How to Grow and Care Lithops
The lithops is grown in pots, outdoors or indoors both in a sunny location and in dappled shade. In a cold climate, it is kept indoors in winter.
*The pebble plants with light colors, gray to beige, require less amount of sunlight than those of darker tones like brown or dark green.
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| source: Pinterest |
Requirements for Growing Lithops
Choosing a Pot
Lithops have a larger root system than the rest of the plant that grow above the surface. Generally, you do not need overly large pots. A pot that is 8-12 cm deep is enough. You can grow it in a plastic or clay pot. Use the plastic pot as long as you have the foresight to water properly. This is because the clay pot improves air circulation and loses moisture quickly unlike plastic that is waterproof.
Position:
Keep the plant on a location facing South or West, where it’ll receive a lot of exposure to the sun. The position can be airy, but remember, these plants don’t like cold drafts. In tropics keep the plant in a spot that receives filtered sunlight most of the day.
Soil:
Lithops likes a very well drained soil that is poor in organic matter. Permeable substrate should be provided with the addition of gravel and sand.
You can also use the potting mix available for cacti and succulents with an addition of 20% more sand or perlite. On the surface of the soil in the pot, you can put small pebbles or gravel to get an additional decorative effect.
Light:
A full sun plant, living stones need between 4-5 hours of direct light each day to produce their distinctive coloring. If your living stone doesn’t receive enough light then its color may fade. In cooler climates the plants will require more sun, while in hotter climates providing some afternoon shade will allow the living stones time to cool down and prevent the leaves from becoming sunburnt or damaged.
If you are growing your living stones as houseplants then make sure that you regularly rotate the pot so that all areas of the plant receives enough light. Should you be unable to identify a location with enough natural light there are ways of providing artificial light. A grow lamp or normal standard lamp is a great way of boosting the amount of light your plant receives.
Finally, if your lithops has been indoors over winter, gradually reintroduce the plant to more light during the spring, effectively hardening it off. This gradual exposure prevents the leaves from becoming sunburned or scarred.
Temperature:
An african native, living stone plants dislike the cold weather. While these plants do best in temperatures between 65-80𝇈F they will grow in outside this temperature range. However, ideally the temperature should never fall below 50𝇈F.
While lithops can tolerate cooler conditions for a short period of time they should never be left outside in temperatures below 40𝇈F. If you are in a cooler climate, grow your living stone plants in pots or containers. This will enable you to place them in a greenhouse or your home when temperatures begin to fall.
In warmer climates, lithops will tolerate temperatures over 90𝇈F, but only for short periods. If you are growing your living stone plants in a warmer climate try to position them so that they are exposed to the morning sun and shaded from the high temperatures of the afternoon.
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| source: llifle.com |
Water:
Lithops are able to survive in very dry areas. They have a capacity to store water. Almost the entire plant is devoted to just this function. In the wild, the thick leaves of the plant can store water for months without rain. When there is a drought, they will shrivel and shrink below the soil level. It is important to remember this. The most common problem with caring for lithops is over-watering. Too little water will give you stunted plants, though. Let the plant dry out completely between waterings for best success.
Lithops Care
RepottingSucculents-Lithops:
Repotting should be done in every three years or so using a substrate without fertilizer.
Fertilization:
Don’t fertilize the pebbles plant. Fertilizing it weakens its tissues and makes it susceptible to rot.
Overwintering:
Lithops care in winter is important. Once the blooming period ends Lithops should be given a period of rest (usually from late November until March, *in temperate zones). During this period of time, it must not be watered. However, you can spray the plant time to time.
Maintain the temperature constant at the level of 50 – 60 F (10 to 15 C).
Pruning:
Living stones plant does not need to be pruned. You only need to eliminate the leaves that dry out to avoid fungal diseases.
Pests and Diseases:
Lithops care from pests is not much required as it rarely get attacked by them. Even so, sometimes it gets infested by mealybugs.
Lithops is susceptible to rot. It happens due to several reasons like overwatering or waterlogged or nondraining soil.
Combinations of Lithops:
The best setting for these unusually beautiful succulents is a wide platter or dish garden, if you ask me. You have the chance to speak up your creativity when combining many different sizes and colors, also adding some decorative stones to resemble their original habitat.
Shallow and wide planters or ceramic dishes are ideal for these kinds of arrangements. Approximately 8-10 centimeters of soil depth should leave enough space for the roots.
Nevertheless, if you be careful on how to combine the species inside one pot, it would be easier to provide the needs of every species properly. I would recommend keeping the types with a similar timeline together.
Bonus Facts:
- Lithops live a long time. They can keep alive for 40 – 50 years.
- You can maintain a Lithops in the same pot for 10 – 20 years, and it stays healthy.
- Lithops are safe. They are non-toxic to pets and children.
- A Lithops generates a new pair of leaves every year, with the same color/texture and similar size.
Cheatsheet:
- Lithops will thrive in low humidity.
- Take care of them with watering properly, giving adequate light and using the proper soil.
- To avoid them elongating, around 4 – 5 hours of direct lighting is recommended daily. Expose them to sunlight in the morning period.
- They grow actively from early autumn to spring, and they are dormant during the summer.
- You should water Lithops at the beginning of growing season, and water the new leaves during the springtime.
- If the body gets wrinkly at the bottom part, it means you under-watering your Lithops.
- If the leaves are transparent and squishy, it means you over-watering your Lithops.
