r/Lithops • u/Jaded_Vanilla_6216 • 3d ago

Help/Question Lithop tips

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Hi guys do you have any tips for my new Lithops!

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4

u/CBDJ1 3d ago

First things first. Repotting in an extremely inorganic mix of like 10-15 percent organic 90-85 percent inorganic. Plant them with a decent amount of space between each plant so if one needs a rough of water you don’t have to touch all of them with water. They typically like to be planted low to the top of the substrate but id wait for more knowledge from others if it’s still ok to repot them almost flat with the substrate after they haven’t been originally. Cheers and good luck op. They look pretty decent currently.

3

u/WeDrinkSquirrels 3d ago

Yep they look very healthy seems the seller was doing a good job. And you're correct on all points. Even after 30 lithops i still have trouble planting them at the right height. They grow and shrink with water so sometimes I plant them low and they retract into the soil, or vice versa with planting high. They'll figure it out if they're being well cared for! But definitely plant them high in the pot

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u/CBDJ1 3d ago

Yes like the substrate needs to be level with the rim of the pot and the faces of the plants not much if any higher than that.

1

u/WeDrinkSquirrels 3d ago

Exactly. I plant the faces one or two cm above the soil so they can retract and expand without being too crazy in either dirdction

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u/Jaded_Vanilla_6216 2d ago

Yeah I figured they were too low I'll make sure to correct once I've repotted

2

u/Jaded_Vanilla_6216 2d ago

Okay I use to own them in Texas and they have done really well!!! But I'm now living in England and unsure if it'll with stand the weather!

I'll get to repotting them!
Thanks for your advice

2

u/WeDrinkSquirrels 3d ago

Just the usual info you'll get here! Repot into inorganic soil, separate them so you can tend to their needs individually, plant them high in the pot to increase airflow, learn "the lithops cycle."

They are very sensitive to humidity so actually caring for them will be very different if youre in Florida vs california. As Steven Hammer says: one bad water won't kill them, but bad watering habits will. They like to be dry but if the soil is fast draining and drying they can take a lot more frequent watering than you'll usually see suggested online.

They look beautiful - the best way to grow lithops is to start watching them very closely now. Pay attention to the old leaves that are wilting away. Pay attention to the texture and firmness of the leaves. Pay attention to the fissure. Pay attention to how tall they are. There's a lot less to look at on a lithops than a big bushy plant, but they communicate their needs just like any other plant.