Lithops - What do I do now?

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Ivan C
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Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Ivan C »

We went to our City GreenHouse Tour & Open House and they had this Lithops for me to buy. It looks like it was just recently given a drink and the soil appears to be regular potting soil. I would like to take it out of that and into a good soil mix. It is about 1 1/2" (4 cm) across. It appears to be very plump and it is totally solid. It was labeled lithops aucampiae but I am not so sure that is what it is. It is a blue/grey colour and most of the pictures I have seen appear to be a tan colour.

I would like to know first off what to label it and also can I take it out and wash it off and let it sit and dry and repot it? Any other help would be appreciated.
2600 lithops aucampiae 04.28.2013.jpg
2600 lithops aucampiae 04.28.2013.jpg (35.46 KiB) Viewed 2143 times
iann
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by iann »

Not L. aucampiae. I think this is L. marmorata, not one you run across every day. Also not one of the easiest, it needs good light and a careful hand with the water or it will grow three inches tall :shock: Or just maybe it is a very pale L. karasmontana, which is one of the species you do run across every day.

Are those tiny new leaves growing in the centre? Right on time. This is a good time to repot, before you need to water it, which would probably kill it in that soil :lol: More grit, preferably less (or no!) peat and wood. Don't be afraid to leave it dry for many weeks, those old leaves need to dry out and it looks like its had enough to drink until about August :lol: Post a new picture when the new leaves come through, they might look very different and give clues to the name.

This is a variable species (aren't they all!):
marmorata4.jpg
marmorata4.jpg (71.07 KiB) Viewed 2137 times
Here is one more similar to yours:
marmorata5.jpg
marmorata5.jpg (53.71 KiB) Viewed 2137 times
--ian
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Ivan C
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Ivan C »

This is a shot of the roots before the repot. I am finding it extremely difficult to find the right soil to add. I thought since it was finally spring there would be a bigger variety of soil mixes. But for some reason this year most of the soil now has a "wetting agent" added to it. Whatever that is. Might as well put a 007 after the name since it appears to be a secret agent. Also all the soil already comes with NPK added as well. No such a thing as pure sandy loam. All has humus, peat, and whatever as the ingredients. I will just have to keep searching. At this time of year there should probably be the most variety.
2619 lithops aucampiae 04.29.2013.jpg
2619 lithops aucampiae 04.29.2013.jpg (34.21 KiB) Viewed 2103 times
iann wrote:Are those tiny new leaves growing in the centre? Right on time. This is a good time to repot, before you need to water it, ....
Yes and here is a top view.
2625 Lithops marmorata 04.30.2013.jpg
2625 Lithops marmorata 04.30.2013.jpg (47.23 KiB) Viewed 2103 times
iann
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by iann »

Nothing wrong with a wetting agent as such. It is simply a detergent, not harmful despite the implications of "wetting" in this context. What is harmful is the reason it is added: because the soil is based on peat and possibly bark which are difficult to re-wet when they become dry. You don't want those ingredients in your pot, or only as a very small percentage. Your Lithops shows the typical result of growing in peat: stunted roots. To be honest, that plant will always struggle and this could be part of the reason why these factory-grown Lithops always die. It might even be better to chop it and re-root although this isn't something I've experimented with.

Here is what Lithops roots should be like. That is a mature single-headed Lithops, probably L. pseudotruncatella so a good size. The body will be about an inch tall, with a good inch of thick taproot followed by another 2-3 inches of fibrous roots, and the photo can't do justice to the mass of fine feeder roots that are present when the plant is watered.
roots-230810.jpg
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On the right is Fenestraria with its crazy mas of roots and on the left a Copiapoa with a rather sparse set of thickened roots.
--ian
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Ivan C
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Ivan C »

Here is a couple updated views. