Cactus Central

 

- Lithops should be planted in a small pot. Too large a pot holds more water than the plants can utilize and will result in bloating, or worse root rot. 

 

-Use a loose, porous potting mix suitable for cacti and succulents. Any general purpose potting soil can be amended 1:1 with pumice gravel or perlite. Even mixes marketed as Cactus and Succulent soil could stand to have a higher volume of inorganic matter to increase porosity. It is ideal for water to flash right through the pot, lightly wetting the root hairs.

 

-Lithops require 4 hours of direct sunlight daily. Morning or late afternoon sunlight is preferred. All day, direct sunlight will stress the plants and cause them to require more frequent waterings. They will respond favorably to being in the warmest, brightest window in the house if grown indoors year round.

 

Overhead, office or room lighting is not adequate. They need natural sunlight from a window when indoors.

 

-In early spring, one or two moderate waterings will suffice, especially if the newly exposed leaves seem to be wrinkling.

-Late spring to early autumn: a good watering every ten days or so, whenever the sides of the plants show wrinkles which persist overnight (mere daily wrinkles, the result of the afternoon's heat are inconsequential).

There should be watering peaks right after the plants have flung off their old leaves, and right before they bloom in late summer and autumn.

Early winter: no water at all, unless the plants seem to be collapsing too drastically.

Fertilize only in late spring and late summer with a mild solution of any water- soluble fertilizer.