| Lithops cultivation help needed |    |
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Brettix
 
Age : 26
Joined : 28 Apr 2008
Posts : 15
Location : Nowra/nsw
|  Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed  Fri May 02, 2008 5:12 pm | |
| I find these very tricky to get right.
I had 4 rubra's inside on the window ledge doing great.
I came home from work and my wife had put them out in full sun.
As they were not use to full sun they just melted away  .
I germinate them in small pots with fly mesh over the top.
I keep them in a well lit area and mist them every day.
Have always had good germination this way,also have used chinese containers
with lids on. |
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Lachy
Joined : 04 Apr 2008
Posts : 46
Location : Mornington Peninsula
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sun May 04, 2008 5:40 pm | |
| I really want to try growing lithops from seed. I guess they're a bit like some of the "living stone" cacti like Ariocarpus and Lophophora that I find so fascinating.
As an aside, they've got some Lithops at the Frankston Bunnings that I might have to rescue before they keel over from overwatering... |
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hornet
Joined : 26 Apr 2008
Posts : 119
Location : brisbane
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sat May 31, 2008 10:09 am | |
| | woot, just checked on my lithops seeds, the first lot i sowed failed but i sowed a few other batches over a week ago and a few have seedlings popping up, i'm stoked, i thought i was doing something wrong, then i thought it was old seed but now seems like i'm still doing something right. |
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parrotsheaven
Joined : 14 May 2008
Posts : 396
Location : Red Cliffs, Victoria
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sat May 31, 2008 12:46 pm | |
| Hey good one, sometimes seeds fail and who knows why, good luck with raising them 
What type did you sow or was it a mix?
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Betty
http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven |
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hornet
Joined : 26 Apr 2008
Posts : 119
Location : brisbane
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sat May 31, 2008 1:19 pm | |
| i sowed
C174 Lithops hallii v. hallii
C023 Lithops hookeri v. hookeri
C007 Lithops lesliei ssp. lesliei v. lesliei
C044 Lithops bromfieldii v. mennellii
C039 Lithops hallii v. ochracea |
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parrotsheaven
Joined : 14 May 2008
Posts : 396
Location : Red Cliffs, Victoria
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sat May 31, 2008 1:55 pm | |
| Wow  your sure picked the good ones. If you ever have any spares down the track please remember me as I would be willing to pay for some 
I actually found some lithops in Bunnings today for the first time ever
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Betty
http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven |
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hornet
Joined : 26 Apr 2008
Posts : 119
Location : brisbane
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sat May 31, 2008 2:02 pm | |
| yea no worries, i still have
C056 Lithops julii ssp. fulleri v. fulleri
C002 Lithops aucampiae ssp. aucampiae v. aucampiae
C300 Lithops dorotheae
C172 Lithops aucampiae ssp. aucampiae v. aucampiae
C038 Lithops hookeri v. lutea
C085 Lithops hookeri v. dabneri
C118 Lithops hookeri v. hookeri
C013 Lithops hookeri v. dabneri
and optica var rubra to sow so will let you know once they get going, i only need a couple of each type |
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parrotsheaven
Joined : 14 May 2008
Posts : 396
Location : Red Cliffs, Victoria
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sat May 31, 2008 2:25 pm | |
| Great thanks, rubra I have been chasing for a long time, as with dorotheae
That's what happens when you live so far away from anywhere lol
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Betty
http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven |
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prier
Joined : 04 Apr 2008
Posts : 33
Location : melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:48 pm | |
| Also be careful what time of year you're watering them. Lithops are spring/autumn growers, they should be watered very sparingly during summer.
Personally I'm not a fan of misting my succulents, when needed I water thouroughly then wait for the soil to be completely dry before doing it again. |
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parrotsheaven
Joined : 14 May 2008
Posts : 396
Location : Red Cliffs, Victoria
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:03 pm | |
| [quote="prier"]Also be careful what time of year you're watering them. Lithops are spring/autumn growers, they should be watered very sparingly during summer.
quote]
Lithops are not to be watered at any stage in winter. They are only to be watered once the old leaves have completely shrivelled in spring. I water mine all summer here where we get very hot dry summers.
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Betty
http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven |
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prier
Joined : 04 Apr 2008
Posts : 33
Location : melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:03 pm | |
| | Sorry but I have to disagree with you there, I believe lithops should never be watered in summer, and deffinately watered in winter. They have an almost opposite growth period to common cacti. |
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calycium
Moderator
Joined : 06 Apr 2008
Posts : 354
Location : oz
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:20 pm | |
| Lithops should be watered whenever the lose enough water and wrinkle.
They shouldn't be watered once they flower and then split and grow new leaves as they need to exhaust all of the old leaves.
Lithops LOVE water and will soak it all up until of course they "burst" / split or just rot away at the base where the plant meets soil.
I have to say that they DON'T need watering over winter, but unlike conophytum (who are opposite to most other cacti) - Lithops DO NEED water in summer.
Note: CAPITALS used to emphasize the difference only, I'm not yelling or anything
Last edited by calycium on Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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parrotsheaven
Joined : 14 May 2008
Posts : 396
Location : Red Cliffs, Victoria
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:23 pm | |
| | prier wrote: | | Sorry but I have to disagree with you there, I believe lithops should never be watered in summer, and deffinately watered in winter. They have an almost opposite growth period to common cacti. |
Sorry but I am not sure where you got your information from but lithops should not be watered in winter. Please find an article from the Mesemb Group on Lithops. Didge Rowe and authority on growing lithops and mesembs has added bits for Australian growers.
