Lithops Q & Pleiospilos nelii (split rock) rot or sun burn?
Hi all, I am new to lithops and such so I don't know much about them. I would very much appreciate some input from more seasoned plant owners (:
So i bought a young pleiospilos nelii about 3 weeks ago, with it's 2nd set of buds already starting to come out. I gave it a few drops about 2 weeks in, and over the weekend, I came back to find it with one side of the plant completely yellow... I had also kept it in direct sunlight, right behind a window (probably was not a good idea).
It has been like this for about a week now, with some of the yellowing spreading onto the new baby leaf. The baby leaf that has the yellowing on it hasn't grown much since, but the side that is okay has grown huge and very firm. I'm afraid it'll explode.
The bottom part of the plant is where I'm worried about rot, since it looks rotten, but I can't be sure. There are no white spots that would usually indicate rot. Not sure what I can do next to care for this plant.
As for my lithops question, I bought a lithops shwantesii yesterday from the local nursery, and I realized that they mightve fed it a lot of fertilizer, since its big, but it hasn't split yet. In the picture, you can see a small little split in the center of the plant, but otherwise, it's just round. Is this normal? I'm not sure if I should be watering it either... Or perhaps fertilizer? Or the good ole leave-it-alone technique.
Comments (12)
Nicholas C.
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Pleiospilos nelii 'Royal Flush' in Bloom
Comments (56)Hanz-- maybe you posted this elsewhere, but would you describe in detail the potting materials that you use both for adult plants and seedlings? What geographic area are you in? I understand that the adult plants will take as much sunshine as they can get, which can sometimes be a challenge in my area. What kind of watering schedule do you adhere to? I've been using scoria for other plants that require excellent drainage, wondering if a mix including finer scoria might be desirable for these too? Overwatering of succulents is sometimes a challenge for me. Thx, --Rr...See MoreWatering Lithops
Comments (17)You are lucky - I wish I could get to see Stephen's collections, that would be a real treat. I am all for loamy soil, if that suits your personality! Funny statement, I know, but we all differ, therefore our soils differ and the way we do things differ - always a major talking point - soil. I actually think one needs to go real fast drainage in the beginning (newbie) - saves more plants from excess love!LOL! and then develop skill and knowledge and also method, with that soil...I am always playing - I have a few lithops, pleios, gibbaeum, argyroderma, various other mesembs and also aloe babies on the go now - about 100+ species and I have lots of fun. You can tell the guy from Mesa, I feel the same - how to explain - The Karoo/Namaqualand in quite and it gets into your soul, its like a drug, you need to get a fix every now and then, you just feel more alive, or certainly I do. I said this before, but I played there as a kid, I used to take my small backpack and just walk for 6 hours, you can see a vehicle coming long before you hear it (dust) and usually you knew who it was as well. The bushes are herby, so the smell, especially after rain is something like rosemary or something like that - oh I can go on. As for intorduction, mesembs are much more than lithops and cono's, and one of my missions is to grow as much of the others as possible. Things like juttadinteria, psammofora, khadia, etc, etc. I have a funny saying - You need to find your own "groove", and that encapsulates the info above on lithops. cheers...See MoreSplit Rock Question
Comments (17)I will second much of what has already been said. I have two split rocks that I purchased last fall. After two repots I got it right the 3rd time and got them into an abnormally deep pot. Most would look at the pot and think they are over potted, by they are in a very gritty mix (about 60%chicken grit, 20-30% turface, and 10-20% bark fines). The depth of the pot is really important as these plants have deep roots, I think it is called a tap root. I have a watering schedule written down somewhere and I cannot think of it right now. This photo is from May, when it finally started regenerating... I soon noticed the larger one regenerating too, and it is having twins! This is from this month, but it has already progressed from this. During this time you aren't supposed to water so that the new leaves take from the old ones and the old ones will dry up and disappear and not rot away... I found this website that has some good information... http://houseplantscare.blogspot.com/2011/01/lithops-101.html...See MoreSplit rock in trouble
Comments (5)drmedusae, if you live in a zone 6 climate that isn't desert or mostly arid, this plant will only need a few thorough drinks of water per year at the most, especially if you keep it indoors. They are highly succulent and can go very prolonged lengths of time without water. Additionally, if you wish to lightly water this mesemb with mist, you really need to put it near a fan or some other ventilation source to prevent moisture from being trapped in the small crevices between leaf pairs. IME, the best method for watering these is a 'light' bottom watering, most often done during late summer/early fall or in early-mid spring, depending on your climate. In a zone 6 climate, my best advice would be that if you got another one of these plants, plan to NOT water it at all during the summer. Place it in a very sunny spot for the whole summer. Just make sure the soil temperature doesn't get too high, or you might get root death. If the inner leaves become soft during the summer as well, you may want to give it a small bit of water; I don't know what kind of zone 6 you live in or if you keep the plant indoors or out, so the leaves might not soften up. Misting the plant during the summer may also be a good idea, but as I said earlier, this requires good ventilation to stave off rot. I'm sorry your Nelly is going by the wayside :-( but gardening is a learning experience, and everyone on here has killed their fair share of cherished plants. Live and learn :-)...See More
Christina M
8 years agoChristina M
8 years agoquick update: one side is now very wrinkly. Feels like wrinkly skin. It popped too, with some yellow liquid coming out! Kind of gross. Should I cut this part off? It looks like rot to me...
breton2
8 years agoChristina M
8 years agobreton2
8 years agoChristina M
8 years agoChristina M
8 years agoIt liiiiives!! Cutting off the rot worked wonderfully. But I think the "surgery" worked in my favor because I spotted the rot almost immediately. Its doing just fine now, it's even sprouting new leaves! I took pictues of the rot and the "surgery" if anyone is interested. Eventually, new leaves will replace the old and it will look like nothing ever happened.
breton2
8 years ago
Amanda Wood
7 years ago
Christine Marxhausen
last yearMy two side leaves just did the same thing and my center seems really healthy. I came across this article and it could just be the natural evolution of your plant. https://succulentsbox.com/blogs/blog/6-facts-you-need-to-know-about-split-rock
breton2