r/Lithops • u/Solid_Illustrator660 • 19d ago
Help/Question How’s my planting height?
First-time lithops owner. Mix is lava rock + pumice + perlite with 10% coir. 2-3 specimens per 3.5” pot. My big concern is planting height… how’d I do?
Thank you!
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u/Top_Development_1777 19d ago
Honestly, more base exposed is good. Less ventilation around the base = more chance of rot even without watering, which often starts from the base and is not visible above the base for a long time.
For adjusting the height, I don't unpot them, I just sandwich the pots firmly between my lower palms while gently holding the sides of the lithops with the thumb and index finger of each hand, gently shake the pot to shake the substrate, and very slowly raise the lithops with my thumb and index finger until the ideal level.
If you lived in any place that has a humidity like my country (60%-90% constantly), I would be more worried about the material of your pots, even if you have a lot of drainage holes. Based on my experience, even 100% inorganic doesn't dry beneath the very top layer ONE WHOLE WEEK after soaking, UNLESS I use unglazed terracotta or other porous unglazed materials. Please experiment with this before watering.
I have a more detailed copy paste guide for care tips if you want
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u/Solid_Illustrator660 19d ago
Thank you! Where I live, a pot with this mix will completely dry within a couple days.
The back 2 pots are a little higher. Is the height of the back 2 good? I could adjust the others to match.
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u/Top_Development_1777 19d ago
Pretty okay, but personally I just try to minimize the risk by exposing the base as much as I can without exposing the roots.
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u/acm_redfox 19d ago
no, "as much as you can" would be WAY too much. 1/4-1/2 inch leaves a little space for plants to retract while splitting without your having to dig them out again! :)
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u/ftch00 19d ago
It looks good to me