i tell you what the more photos i see of these little guys the more i am liking them. i tried a batch of seed when i first started and got great germination but lost them all. I am going to have another try. the image where they are shedding their skin reminds me of when my son was born

Wow! crypto, great stuff

keep it coming

Some of my new humble lithops project



a question... note those two following photos





Is this an abnormal making of new head [so the old one is gonna dry out] , or, [as I think those heads are already new] this is head doubling???

When do they double? I had this happening to 2 or 3 I used to have which died when I left them outside in the rain during automn, lots of days.... but I don't remember how they double...

This thread is seriously turning me on the the idea of growing these little guys again. They're getting to be my fave (non-cacti) succulent.

love the lithops only have about 80 though put in heaps of seed this year hope to increase my collection as i can fit heaps into a smll space find them easy to grow if you follow a few easy steps. The great thing about lithop seed is you can get good germination even from old seed a friend germinated fifteen year old seed with good results.

Mutant: It looks tome like the pictures of your lithops are the new seasons growth coming out the side of last seasons leaf pair. It is not the end of the world but it is something to avoid. This is because the new season's growth usually absorbs the nutrient and water from last year's leaves. Lithops loose their old leaves like trees in autumn but for them it happens in spring
When it happens as nature intended the new growth emerges from the center. I find that what happens on plants like the ones in your pics is that the split cuts across the base of the old leaves. This means the new leaves cannot absorb them and then they hang around for a long time until they dry out. Also the new leaves miss out on the benifits from last year's growth and the old leaves are more likely to rot.
It was probably caused by reintroducing water after winter too soon or too quickly. Wait untill the old leaves shrink to 30% and the new leaves are emerging from the center of the leaves before starting to water in spring. This is usually about middle to late October(In Melbourne). Then start with very light watering. If the old leaves start to swell up again stop waterig for a couple of weeks. There is very little chance that you will under water these plants they don't need much. Even if you do give them too little water they quickly catch up with a few good drinks and can probably go many months without.
They will double after they flower at about three years old. Some species stay single all their lives. Others can form clusters a foot across with dozens of heads. They can live for a long time. I read once that there are collected plants nearly 100 years old. As Steven Hammer says the journey with lithops "from their cradle to your grave" is a long and fulflling one.

Lachy, everyone has room for an exstensive collection of lithops and there are many other nice mesembs too. Just need a place out of the rain and to learn when not to water, then they are less work than almost anything to care for. I am planning to make few dozen species available around October for anyone interested.

Have you heard of a red flowering lithop. Love mesembs dont know anyone with titanopsis like them only have four plants though does anyone in aust do a mail order for mesembs.

Hey thanks a lot.. I have propably to hasty to see the patterns form. Should have watered less. But I really thought they had all split by now...

Is it possible that they did and are splitting again due to overwatering?

In a couple of previous ones I used to have I missed the flowering because they doubled, probably due to overwatering, but they did double!

A guide to the cultivation of Lithops

http://www.lithops.info/en/