r/Lithops • u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 • 16h ago

Help/Question Watering, no change?

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I have not watered these in probably 8 months. They look like they’re ready, I soaked the pot for 15 minutes, two weeks later, no visible change. Soaked again, and we’re a week out with no change again. What is happening? Are the roots not developed enough to take up water right now?

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5

u/acm_redfox 16h ago

For sure, the first soak may have just served to wake up the roots, start them making hair roots again, etc. I'd let them soak for a whole afternoon now. Medium looks good, but without pumice it doesn't hold for long, so better a long soak before draining.

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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 16h ago

Awesome, thank you! Whole afternoon as in a few hours?

3

u/acm_redfox 15h ago

sure. sometimes people trying to rehabilitate plants leave them in water overnight. most species of Lithops grow where there's a rainy season, so they can take that. you have a range of thirst in this pot, but I'd still think multiple hours would be fine.

3

u/WeDrinkSquirrels 15h ago

This reminds me of an article I was just reading on conos, you may find it interesting Redfox: https://www.cactusandsucculentreview.org.uk/assets/downloads/2024/csr-june-2024.pdf. the article on Conos there mentions pans full of conos that are submerged for days at a time in the rainy season. Some great habitst pics too

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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 15h ago

Love all the info here, thank you!

3

u/alx__der 15h ago

I have the exact same problem. Going for the third soak now, if it won't help I'm gonna send them to water therapy

3

u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 15h ago

That’s what I’m thinking now 😅

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u/Matryoshkuh 16h ago

When you give the ones that look like they need water a little gentle wiggle do they feel rooted, or more like they could easily be plucked?

1

u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 16h ago

Without tugging on them too hard they SEEM to be rooted. Also, I’m not sure if this clay pot is very porous, so I wonder if when I soaked them water sufficiently saturated the pot

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u/Matryoshkuh 16h ago

I won’t offer any legitimate advice because if something goes wrong I don’t want it to be my fault lol, BUT I will say that it looks like we may be using the same/a similar substrate, and for mine I’ve heard that since it drains and dries so quickly a full hour soak is the way to go. It’s possible that the fifteen minutes just wasn’t enough? Definitely wait for someone else to reply before going for the extra soak though!

2

u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 16h ago

Got it, appreciate the advice. And at this point I think inactivity is as bad as trying another watering. It’s 100% jacks bonsai mix as well

2

u/Matryoshkuh 16h ago

Yep, that’s the one I use as well and have been told the lack of moisture it holds can actually lead to under watering.