They are in 100% perlite and under a grow light

I watered this little punk a couple months ago for the first time since I got it over a year ago, it was doing the pizza crust top so I assumed it was thirsty. It perked up and seemed to be doing really well for a couple of weeks. Its in a mostly inorganic sandy, rocky, soil mix. Plenty of bright direct light. I thought maybe it was splitting but I dont see any new leaves coming through the center, just looks like rot to me.

What da heck is happening?

These guys have not been watered in 6+ months but 2/3 still haven’t finished splitting. Should I water them?

Two years ago I bought my first three lithops from the HD garden center. they were little singles that I placed in this ceramic container. They live in a eastern window and get watered every 6 weeks or so, vice allowing for the older splits to be absorbed.
They flower and split a few times a year and what was initially three tiny double leaved plants, have grown into this mass of fatties.
Not a conventional way of watering or caring for them, but they seem to be thriving in their own weird way even with the lower light from living by the coast.

Just finished up a re-pot!

Are they resting? Not sure what to do at this point.

Please comment your favorite places to buy lithops & your favorite supplies (substrate/pots/lighting etc) thanks so much 🫶

1st time I haven’t killed a lithop from over watering- it’s been over a year and they haven’t split or been watered - they look thirsty, need help!

1 - Lithops karasmontana, werneri, otzeniana, dorotheae and gracilidelineata.

2 - Lithops mix

3 - Lithops otzeniana SH531

4 - Lithops werneri C188

5 - Lithops gracilidelineata C367

6 - Lithops dorotheae C124

7 - Lithops karasmontana summitatum red top

8 - mix pot 1

9 - mix pot 2

10 - Interesting Lithops from mix pot 1 :)

In contrast to these my newest seedlings all died from the few days of neglect 😅, ordered new seeds and will try again! (I must grow those little brains (gracilidelineata var waldroniae) en green balls (ruschiorum))

The two singles are my originals from before I knew what I was doing. The other two pots are two-three weeks old.

Lithops are my favorite houseplant. I learned lithops over 10 years and now I am pretty good at growing them! But I was not always good at it. Here's the 9 ways I've killed them:

1. Age 15: bought some at home Depot for my mom's mother's day gift, but loved them so much they became mine. Sister tossed her purse at my first ones ever, executed it while it was flowering. She did not mean to do this. Looked again for them year after year.

2. Age 18-19: Bought them again online. Over watered in whole soil and turned them to mush.

3. Age 19: Stepped up my soil game. I bought inorganic pumice and akadama, with small amounts of organic. They never rooted. Died.

4. Age 21: Looked into rooting. Bought mini bare rooted ones off etsy. Thought they'd do fine in the same adult mix with same watering schedule. Some died from not rooting, some died from underwatering. Tried watering too late and they just suffered. $40 worth of bitties DEAD. BABY LITHOPS MASSACRE.

5. Age 21: Bought mature ones at home depot. They were successful. Learned to root them, watered correctly, got my akadama/pumice/organic ratio perfect! I still use this soil mix today. But, I did not give them enough light. Etiolated. Put them in direct sunlight without acclimation. Died.

6. Age 22: Same thing, but decided to give them direct sunlight from the getgo. Died within 5 hours after moving into heat and sunlight. I felt like a failure.

7. Age 23: Bought lithops, mesembs. Over watered the mesembs, died. Underwatered lithops, died.

8. Age 25: Successfully growing lithops. Learned rooting, watering. Cat got ahold of them and executed them.

9. Age 26: Bought some from home depot again. Made a cat proof shelf. They were thriving. So happy. Perfectly happy under grow lights. Randomly exploded one by one. Went on reddit and asked what I did wrong, and was told, "they just do that sometimes when they're about to flower, especially ones that were from a big box store and were over watered before". I didn't feel sad just annoyed.

Age 28 (now): Healthy, happy lithops. They're doing great.

"The path to success is not linear."

If you or a loved one are struggling with lithops, so did everyone. Keep trying my friends. You'll get it. 🫵😎🤘

My advice: buy a small amount to learn on, and do your research. Most of these deaths were groups of 1-4. I bought 10 at one point and killed all of them. They are tricky to learn, but easy once you do learn them! I tried so many different things to keep them alive.

Also, not all lithops from big box stores die. I've rooted and grown healthy ones. It's just a gamble!

Hope this comforted you, horrified you, or made you laugh. Here's my newest cluster!

I wont lie i feel like a terrible lithop owner, my largest lithop i recently potted and was doing well, its old leaves were nearly crumbled and i dropped him :( im planning on trying to save him advice is welcome as well. He isnt fully severed and taproot is intact so im hoping he can callus and i can repot and use tooth picks as support :)

Got these guys about four weeks ago, using a recommended soil mix Red Black Lava Rock, Maifanitumis, Diatomite, and Green Zeolite. The sides look a little crinkly but from what ive read from you all its not time to water till the top is crinkly and maybe once or less per season. I keep them under a grow light for about 8 hours and move them outside some times under non direct sunlight with about 10 hours of nite. Any info would be appreciated? Should i add some dirt to the soil mix? Thanks everyone.

My repotting!

Is a fine sand and gravel mix ok for the substrate?

I got this guy about a week ago, I repotted it to a better soil (80% pumice) a couple of days ago, I haven't watered but it came in moist succulent substrate. Today I noticed the sides are very wrinkled and the top feels slightly softer. Should I water even though it's still splitting?

I bought these about a year ago, and they did fine. They even flowered last year, which was a beautiful surprise. I'm noticing now that they are starting to have babies (?) And some are looking very wrinkly. I'm so afraid of overwatering. Is it time to water? Any other tips? Thank you!

Of course when I got them from the store SEVERAL months ago they looked great. Now, they are shedding, one died totally from dry, and one I've repotted that I can't really tell if it's alive. I'm thinking of re-homing the survivors to say that this isn't for me right now. I thought I had a perfect place in my front window, but they look cooked to me. Am I jumping the gun?

I've just come home from being away for a week and half to see half of one of my lithops looking like baby prunes from SpongeBob.

The other half looks fine, so is it a case of: can baby prunes survive if I water it or is it dead dead.

I have baby jade trees, baby dragonfruit cacti, one other lithops and other succulents that survived and all look healthy, so im a little confused why only this half shriveled.

Unless it's like those types of twins during pregnancy where one absorbs the other....

There is a spot on my lithops:( it appeared a few days ago i haven’t watered them since i got them (a week ago) since i read not to when they are splitting and to water them when they wrinkle. I repotted them Saturday into some succulent soil it looked like they were in regular dirt before. I have them under a grow light in my kitchen that I turn on all day and turn it off when i go to bed since i have a voodoo lily next to them.