I just recently bought a stacked Lithops, because I really wanted both types in the pot. As you can see, there are even two new heads.

I moved them to the pot I wanted them in, and did not water them at all. It is also in the sun now. Already after less than two weeks the outer leaves have started to show some wrinkles. The second old leaf is hardly visible, you can just see it behind the pair to the right.

I think maybe I watered a little every couple of months, but really only a tiny amount! Nothing until they dry off now then. Thank you!

How's the deflated one that as in its own pot?

And they'll be do fine in a bright window indoors. They don't always like full sun, or extreme heat. They tend to grow in their natural habitat where they get a bit of shelter, if I recall correctly. If you move them outside, do it gradually so as not to burn them.

Looking nice! I keep mine outside in the afternoon sun, but that is in Ontario, so not the brightest.

I'm also a lithops newbie, they're strangely cute...

So the rule is water when wrinkled, correct? And would they prefer 100% perlite or 100% chicken grit? Or something else?

That looks much better, and yes, I think it may be splitting. Can you see the new body?

Star, I think I can see the new leaves coming up through the center. I hope so. It looks much better.

Succulentss, the rule is to water after they shed their old skin, and do not water at all during winter. I don't have my bookmarks to paste a link for you. I'll see if I can find them.

Here's a link:

A guide to the cultivation of Lithops by Nick Rowlette

Oh good, Sue. I'm glad you have something. My bookmarks were on my iPhone when it died. I can't find the link in another post.

Lithops are winter-dormant, so don't water from late fall until you see the new leaves poking up out of the shriveled husks in spring. It isn't likely to kill them if you water a little outside that time frame, but that's the general rule.

When the plants are growing and using resources from spring to fall, they need water pretty much whenever the medium dries out. The one at the bottom is still clearly dessicated. It needs water now. As long as that's grit you have it in, and not just gravel on top of soil, water regularly until fall UNLESS you see the leaves getting swollen and cracking. The interval for the waterings should be however long it takes for the media to dry out in your climate.

Kwie, sorry, but I am going to disagree with you :-).

The bottom one has the new leaf pair peeking out from between the old, and should not be watered at all till the old leaves are dry husks.

For the others, leave them mostly dry till the end of August, when their time of bloom and growth begins. They may not bloom this year, but they will begin to grow around that time. For now, water very sparingly, only when you see them getting a bit wrinkled. Lithops also take a growing pause in the heat of the summer. Once you have more experience with them, you might at times want to water a bit more, depending on the temperatures, but for this year, play it safe.

Sorry, on my little phone screen all I could see were wrinkled leaves. I did not see new leaves coming in. My apologies.

Are you saying thsee Lithops are summer dormant? Why aren't you recommending water until fall When it's still so early in the season?

Fall is their primary growing season. They do not need water in winter, because they are growing a new pair of leaves while using up the old ones. They are very active then, but only on the inside. In spring, after they have absorbed the old leaves, there is a short period of some growth, most people water then. In summer they go dormant in the heat, to conserve moisture. Then they should not be watered, as they do not absorb it, which could easily lead to rot. The degree of dormancy depends on the weather, their location, the species etc. I sometimes water a but in early summer, if it is still comparably cool. But for someone who does not have much experience yet with lithops, I would play it safe: only water a bit if you see clear wrinkling.

https://lithops-stories.blogspot.com/

Check out this person's blog if you haven't. She has the most beautiful lithops. Lovely collection. I'm always excited to read her updates. She has other plants besides lithops though :D

Thank you for that link, Christina. Very interesting!

New pictures...

This one seemed to have formed a new smaller plant growing beside the main plant.

Do I need to stop watering these?

I would stop watering them. They look pretty turgid.

Awww.... Yeah, that one's gone.

these haven't seen a drop of water following your advice, and I've put them in a sunny spot. Definitely shrivelling now, but it is an all over shrivelling, rather than just the old leaves. Will the whole plant die if I continue to wait for the old leaves to die back before watering?

(apologies for the photo quality... taken on another sleepless night thinking about plants!)

Yes. It needs water! Don't give it too much right away, or you run the risk of rotting it. If the roots are properly receptive to water, it should start expanding and generally looking better in the next couple of days.

Will the old leaves continue to die back if i water it? Thank you for all your advice!

Yes, they should. But make sure not to water more than you have to, or you may disrupt the cycle.

Oh wow... That's pretty dramatic.

Guys, are you sure K_schofield's plant isn't sunburned or something? I haven't seen one wrinkle quite that way before except possibly my first attempt at growing them- when I put them in direct sun and cooked them.

Why would that plant not draw the water it needs from the outer leaves rather than shriveling up all over as it seems to be doing? That looks strange to me, but you guys have more experience, so maybe you've seen this before.

The sunlight could definitely be a factor, but it doesn't look sunburned yet... It also looks recently repotted, which tends to cause a hiccup in the cycle.

I am not sure what it is, but I see some 'white stuff' in between the leaves:

It has not been repotted since I bought it, must be over a year ago now.

The white stuff seems to be almost a super dry crack in the outer leaves. No mould or mealys, if that's what you were thinking? Or something else?

Will give it a small amount of water and take a photo in a few days. Thank you!

If they get wrinkly and shrink because of water loss, that means it is time to water them no matter the season.

Around this time (well, maybe during the last couple of months) Lithops should be flowering. I don't expect yours to flower this year since you just repotted this past Summer. Probably too much stress for one year :)

If your plants are on schedule (Lithops are more punctual than most people!), They should begin regenerating late winter. Often, a couple shallow drinks around that time help to prompt them in that direction.

If you need still more info, [Here] is all you need to know and more!

Thank you...Let’s see what happens!

I only have a couple of Lithops, not my main interest, but my L. verruculosa has become a nice clump.

That is beautiful!!!!

Spanish Fly how did you get lithops grow like this?

By giving it masses of Spanish sun - it lives outdoors all year round, and goes into a cold frame Dec to Feb, when it is kept totally dry. Took 14 years to grow from a single head into that clump.

Debbie, although you didn't ask for advice, and I try not to bother people, plus I'm not an expert--it might be best to have the same types together in their own pots, if you know the varieties of each one. Some of these have flowered and still have a stalk, some are growing new ones, and some are just sitting for now. There might come a time when some will need water but others don't. I'm not sure how much you can selectively water in that pot. For myself, I've decided that unless I have the same types that are the same age, like some I'm growing from seed, I'll pot them individually and see when (or if) they flower, and only put them together if they're in sync. Right now that's such a great looking pot. I'm guessing it might be difficult as time goes on.

I saw someone on Instagram who had a lot in a pot, and some weren't doing well at all but others were fine. She wasn't sure what to do. I don't want to be Debbie Downer (oop), just saying be ready to repot if things get weird.

That lovely display of Lithops is so striking I wouldn´t break it up. All the same genus, different ages growing together, just like what happens in habitat.

I would also leave them together. They are basically in sync: forming new leaves under the old. Whether they bloomed before does not change that. Some are already splitting, others will do that later, but they are all in the don’t-water-us phase. In spring, when most or all are done the splits ;-), they can have some water. If they are in a good mix, even the one or two that may not be quite done will be fine and continue to dry up their old leaves. I find that if you go with the majority, it works out fine, as long as the mix does not allow them to sit in moisture too long. They might outgrow their pot in a year or two, when they start doubling up, but you can deal with that then. My pots are not as full, but I combine what I buy in a certain period, all Lithops, but all different species. Only very rare and picky ones get their own pot, like L. optica rubra, which can be really out of sync with the rest, and is not very forgiving.