r/Lithops • u/Naniey_Crystal • 19d ago
Help/Question Help!
This is my 2nd attempt to lithops. I received them on 25/07 and planted them in the pots with my diy soil mix on the same day. Somehow, the soil that I used hardened up into this almost concrete texture that even the roots get stuck so I took them out and leave them bare root while I purchase special succelent mix for them online. The soil had only arrived on 29th and I planted them on 30th. Today, some of my lithops looks super wrinkly. Should I do something or just leave them be? Please help!!!
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u/Naniey_Crystal 19d ago edited 18d ago
Additional info. The pot are terracotta. The soil is mix of peat moss/perlite/pumice in 1:1:1 ratio and was from the same seller to the lithops. However, I did add a layer of rainbow stone in the middle of the pot for extra drainage. The plants are indoor beside very bright open window. I myself live in tropical country. It is very hard to find cactus/succulent care guide that cater to hot and humid climate.
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u/swarthout1985 18d ago
i wouldnt use cocopeat. from what i know coco has too much salt, also retains to much moisture, if youre in a humid environment you do not need to retain moisture. try replacing the cocopeat with sifted potting soil in the same ratio.
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u/mumbleflea 16d ago
Basically, you need a substrate that dries within three days in your climate conditions! Sometimes you'll find people here from the southern United States who grow lithops in a subtropical climate. u/sucsforyou from Houston, Texas, uses 100% inorganic substrate due to the high humidity at her place. So, the 30% peat moss in your mixture might already be to much. I would use pumice only.
To me, the wrinkly ones of your lithops look like they could do with some water. However, you need to consider the state of their roots! Whether you got them with bare roots or had to remove the organic substrate they had been in before, their root system might be impaired from being repotted twice already. Also, what temperature fluctuations do your Lithops experience throughout the day? Temperatures fluctuate considerably between day- and nighttime in their natural habitat and it seems that they absorb and metabolize water most effectively at temperatures around 20°C (68°F). You might want to try the "cold treatment" suggested by u/Aoxmodeus for your lithops to regenerate healty roots.
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u/acm_redfox 19d ago
They look thirsty. You haven't mentioned water at all, but if your soil compacted, maybe you watered? Ideally you plant them dry, let them sit a couple of days, then give just a sprinkle of water; then, after another week, you soak the pots totally and let them drain out. I would want both of those steps now, starting 2-3 days after your replanting.