How to Grow Lithops

Growing succulents in a pot can be quite frustrating at times. Different types of succulents may have unusual preferences when it comes to their environment. And one such picky succulent is known as the Lithop.

History

Lithops are a desert loving succulent plant that were originally found in South Africa. They have acquired nicknames over the years such as pebble plants or living stones. A man known as John Burchell is the individual who discovered the Lithop in 1811, while he was off exploring Africa.

Proper Lighting and Temperature

Coming from an arid environment, it should surprise no one that Lithops prefer bright or direct light. Without the proper amount of light, the skin of the Lithop will weaken until the plant eventually succumbs to an early death. As for temperature, Lithops prefer hot summer days and cool nights. If you can not substitute these environmental factors, then you may not want to bother with Lithops. Some people claim that Lithops can adapt to other types of environments, so feel free to try them out if you want to gamble a bit.

Soil Type

Lithops prefer a very well drained type of soil mix such as small rocks and sand. About seventy percent rocks and thirty percent sand should produce good results. You can also substitute perlite for the rocks, and you can use a small amount of cactus soil that you often see at Home Depot and other such stores. Use around seventy percent perlite and thirty percent cactus soil. Too much of that cactus soil mix could kill your Lithops; it just does not seem to drain quickly enough.

Watering

These little guys do not care much for water. Depending on the species you purchase (there are a lot of varieties), your Lithop will mostly only need water during its growing season. And this is generally in the autumn; however, depending on your environment, your Lithop may need a little water at other times of the year. But if you over water your Lithops, they will probably die. They are very sensitive to rotting (like most cactus varieties). One rule of thumb is that if your Lithop starts to shrivel up a bit, and you have not watered it in a long time then it is probably safe to give it some water.

Cultivation

Like most cactus and succulent plants, you can create new Lithop plants from cuttings. However, you can only do this when the Lithop splits. This occurs during its growing cycle; if you just have one Lithop though, then you can not propagate the plant. You will have to wait for it to flower, and then you can use the seeds from the flower to grow new Lithops in about ten months or so.

Potting

Caring for Lithops in pots is a very popular practice these days. A clay pot is probably best due to its ability to release water faster than a plastic pot; thus, the chances of your Lithop rotting is lessened. Glazed pots are good too, but they seem to retain water more than a pure clay pot. A plastic pot will also work, but these pots tend to retain water a little too well for cactus. Still, with the proper type of soil, your Lithop will probably be okay in a plastic pot.

Camouflage

One fascinating aspect of Lithops is the fact that they are like lizards when it comes to hiding themselves in their environment. If you have been around lizards much, you might have noticed that some of them can change their skin color too blend in with their surroundings. Well, Lithops can do the same thing.

Price

In retail stores, Lithops will generally cost you around three to seven dollars. It just depends on how many you are buying, the size, and what type of pot they come with. A small pack of seeds usually costs around three bucks.

Growing strange succulents can be a difficult hobby at times, but it can also be great fun. Mostly it is a learning experience. With time and the proper environment, your Lithops will flourish.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithops