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Lithops are known as living stone plants ( and are occasionally called “ split rocks ” or “ pebble plants ” ) due to their quaint , stone - like coming into court . They are small , drought - repellent plants that often do n’t develop more than an inch above the surface of the ground . Lithops have two thick , padded leaf that resemble both a cleft in a hoof — sometimes earning them the endear name of “ butt plant ” — or green to gray stones , depending on the coloring material of the plant . Unlike that best-loved stone you may have had as a kid , though , keeping your lithops alert can be quite a complex task . You may knowhow to water a succulent , but lithops are rather tricky , and their tearing schedule will demand you to be diligent and observant . But no concern ! These oddball cuties are totally deserving the fuss , so we ’ll show you just how to meet your lithops upkeep needs .
What are the basic care requirements?
The most important matter for stone-face is to make certain you have the right sort of pot textile . call up where flowering stone hail from — aka , the desert — and the type of environment they ’re best suited for — aka , well , desert conditions . Potting cloth that is rich in organic stuff is great for some plant life , but lithops will die if planted in it . clean something that is sandlike , rocky , and waste pipe cursorily , like asucculent and cactus potting commixture .
check that your lithops are getting plenty of sun , but do n’t let them burn . Lithops are well adapted to bright sunlight , so placing them in a sunny window that capture a lot of direct light source is a good move . If you live somewhere hot , they can even be outdoor plants ! However , plant can get sunburnt if they ’re transitioned into direct Christ Within too suddenly .
If you ’re get your stone plant from a store that preserve them out of unmediated light source , or if you are n’t certain about their farm conditions , it ’s a good idea to transition them slowly . Start them in indirect or diffused light , perhaps with a sheer curtain or wraith cloth between them and the brightness . Then , slowly move them into more brightness level to give them a chance to accommodate .
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How often should you water lithops?
Because they do n’t have a stem , a majority of the stone plant plant grow underground . This helps the plant retain moisture and mean that it does n’t require constant lacrimation . As with most member of the succulent family , you ’ll need to plant your lithops in a bay window with respectable drain . They ’re finicky plants that favor water during some stage of their yearly growth cycle and juiceless land during others . Overwatering is a principal causal agent of lithops ( and succulent ) expiry , so it ’s worth learning and watching for sign your lithops are giving you in regard to whether they need water system or not .
When it come time to water your living stone , follow thesoak - and - dry methodthat ’s used with other types of succulent . Drench the stain when it ’s sentence to body of water , then wait until the pot fully dries out before watering again . stone-face like being irrigate most during previous spring and through the summertime , but they may call for the periodic watering during the wintertime . At the pinnacle of the lithops industrial plant ’s growth period in warmer month , you ’ll belike get yourself water once every two weeks or so . That ’s the general convention of thumb to follow , but always ensure the grunge is teetotal before watering to be certain .
How do you know when lithops need water?
When in doubt , it ’s best not to water system . When the plant is ready to be watered , you may see it begin to wrinkle or sink down in the grass . Give your plant life a clean wring . If it ’s cushy , it ’s clip to water .
The height of the living stone growing oscillation is when the weather condition is warm . Your flora will enter dormancy during this period , at which fourth dimension you ’ll postulate to start watering less frequently . You ’ll once in a while want to give the industrial plant a little crapulence if it starts to shrivel up . At that point , piddle so that the top half inch of soil is moist . Otherwise , honour your plant ’s blank and let it take care of itself . call up that this plant is good at retain wet , so it ’s rather ego - sufficient when it is n’t actively growing .
At the end of summertime , your flowering stone will depart another growth period , at which time you ’ll resume lacrimation once every two calendar week ( at most ) . This is when your stone-face will begin to bloom if they ’re fledged enough , more often than not three or four years old . You ’ll hump it ’s time to start up watering again when you see the folio start to tell . This is your lithops preparing for flowering . Once winter hits , you ’ll go back to abide by your stone plant ’ quiescency — only this meter , you ’ll give up watering altogether .
Around wintertime is when the onetime leafage of your lithops will bug out to pop off and the new ace will lead off to produce in spite of appearance . water the plant during this period could negatively affect the growth of the fresh leaf , so do your best to allow your lithops support themselves . It will experience wrong , especially considering the type of charge ease up to other plants , but your stone life face will give thanks you for it .
Can lithops get too much sun?
stoneface are adapted in their natural home ground to stomach harsh sun . The best lightingyou can allow your plant is four to five hours of early morning brightness level and then fond shade . South- and due east - confront windows are idealistic position for get flowering stone . You ’ll be intimate when your lithops are n’t receiving optimal sunshine when they start to lose their rule and the leaves become elongate . Remember that extreme heat can still cause your stone-face to get sunburnt . If this starts to materialize , try move the plant to aslightly less sunny areato see how it fares .
Do you need to fertilize lithops?
As severely as they can be in every other scene of guardianship , lithops actually do n’t need a lot of help with fertilizer . In fact , they should do just fine in a soil - based growing medium without any extra help . While they are n’t heavy feeders , you could give them one covering of a liquid all - purpose fertiliser during the grow season . To encourage flowering , you might also require to look for ahigh - potassium and abject - atomic number 7 plant solid food — think , a 5 - 10 - 10 formula . Whichever plant food for thought you end up choosing , do not get the fertilizer onto the foliage , as this may burn your flora .
succulent as a whole are different from the standard houseplant we know and hump , and lithops are an specially finicky potpourri . It may take a few tries to figure out the proper care , so do n’t be too discouraged if you misplace a stoneface or two . Some trial and error may be necessary , but you ’ll before long figure out how to in good order care for your live stone flora .
