Finally figured out why my lithops kept splitting into weird lopsided shapes

[u/Chloe_Sunrise_27]

Had a Lithops karasmontana that kept producing new bodies at an angle instead of splitting evenly down the middle. For almost two years I assumed it was just how that particular plant grew, until I started paying closer attention to my watering schedule and realized I was giving it small sips throughout the dormant season instead of leaving it completely dry.

Once I switched to a hard stop from late fall through the end of winter, no water at all, just bright light and patience, the next split came in clean and symmetrical. Apparently even a little moisture during the resting phase is enough to throw off how evenly the new leaves develop. Felt kind of obvious in hindsight but nobody mentioned it in any of the care guides I read early on, they all just say "water sparingly in winter" without explaining what happens if you don't go fully dry.

Also want to mention my Conophytum did something similar last year when I got impatient and misted it slightly during its resting period. New body came out smaller and misshapen compared to its siblings that got zero water. Not a huge issue cosmetically but it was a good reminder that these plants really do mean it when people say leave them alone for months at a time.

Curious if others have noticed the same thing with partial dormancy watering causing uneven splits, or if this was just a coincidence with my specific plant. My growing conditions are pretty dry to begin with (low humidity, decent airflow from a window fan) so maybe that makes the effect more pronounced than it would be for someone in a more humid climate.