# I got my first Lithops plant



## smartie2000 (Sep 20, 2010)

I thought it looked cool, and I bought one from Walmart the other day. I have never grown one before.
I potted it into a bonsai pot and put gravel on top, and I hope that that this pot is not too shallow. I'm using a shallow pot for aesthetic reasons, since the plant is short. I think it is 4cm deep on the inside of the pot. I hope it will do ok. There was not a huge root system on this plant.

Does anyone know what species is it BTW? care advices?


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## NYEric (Sep 20, 2010)

Not me, good luck!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Sep 20, 2010)

Nice one Fren! The shallow pot is OK, I've got one in an even more shallow pot. As for the species, that is tricky is variation within a species can be great. BTW, here is a lovely Lithops gallery on the net: http://www.lithops.co.za/galleries/2010/gallery_01.html


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## jmelot (Sep 20, 2010)

Gah, I think these plants (and plants from similar genera - my most recent attempt in this direction was an argyroderma) are terribly neat - and I am terribly good at killing them. Obviously I am not the best person to respond to this, but I would advise you to take the warnings you'll find on the internet to water sparingly quite seriously - my failure with these plants always seems to come after I decide it is finally time to water them.


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## likespaphs (Sep 20, 2010)

i have only had one that i've been able to keep for several years. i keep it in strong light, water *very* sparingly in winter
it's planted in very well draining media


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## smartie2000 (Sep 20, 2010)

thanks for the advice. >_< I just watered it this morning... (please don't rot on me) ...watering is a habit of the orchid grower.

I also hope that my soil is not too organic. It came in a peat (maybe) based medium with sponge rock and sand, and then I also added some old soil because my pot needed some more soil to fill it. 

The patterns gorgeous! I'm so excited. Thanks for the gallery Tom, mine looks a lot like the white flowering ones, but it is hard to tell.


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## Lanmark (Sep 20, 2010)

Nice! I love Lithops, but I don't know what species or variety yours is. Coming from Walmart, it's anyone's guess as to how long it's been since your plant has seen any direct sunlight. Watch it carefully for signs of burning or bleaching. You may need to gradually reacclimate your little plant to full sunlight over a period of several days to two weeks.

For potting, I use a mixture of small gritty gravel and sharp builder's sand (angular jagged medium-course to large-grained sand, not that superfine rounded beach sand often used for soil topping). I add in small amounts of slightly larger gritty gravel, Huga pumice (from Asuka orchids), horticultural charcoal and coarsely crushed oyster shell. Then I mix in even smaller amounts of loam and peat-based organic matter like earthworm castings and African Violet potting mix.

Care advice: Be very sparing with your watering routine. Provide bright light, cool-ish nights, warm days, nice music and conversation, and pray to your god or gods for all the help you can get. :rollhappy: Fertilize lightly once in a while.

Whatever you do, don't give up if you kill this one. Try, try and try again. Once you get it right I think you will find these plants to be extremely rewarding! Try growing some of the Aloinopsis species, too, if you can find them. Nananthus transvaalensis is another one which is really awesome. Bergeranthus jamesii is a nice little succulent too, but the plant is not as stone-like in appearance as the Lithops and the Aloinopsis.


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## likespaphs (Sep 20, 2010)

Lanmark said:


> ...it's anyone's guess as to how long it's been since your plant has seen any direct sunlight. Watch it carefully for signs of burning or bleaching. You may need to gradually reacclimate your little plant to full sunlight over a period of several days to two weeks....




great advice


my mix is 1 part turface, 1 part #2 (?) aquarium gravel, 1 part perlite, two parts peat based potting media

don't bury it too deep.....


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Sep 20, 2010)

Keep it bone dry in winter. Not a drop between November and March.


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## smartie2000 (Sep 21, 2010)

I repotted it into sand with sponge rock, gravel, etc. I think that will be better.

Based on photos I think my plant could potentially be a Lithops hallii. But I am no expert on the subject


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## KyushuCalanthe (Sep 22, 2010)

One thing about watering - yes, in winter give it NO WATER, not even a drop. However once it begins growth, start watering it and even fertilize to get good growth. I grow mine outside, unprotected on a roof top. They are subjected to the intense rainfall here from April to November and I've never lost one. Just make sure they are well drained! In winter they can cope with a surprising amount of cold, but keep them dry!


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## Lanmark (Sep 23, 2010)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> One thing about watering - yes, in winter give it NO WATER, not even a drop. However once it begins growth, start watering it and even fertilize to get good growth. I grow mine outside, unprotected on a roof top. They are subjected to the intense rainfall here from April to November and I've never lost one. Just make sure they are well drained! In winter they can cope with a surprising amount of cold, but keep them dry!



Good advice! These can definitely handle the moisture during active growth provided there is warmth and exceptionally good drainage. During dormancy, however, keep them cool and dry in a well-lit location. The increasing hours of springtime daylight combined with gradually warming temperatures will trigger growth and the need for moisture.


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## biothanasis (Sep 23, 2010)

Brainy looks....! Very nice!


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## Clark (Sep 23, 2010)

These were easy to kill for me.

Good luck Fren.


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## nikv (Sep 23, 2010)

smartie2000 said:


> Based on photos I think my plant could potentially be a Lithops hallii.


I'm not an expert, but I've tried growing these guys for many years now. My first thought was that this is an L. hallii, but I cannot be certain on that. Good luck with it!


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## smartie2000 (Sep 23, 2010)

just a thought, wouldnt their root hairs dry up if they get so dry for long periods? interesting. The plant was getting wrinked so I had to water it after the repot into sand.

The top of the plant has bumps that are colouring up blue now, which is probably a good sign


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