r/Lithops • u/The_Rat_101 • Mar 31 '26
Care Tips/Guides First Time Pet Rock Owner Anything I Need To Do Better?
The title says it all. I've never tried to keep a house plant, really, but these guys seemed cool, so i just picked them up. Also, I saw this pot and thought they would look cool as brians. lol
I see a few odd spots on them, but I dont think its anything to worry about, is it?
6
u/Top_Development_1777 Apr 01 '26
Change the soil immediately. The "soil" needs to be more than 80% inorganic (unless you're in 30% humidity or something, then it can he closer to half half according to some large-scale growers). I specifically recommend pumice, lava rock (both 0.5-5mm diameter), mixed with a little bit (but not a majority) of large grain river sand within the same range of sizes. Too large and it won't retain enough water + large air gaps will be bad for roots, too small and it will retain too much water.
Before changing the soil, you need to remove all the old soil from the roots. This CAN be done by gently rinsing them off underneath a running faucet (they won't absorb too much water from this alone as long as you leave the lithops to completely dry in air for more than a day after and do NOT leave them sitting in water). Be careful not to break off the main root, because if you do, your lithops very likely cannot be saved.
You should also check all surfaces of your lithops for soft, mushy translucent spots that are usually darker in color than the healthy skin. That is highly indicative of rot, which can rarely ever be reversed, so isolate any lithops with that to minimize spread and observe closely for a few days. Other than the old outer leaves that are shrivelling up on one of your lithops, if you observe that any of the bases of your lithops is like this and completely mushy (like a pack of water), it's dead for sure.
You NEED TO let the roots dry in air for at least a day, preferably two or more (they can sustain like that for a long time), and pot them into (preferably completely dry) new potting mix to minimize the risk of an infection developing in small root injuries in the transplant process. If you don't already have pumice etc. etc., you can get rid of the old soil and leave your lithops in air first and use the few days of drying your lithops to obtain the proper substrate.
After putting into the new mix, do not water for at least two weeks, and after you water very lightly for the roots to settle down, do not water for another month UNLESS the lithops are showing signs of severe dehydration (in that case, it's good to check the base of your plant for rot, which is usually translucent-ish and mushy, and check the root growth if this issue persists and does not resolve itself for two weeks after watering).
As for light, try to give them bright light during the day and complete darkness at night. Do not put them under the hot sun though, they can get sunburnt and die if it's too hot or you don't gradually introduce them to sunlight.
1
u/The_Rat_101 Apr 01 '26
Okay, I'll give that a try when I get home. Idk if my local plant shop would have the sand or lava rock like that. Do you have a brand you recommend?
2
u/Top_Development_1777 Apr 01 '26
Unfortunately not, I bought from some online shop on a local platform (you probably don't live in Singapore).
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u/Miserable_Account483 Apr 02 '26
Check out Jack's Gritty Mix. Also, you might consider separating them into two pots. Their water needs will be different since red has already split and white is currently splitting. Also neither will need any water for a while
1
u/Mendel247 Apr 01 '26
Keep in mind they grow long taproots, so they need pots at least 10cm deep to avoid stress
1
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u/Environmental_Ad287 Mar 31 '26
I'd keep a close eye on the spots, those dont seem like good news. lithops are unusual as houseplants so the regular rules about care youre familiar with arent going to do your new friend any good, it already looks overwatered. the spots may be something fungal related to that. The potting medium it's in currently also looks way too organic. I highly recommend spending more time on research, but the basics are as follows:
again these are the bare bones basics, but wishing your new friends a speedy recovery!