Lithops are wonderful plants that I think everyone should try to grow at least once. Many people will avoid growing them because they are difficult but if you know what they need they are one of the easiest plants out there. They are small plants so you can grow a nice collection on a small window ledge (as long as you get strong light).
To grow Lithops successfully you really only need to know 2 things.
1. Bright light - They love, love, love the sun. if they are lacking in the light department they will stretch and not look as nice.
2. NO WATER!! - well I exaggerate a little... But seriously no water over the winter and spring. I will say that 90% of lithop death in the home is due to someone feeling sorry for the little gems and giving in to the stone dry soil with a good watering.
I have posted some videos of my Lithops on YouTube and i will share them with you. I also have killed my fair share of Lithops... and I am just sharing my experience with you :)
Once you get the hang of growing Lithops it would be fun to get creative with your collection. why not make a living rock garden. how Zen would that be :) I find that it's a little more difficult to grow them in groups only because each plant might be at a different stage of growth.. meaning some might need watering and others not... so that's why I say try a mix planting after you get the hang of one on one growing :)
When transplanting or dividing Lithops make sure to not water them for a while... let them callus any wounds on the roots. Even if there are no roots on the plant it still will likely survive if you don't water it for a month or two.
Soon i will have a Blog entry on Growing Lithops from seed. I'm still playing with that but can't wait to share that adventure with you.
Have fun with it. These plants are amazing. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. I am no expert but I would love to help you out if I can :)
Great post! Love your vids on Lithops on YouTube. They're really helpful & entertaining.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I would love it if EVERYONE gret these.... they are so cute and easy..
ReplyDeleteDo you have any Lithops?
I do have one of these and had no idea about how it grows, looks like I have been over watering it a little. I did wonder how they multiply so now I know its from seed..it did flower last fall :) will be watching it more closely thank you for the wonderful lesson :)
ReplyDeleteThats exciting that you have one of these plants.. They are so cute.. yea they are propagated by seed and division (division takes years) so seed is the faster method :) Good luck :) and don't get discouaged if it dies.. we have all lost a few before we got the hang of it :)
DeleteHi Bill,
ReplyDeleteI've seen all your videos on you tube and really love them. Specially lithops have inspired me they are really amazing plants to see. After looking at your lithops videos I'm looking forward to grow them on my own. I've bought some seeds from eBay and before planting the seeds I got some questions for you. Hope you can help me with them.
1. After I plant the seeds what's the best option to cover them with plastic lid and keep water like you did in another container? Or directly put the container in a zip lock bag with water?
2. Once the seedlings start growing how often does it need watering? I'm really worried about water as I've seen in your videos, other videos and also read that lithops just don't like wet feet.
3. After seedlings start sprouting how and when to remove the lid/or remove it from zip lock bag?
4. Do lithops need fertilizers? If yes then when and who to fertilize them.
Oh BTW I'm from India so it's really sunny here.
Again keep uploading videos I really love your videos... you really doing a good job. Oh one more request, please do a follow-up video on lithops it's more than 6 months there is no video about it
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks.
Regards,
Avinash Veer.