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Cacti & Succulents

Growing lithops seed

11 years ago

I want to try to grow lithops from seed ... but a few questions

1- does the baggie method work?

2 - if the baggie method works how long should i keep the baggie on?

3- is it too late to start them this year?

4- how long will they take to germinate?

5- what soil mix should be used? Just the normal cactus mix?

If only ever grown some melocactus from seeds so i hope this works! Thanks for any answers i get ... and i hope those seed growers come along ...

-Zechariah

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Comments (8)

User
11 years ago
Hi Zech,

Perhaps if you try a search for 'Growing Lithops from Seeds' you'll find a number of these answers for yourself.

I don't expect you'll find a lot of folks here who've tried this. Lithops seems tricky enough for many folks from plants, I'd be surprised to see folks trying much of these from seed.
Beachplants
11 years ago
Ok lets see..

1. Yes - one of the best methods
2. Various answers - from germination to a month (I do not go for longer than 2 weeks)
3. Nope - just not in sun
4. 4 days to 7 days (most) with some latecomers up to 6 months - there are some variations as always
5. I have used various mixes - they all seem to work fairly well, just not too porous as the seeds may go too deep - they are pretty small (dust like)

Here is a pic of my current crop - I think 2 months old - more or less
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Growing Lithops from seeds
Q
Comments (6)
Depending on your location in India, the climate may not be suitable for Lithops. In general they need a dry summer season while they are semi-dormant. The cooler autumn weather, especially cool evenings, is what triggers most species into active flowering and growth. Germination also seems to be best with warm days (75-85F) and cooler nights (55-65F). Some of the more robust species like lesliei, aucampiae or hookeri are probably more tolerant of heat and moisture. Remember these are highly specialized plants. They are not designed for the tropics. x
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Growing Lithops seeds. Advice?
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Sterilize the soil in the microwave, let it cool, moisten the soil, sprinkle the seeds on top and seal in a ziplock bag for 3 months. Mine are 3 months old right now and they look healthy. Hopefully they all will survive to maturity.
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A great resource if you want to get into Lithops!
Q
Comments (0)
I just found this blog today. It is totally packed with info on Lithops, especially if you want to grow them from seed. It is recent, easy to read, and great photography. Enter at your own demise: https://lithopsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/growing-lithops-from-seed/
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Sowing lithops seeds
Q
Comments (11)
Wouldn't hurt to try. I sowed Lithops seeds before, straight into the medium with the zip lock baggie method until they "pop". Even after that, they are really small and finicky. Took months for them to be big enough before I opened the bags for fresh air. Popping is the easy part. The hard part comes when they turn from juvenile to adults, because they start the dormant/active cycle, and I tend to overwater or underwater them and not understanding when they start adapt to the seasons at that "puberty stage". Lost 80% of my 2 year olds. The remaining ones remained strong. 3 Tips for you - 1) Seeds are extremely fine, try to space them evenly so they don't cluster when they pop, it'll make your life easier to separate them. 2) Your success increases when they are freshly collected, the longer you keep them, the lower the success rate 3) Keep them in zip lock baggies to maintain 100% Moisture. That is the utmost importance, once it dries out after moisture, seeds will just die away. Best of luck!
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Microthrix
Original Author
11 years ago
I did do a search but nothing answered my questions ... very cute beach plants! Can the all stay in the same pot like that?
Beachplants
11 years ago
Yes, until they are true leaved little lithops it is advisable to leave them in - Lithops (it is said) is better transplanted after 1 year. I have transplanted earlier, but it depends on the soil, which I was not happy with at that stage. These will stay as is until they have true leaves.
Beachplants
11 years ago
Here is a time period pics of Lithops aucampiae - first few months
Beachplants
11 years ago
Same group a little further developed true leaves appearing
Beachplants
11 years ago
Same plants, transplanted 3 per pot in my case
Microthrix
Original Author
11 years ago
Aww they are so cute as little plants like that! I wish they stayed the same size forever

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