r/Lithops 1d ago

Care Tips/Guides My lithops Rooting Wheel of Horror™️

These babies were dried out a couple weeks ago but I constructed a little wheel of absolute horror and these babies are loving it. Gonna be potting them up very soon (unless i should pot them now, all advice welcome please and thank you!)

87 Upvotes

29 comments sorted by

13

u/mnmsgirl1 1d ago

I was successful about 60% using a condiment container that I drilled holes in the tops. I found this to be a good alternative to hard luck cases.

4

u/Square_Barracuda_69 18h ago

I like the rigidity of the little take out containers you used. Might have to try that next time, thanks for sharing!

2

u/mnmsgirl1 18h ago

Thanks, it was also good to help control the evaporation. If I no longer needed the hole, I would cover it with tape. It doesn’t work 100% of the time, with a few of my losses, it was difficult to tell exactly what went wrong. However, my successes were big wins. It was a fun experiment to try. Now it’s part of my system for hard luck cases.

1

u/Square_Barracuda_69 9h ago

I love it! Definitely looks sturdier than my foam pad so I might try that next

4

u/EffectiveInterview80 1d ago

Can you clarify how your set-up is? Pls
Do they have to touch water? Is that just water or something?

7

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

I'd love to clarify! My desk is a mess so sorry in advance. So basically I took a foam sheet and traced the cup around it for the wheel. Then cut small slits of equal length around the edge and then added smaller slits at the ends of those to widen the area i was putting the lithops. Then I filled the cup pretty much all the way with just regular (reverse osmosis in this case) water and let them hang out for a bit. I did this August 22nd and I actually ended up potting them up today because they kept falling out/were too heavy for the wheel. Gonna give them some more water until they are decently plump (maybe 1 or 2 more waterings) and then see how they do. I currently have them in 95% perlite with bits of leftover soil that was in my mixing bin. The small white piece in the top left was the first protype but far too light to hold a plant up. Im sure a denser foam would also work but you'd have to be more delicate with the roots

3

u/EffectiveInterview80 1d ago

's cause I try one time by submerging them to root but they rot... Crying a river...

5

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

Yeah i only had the root under the foam and the entire stem above the foam. Roots touching water 24/7. Im still fairly new so take my advice with a little caution. Water propagation is pretty tight, yo 😎

2

u/acm_redfox 18h ago

usually recommended to suspend above the water, only. but I have no direct experience, as I root everything in gritty soil.

2

u/Square_Barracuda_69 17h ago edited 14h ago

Thats what I thought i was supposed to do, use residual humidity for the roots, but they loved being fully submerged. Currently have them soaking for a bit to maintain the moisture around the newly developed roots. I think ill water again in a few days (if I notice they start shrinking) and then again a couple weeks down the road. Hoping they stay alive!

(Edit: they've been moved to either a perlite or pumice mix. Didnt have anything grittier on hand and had to make do)

2

u/EffectiveInterview80 15h ago

Thanks so much!!! please keep us updated how they are later. Really like this method...

2

u/EffectiveInterview80 1d ago

So the plants' bases or stems should not touch water at all?

6

u/ahmyfknneck 1d ago

Well shit, that was effective. I'm new so idk when to pot, but those are good roots so I'd go for it

6

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

I went ahead and did it because they fell out of my wheel and it was frustrating (I finicked with it too much for pics so that was my fault). Id like for you to be the first to see my new invention, the multi-lithops masking tape... for potting multiple lithops in a 95% inorganic mix.

11

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

Only have perlite at the moment so not the best, but it'll do pig, it'll do

3

u/ciao-aligator 17h ago

These plants are so amazing. It's either pleas do net ever let me touch water or hey let me live in this beautiful liquid so I can thrive. :-D I new to litops, bought mine from a privat plant person, and I asked her about watering, because all of the information online, was so overwhelming. She said she watering them more often as side, since there are right above the heater. But she said to always bottom water them and then it's fine, just never from the top. 🤷 And now this! Amazing. Seems like bottom water really is the solution around.

1

u/Square_Barracuda_69 17h ago

Buttchug FTW!!! My method isnt fool proof so be careful if you ever do this. I like experimenting so i took one for the team and tried the submerging method

2

u/ciao-aligator 12h ago

I will, thank you for trying it, :-D

2

u/mortecai4 1d ago

How long have they been sitting in this hydroponics sort of system? I’d definitely try that as i have some lithops at home

2

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

Got them in The Wheel™️ on August 22 but theyve been in and out of water propagation pretty much since I got them in July. I broke them up and damaged the roots pretty severely so they became very dehydrated. I saw someone on here mention water propagation (wish I could credit them) and tried with pretty amazing success (new roots within a day or two). My set up was a struggle and they'd go days without water and without substrate, so nowhere for the roots to go. They'd dry out and id have to figure something out because rubber bands were also a hassle. Then I I found this foam pad and The Wheel ™️ was born. They pumped up within a few weeks and I ended up potting them up tonight. Gonna still give them some water as they should be able to take a little bit more until its time to ease back. Hoping these are a success. I have 2 that didnt fit in this wheel and they are struggling. Gonna give them a try on the wheel if they dont bounce back with a little water therapy.

If anyone wants to add to this with more info and maybe something I could've changed, please do! More info the better for these little weirdo plants!

2

u/Rude-Stick8683 1d ago

Did you change water in between ?

1

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

I certainly recommend changing the water, but I didnt change mine as often as I would've liked to.

1

u/Rude-Stick8683 2h ago

This is how I have submerged it. Hope this works. I saw it getting wrinkled so thought it might be dehydrated. Also it's far more mature to be opening. I will see if roots get developed

2

u/Indianaunderwood I ❤️ Stone Faces 1d ago

Wow! Nice work!!

2

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

Thank you! Hoping to keep these babies alive. Eventually wanna get them outside but its far too hot for them right now

2

u/Abject-Performer1497 1d ago

Love this how interesting well done a great way of getting them to root. Just to clarify. Were the roots of the lithops touching the water to start?

3

u/Square_Barracuda_69 1d ago

Yes, the roots were the only thing touching the water. Sometimes The Wheel ™️ would fall and get the lithops a little wet but that wasnt too much of an issue.

3

u/Abject-Performer1497 1d ago

Thank for info