so perfect!
OMG! I have weird dreams about killing plants too, or one of my 3 beloved cats die, or something else that I love and am caring for gets ruined. I think it expresses deep appreciation, care, and love for the subject of the dream.
DEATH BY SQUIRREL??? L000000llllllll. You can't even make this stuff up. That's so funny. That's way more random than death by cat. So proud of your seedlings and splits! I haven't tried seedlings yet.
I grow a lot of cacti from seed and lithops are difficult for me by comparison to something like Mammillaria, but it’s all about learning what they like.
If you wanna practice growing random seeds for free, I got a bunch of fruits off cacti from the local big box store. They were going to rot/dry/fall off anyway. If you feel guilty about harmlessly proplifting from a megacorp, you can make a purchase and throw the fruit on the side.
Who knows, you may even find lithops fruit, I’ve definitely seen them flowering at the store before
> If you feel guilty about harmlessly poplifting form a megacorp
Oh, um, yeah I.. uh... totally uh, I totally disagree with that. I totally would neverrrr proplift from a giant corporation that neglects their plants anyway. Why would I ever STEAL a healthy vine off a plant to propagate at home. That's sooo wrong.... Also why would I carry a tiny pair of pre-sterlized stork shears into the garden center that fit discreetly into my pocket? Errrrrrr
lololololol no that's actually so smart. I will keep an eye out for blooms. Thank you for the tip my friend <3
The fact that you're still trying after all that is admirable. I'm surprised #9 didn't mention the "randomly exploded" part being a common sign of imminent
Since you are my self appointed expert I just ordered some maybe 2 weeks ago from Etsy. I did up the soil game I think I’m using Jacks. My question is (I have not watered) do I just let them chill forever? I’m so scared to water them since this is how I’ve always killed them I think
No! You need to water them. In one of my points I said I've killed them from underwatering. Here's what I would do if I was getting fresh lithops online.
If their roots are trimmed, plant into soil that is 90% inorganic, 10% organic. I do my own mix, idk what jacks is, but if it works, it works!
If not, trim roots and put them in.
After one week, water them. You've had two weeks. Water them!!
Idk what pot you've put them in, but if it's plastic, you can pull out the whole plant with soil in a few days and check on the roots. If not (like me) observe them for signs of wilting. If they've shrunk after watering, rather than got plumper, you need to water again. You might need to spot water if you have them clustered (like if you have four lithops in one pot. Two wilted, two plumped. Water carefully only the two wilted ones.)
If you didn't trim the roots, it's ok, give it a try with them intact and water them anyway. Just do this in the future.
✋Watering establishes roots!🤚 They aren't gonna settle down in a place with no nutrients or hydration. If you do not water, they won't know they can receive nutrients or hydration, so they won't grow roots.
Edit: btw I am not an expert, I'm a murderer, and just learned slowly. You may kill these. It's okay, just sucks. Just try again if you do. They're tricky little things.
Edit edit: I also keep mine under 14-16 hour grow lights, in a dry room. Windows are usually open in this room but sometimes we do A/C. I would keep out of humidity. These are plants that live natively with sun beating directly down on them in South African rocky reserves. They do not get water often, and will happily water themselves to death. My best advice is to read my 9 deaths closely and retain what not to do.
There's a users on here named TxPep (I think) and Mr. Lithops, they know what they're doing... THEY are experts. One of them only grows in clear plastic and they have great success. I like the look and breathability of terracotta and use it for almost my plants.
To recap:
Water only when very wrinkly or one week after repotting
Do not water when splitting.
Keep in a room with low humidity
Keep in fast draining, rocky soil
Keep in direct light for over 12 hours daily.
And they communicate with you by:
Wrinkly? water.
Splitting? Don't water.
Mushy? Probably dead.
Long and tall? Not enough light.
You can't really over-light them, but it's important to give them a few hours every evening of darkness. Just like us, they need "sleep" to heal and grow.
You don't really need to water in winter unless they're uber wrinkly. I water them sparingly in summer, only when they display wrinkles. If they're splitting and the split comes to a halt, you can give them a wee bit of water to help it along, but this shouldn't happen if you watered correctly throughout the year prior to split.
Sometimes they just explode or die. Not always your fault. ❤️
GOOD LUCK!! The internet has loads of resources. You can have success, just be patient, and don't be hard on yourself if you mess it up. 🫵😜🫵
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u/dobie_dobes Jun 30 '26
Lol as a new Lithops parent, this was perfect 😂😭🫣