Conophytum another mesemb have the opposite growth to Lithops and are winter growers.
An introduction to Cultivating Lithops.
The following excellent introductory article was written for cool-temperate climates with frosty winters but this will be a very suitable guide for most hobbyists with a similar climate. I have inserted a few comments in italics to make it a little more versatile. Didge Rowe.
Quoted from Marjorie Shields' article from the Nov/Dec. 1968, issue of the now disbanded African Succulent Plant Society Bulletin.
"Contrary to the prevailing idea, Lithops are not difficult to grow when once the growing cycle is understood, and this is the cycle. Cease watering as soon as the flowers fade and do not water again until the old bodies are reduced to a papery skin and new bodies have emerged to take their place. In climates with warmer winters, this very long period of dry treatment may be too harsh.
Then recommence watering, increasing the amount as flower buds appear, ceasing again as the blossoms fade and the seed pods form. It is as simple as that. Note that some species (e.g. L.pseudotruncatella) can flower as early as late spring, so these will require continued watering throughout mild, repeat mild summers. In hotter climates, cultivation needs be somewhat different. A very rough rule of thumb is that if your night temperatures are uncomfortable to a human then they probably will be for Lithops. This can induce a state of true dormancy (CAM-idling) so one must water very carefully at such times. For example, the Israeli Cactus & Succulent Society advocate a two month midwinter and a two month midsummer dry ‘rest’ for Lithops. I think that this is too calendar-oriented - it should be a more weather-oriented approach to watering but it is a good starting point.
Do not think for a moment that the plants are resting or are dormant during the dry winter and (early) spring period when no water is given. Note: Many Lithops species occur in the winter rain belt. Far from it! They are working hard producing a new plant body and they prefer to do this unaided, without any help or interference from us. While we were busy watering during summer and autumn, the plants were also busy, storing up that water into their swelling bodies and turning it (& nutrients) into plant food ready for the new plant (body) to feed on, and which begins to develop as soon as the flowers fade. From now on this developing plant relies entirely on the nourishment provided for it in the body of the parent plant, which has now stopped growing. It is useless watering it for as the roots have ceased to function (highly debatable but only of academic interest in colder climates) more harm than good may be done, as the damp soil could cause them to rot. In warmer climates, the roots certainly are active and some watering; to at least avoid undue desiccation of roots may be essential)
The roots now look more like pieces of stiff, frayed string than roots and appear completely dried up and dead. This I discovered when, with much trepidation, my plants were transferred from tins to the open bed in the spring of the year, so even though you see the once beautiful bodies shrivelling, don't be tempted to water. The plant is not drying, it is just a natural process for the old bodies to shrink and shrivel as all the nourishing substances are drawn from them by the young developing plant. But once the goodness has gone from the old leaves, the roots again come to life, for the new plant must be fed. Thick white roots now appear at the tips of the dead-looking, frayed, stringy ones. This to, I say, when transplanting them, as one Lithops was further advanced than the rest.
When the old bodies are reduced to a papery skin, this splits and the plant emerges - a real living gem stone, its pristine beauty neither marred by weather nor faded by the hot sun. The plants may now be watered regularly. As the outer covering begins to disappear it is not wise to help it along by peeling it off yourself, for the plant underneath could be damaged in the process and the tender skin suffer sunburn, so leave it to nature. By now it will be early summer and this is the time to re pot if necessary, but as the plant uses the soil for only three or four months in the year a Lithops may remain in the same pot for several years and come to no harm, only if it is a clustering type, re potting into a larger container may be necessary.
Cuttings may also be taken at this time of the year - early summer – by removing a body very carefully, cutting it off below the body with a pair of fine pointed scissors, always leave a short section of stem on the plant body. Stem alone contains essential root primordia. No stem equals no roots. take care not to cut or damage the plant in any way. Set the cutting in sandy soil and after a week or two slightly dampen the soil when roots will soon appear and it will also flower later on in the same season, for this is a mature plant and not a seedling.
A very sandy soil is necessary - half coarse sand and fine gravel to equal quantities of loam and leaf mould suits them well. When planting see that the roots go down quite straight - this is important. After planting cover the whole surface with fine gravel, thick enough to keep the plant bodies away from the soil.
Seedlings are treated in the same way as adult plants only, as they shed their skins more frequently, water only when they break though them and cease as soon as the bodies show signs of shrivelling. This happens several times during the year, more frequently when very young and as they grow, not so often. So watch the plants, they will tell you when and when not to water, but keep them growing." That’s all for now. Marjorie Shields. ASPS. 1968.
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Betty
http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven |
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prier
Joined : 04 Apr 2008
Posts : 33
Location : melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Lithops cultivation help needed Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:49 pm | |
| I stand corrected, great article.
I learnt about lithops from working with them and being handed down information orally. I haven't read much about them. I personally haven't grown them either. Where I worked, I've propagated them from cuttings, been involved in growing them from seed, but I haven't actually had to water them. I do recall being told a little about that though, and I just tried to repeat what I'd heard without real experience. |
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| Lithops cultivation help needed | |
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