How Do You Care For Lithops?

Lithops is very easy to care for. They do well in small pots, and will live for many years. Their water requirements are minimal – a good soak every 2 or 3 weeks in the summer is usually sufficient. During the winter months when they appear to be dormant, they may not need any water, depending on your climate and the type of potting mix you are using.

Lithops require strong light. However, too much direct sunshine might damage the plants. Winterize the lithops plants. Lithops are often cultivated indoors but may also be grown outdoors. The following are the factors to consider when caring for Lithops;

Sunlight:

Lithops prefer bright, diffused sunlight. Lithops have adapted to withstand intense sunlight in their natural habitat. Therefore, the ideal approach to care for them would be to offer 4 to 6 hours of sunlight in the morning and moderate shade in the afternoon. A south or east window that receives optimal light is the optimal location for your Lithops.

Watering:

Lithops should be watered once every two weeks is sufficient. Since Lithops may store water for months in their leaves, watering it at the incorrect moment throughout its development cycle might result in its mortality.

Beginning towards the end of summer, while this plant is actively developing, you should water your Lithops once every two weeks maximum.

This plant is inactive during winter, but this is when you should water it. When watering Lithops make sure that they are not waterlogged and that they have absorbed all of the water before putting them on a windowsill or heating bulb.

Soil:

Lithops require well-drained soil, similar to cacti. Add sharp sand, perlite, decomposed granite, or other gritty material to ordinary houseplant potting mix to promote drainage, or use cactus-specific potting mix. A general purpose, well drained potting mix will suffice.

The pot should be just large enough to accommodate the Lithops without the plant becoming root bound. The plant needs good drainage and a pot with holes in the bottom works best. Use very porous potting mix such as cactus mix or add some perlite to your regular potting soil.

Temperature:

Lithops require warm temperatures around 65-80F (18-26C). Avoid temperature extremes. Never allow your lithops to remain at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and never leave it outside while temperatures fall below 40 degrees.

While the ideal temperature range for lithops is between 65 and 80 degrees, these desert plants can endure temperatures as high as 95 and 100 degrees for brief durations.

Humidity:

The ideal humidity level for lithops is approximately 30 to 40 percent relative humidity. In humid regions, you should not be shocked if your lithops require no or little water during the spring and fall. Numerous species of lithops are able to obtain the bulk of the moisture they require from wet air and, if they are outdoors, morning dew.

Fertilizing:

Lithops plants wouldn’t need frequent fertilization. This plant, like other succulents, can flourish in nutrient-poor soils. If you desire to increase flowering, you may give it a cactus fertilizer that has been greatly diluted. Do this once you begin watering again in early spring.

Avoid putting fertilizer on the leaf surfaces directly. An excess of fertilizer may harm your living stones. Fertilizer should be applied with extreme caution.

Propagation:

Lithops plants is easy to propagate from seeds and division in summer.

You can propagate your parent plant using these seeds. To plant seeds, sprinkle them on top of wet potting soil and cover them with just enough more soil. Utilize a container with holes for drainage. Place the container in a bright, warm window. A few weeks after periodic watering, seedlings will emerge.

To promote germination, cover the seed with dirt and keep it mildly damp. Living stones can be diluted and transferred to another container. The remaining seedlings may be cultivated in the same container. Another method of propagation is to divide the existing clusters of overgrown living stones. Once divided, lithops plants can be replanted in another container until they are able to grow independently.

Repotting:

Repotting lithops is only required once every five years or so during the spring and summer, when the plants grow overcrowded in the container. Use a container that is 6 inches (15 centimeters) deep, as this plant has lengthy taproots. Repot your lithops plant when it outgrows its pot.

Unlike cacti, which can shed their dead leaves annually, lithops plants should be repotted every 5 years to ensure that they do not remain in the same pot for longer than they should. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the pot, the faster you can repot them without causing harm or loss of roots or growth.

Pruning:

Lithops plants do not require pruning. However, if the plant has become unattractive or overgrown, you may cut some of the leaves to keep the plant looking healthier. Some growers remove all of the leaves to focus on flowering. You should be aware, however, that the plant will not flower if all leaves are removed.

Pests and Diseases:

Lithops plants may be susceptible to various pests, including mealy bugs and root rot caused by overwatering. Some pests may be specific to certain types of living stones. Japanese beetles, spider mites, snails and slugs can be common pests to watch out for.

When there is a major pest infestation, use preventive measures that are appropriate for your other houseplants. Ladybugs and other beneficial insects may be beneficial if they are present in adequate numbers, but you should be careful not to over-crowd them or harm the plants.

How Deep Do You Plant Lithops?

When you want to plant a lithops plant, you need to be careful not to damage its leaves. The best way is to just place the plant in a new container 3-4 inches right on top of the old soil or perlite. Make sure no parts of the root get exposed. You should not cover the plant with soil. If you happen to plant it too deep, your lithops will not suffer, but you might lose flowers.

When planting a lithops in a container, they should be planted so that they are resting on the soil. This is a very important detail because the leaves of this plant are very soft, and can be easily damaged if exposed. You should only bury the stem of the lithops plant, leaving the leaves above ground.

Then, you should fill in the container surrounding it with potting soil. When you are planting your lithops in a container, try to create a shallow layer of soil around it and put a bit of potting soil on top for extra moisture. Then, you should bury just the bottom part of the plant.

Then water it so as to remove any air pockets between the substrate and the roots. This can be tricky, so make sure you don’t accidentally water your living stones too much. The root ball should be damp, not wet.

When planting a lithops from seed, make sure you have the bottom part of the plant exposed. Then, plant your seeds in the original soil or perlite and cover them up with potting soil.

If you want to grow a lithops from cuttings, take a leaf that is about half-way opened and put it in some well-draining soil with some mild fertilizers or moss around it.

After watering, let it sit for a day or two before placing it on a windowsill or heating source. If you want to grow a lithops from a leaf, you should plant it in some potting soil with some mild fertilizer. After that, place the container in a warm and humid space. You will have to keep your lithops in the same space for at least a year, so make sure you are patient.

How Do You Repot Bare Root Lithops?

When repotting Lithops bare root, use a potting soil with a good amount of perlite in it. It is important to not cover the roots between soils, so be sure you keep them moist. After repotting the living stones, change the potting soil every spring. If any part of the root becomes exposed or damaged, you should remove it and plant it in a new pot.

When repotting Lithops bare root, do not add water or fertilizer until you see healthy growth appear on the roots. You can also place your bare roots in some water and place them on a windowsill for the growing season.

It is beneficial to give them greater area to flourish and grow. Fill the container with lithops soil, and then use a pen or pencil to create a conical hole approximately as deep as the lithops root is long.

Then, carefully straighten the lithops’ roots and feed them downward so that they reach as far as possible (not all scrunched up on the surface) into the soil. For those who do not have time to repot Lithops a few times a year, you can use artificial methods.

When repotting your Lithops in the bare root method, you should use a container that is deep enough to allow the roots room to grow. You will want to place it on top so that it does not cover up any of its leaves. Then, add some fertilizer and water it. You should see growth within a few days.