Help needed with 2 lithops and a couple of other questions

7 years ago

Hello. I am new to the forum and need help with a couple of new lithops.

Yesterday, I picked up lithops that were on clearance. In each container, there was one good looking healthy one along with one that needs tlc. Because I am new to keeping lithops ( 3 - 4 months), I wanted advise from people that have more experience and knowledge in keeping them. Below, I posted pictures of the each Lithop in hopes that there is something I can do to save them. I am pretty sure they both need water because they are wrinkled. The top top Lithop also has some damage to the top and the upper side is a little discolored.

Also, while I am posting this, I thought I would ask about soil recommendations. Currently, my lithops are in a mix of succulent soil with added extra perlite. They look great but am not sure if that is necessarily the best way to keep them, especially when I go to water them. I was thinking about changing it over to a pebble - soil mix. Perhaps a 2-1 ratio but again don't know if that is the best either.

Thank you in advance for your help. I am looking forward to hearing advice and being a part of this forum.

Featured Answer

mesembs

7 years ago

Your welcome!

The cactus and succulent mix by itself does hold way too much moisture, thus the perlite. That is why I suggest 60% perlite, which many view as a 'drastic' amount. In pure C&S soil, yes, eventually the lithops would rot and turn to mush, but the extra perlite will greatly negate the water holding ability of the soil. All the same, be CAREFUL when watering. Use a wooden skewer to assess the moisture level. Once the soil is completely dry, wait a few days, and then water again. It should come to about 1 watering every 2 weeks, depending on your climate.

Try not to water over the lithops, but rather around them. This will decrease the chance of rot as well.

In terms of how much to water. This is a question that should never come up (no offense to you!). The peaty soils of today cannot stand too much water. They simply hold in too much moisture, and as a result, we begin to regulate the amount of water we give our plants. A plant in the ground will never rot as a result of overwatering. On the other hand, instructions for cute little plant kits often contain watering amounts. The question is, why? Well, as a result of cohesion and water tension, water sticks to small particles, namely, particles in soil. The peaty soils often used today have very small particles, and the smaller the particles, the more overall particle surface area in a pot of soil, which gives the water more places to grab on to. It is not just with peat, however. Any small particles (sand) will cause this water tension. Eventually, the cohesion force (sorry if I'm not getting these terms correct, I've forgotten which goes to which) becomes greater than the force of gravity, and the water is not able to drain. This is called a PWT, or Perched Water Table. Basically, it is made up of a layer of water sitting in the bottom of the pots, refusing to drain. It will never drain. It will only disappear when it evaporates. If there are roots in this PWT, they will eventually rot. The bigger the particle size, the smaller the PWT is, and the healthier the plant. Eventually, when the particles get to about 3/8ths of and inch, the PWT is eliminated. That is what we strive for in a container soil.

So, getting back to the question, you should be able to water how ever much you want. You could even run a hose through the pot (with the 60% perlite 40% soil).

A good soil should be able to handle as much water as you would like, without doing damage to the plant. I got that from Tapla, and you can read his amazing thread about container soils here.

~palmsandsnow

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Comments (7)

jenn429
Original Author
7 years ago
Bumping in hopes that someone can help
Steph Gonz
7 years ago
Hello! So i know nothing about lithops but i can help in terms of soil a bit.

I am super new to succulents but i have had a giant soil problem. I do suggest the pebble mix- im assuming its just pebbles- but mix with a little soil like 1/3 c&s soil if u have no other wetting agent like bark- u need well draining but a bit of moisture retaining so that the roots have something to absorb- since ur plants are a little wrinkly it is what they need. I found most commercial succulent soils are peat based and just wont dry! It killed one of my plants so dont add too much like i have
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mesembs
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Welcome to the forum!

First I'll talk about the plants. They don't look bad, but they could definitely be made better. In nature, lithops grow pretty much flush with the soil, but if you just bury them, that doesn't fix the problem, and it may cause rot. How deep were they when you bought them? I would suggest to plant them with the stems half deep in soil. I read somewhere that they will eventually correct themselves to grow flush with the soil.

For soil, perlite is good, but you really need quite a bit of it. You will want approximately 60% perlite, and 40% cactus and succulent soil. That will work for most people, except sometimes those on the US Gulf Coast, or somewhere really humid. Works great in an arid climate. For my succulents, I use a 1:1:1 mix of pine bark, Turface, and crushed granite. It works really well (it dries out quickly, even in the humidity), but the ingredients are often hard to locate (especially pure pine bark!!). For that reason, I suggest and recommend a mix of perlite and C&S soil.

~palmsandsnow
jenn429
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you both!

Palmsandsnow: I currently use a perlite c&s soil mix. My concern with it was would it hold too much moisture, especially around the lithops. I am afraid that my lithops would rot or turn to mush. Or would that only happen if I overwater them? And while on that subject, what would be the best method in watering them? And how much?

As for the plants, I am happy to hear they don't look that bad. Hopefully with proper care they will start looking better. The top one actually wasn't buried at all in the pot. It was resting on the top of the soil. The other one was buried about halfway.

Steph Gonz: I think I was reading your thread and was trying to get tips from it lol. My fear is the one you experienced with the soil not drying. I wish they would make the perfect mix and we wouldn't have to worry. I like the idea of about 1/3 c&s soil. I feel like I would be a bit more comfortable when watering.
jenn429
Original Author
7 years ago
Wow what a great explanation, thanks. With all of this information, I am hopeful that the 2 lithops will start looking better.
shenue
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I hope you will look online. Lithops are very different than other succulents. Watering at the wrong time of the seasons or too much can, and do kill them. Lithops grow naturally in regions with almost no rainfall and have developed an interesting water uptake system. To put it simply, they don't have an 'off switch' They will literally keep taking up water until their skins rupture and they die. You will easily kill lithops from too much watering than not watering them at all for very long stretches of time. They can take a couple waterings in the Spring and then again in the Fall. The potting medium must absolutely dry out completely between waterings. If they look fine...leave them alone and don't water. A good mix, about 80% (at least) crushed pumice and the rest a good draining cactus mix. You will find a number of different recommendations about potting medium, but the key is the medium should have good drainage, drainage, drainage. These little guys usually die from too much attention. If you simply leave them pretty much alone, they will do fine. Here are a few links that might help. The 3rd one is a video you may find helpfdul. http://www.lithops.info/ and http://houseplantscare.blogspot.com/2011/01/lithops-101.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYmzpAYw9AY Good luck with them.

Help needed with 2 lithops and a couple of other questions

mesembs

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Help needed with 2 lithops and a couple of other questions

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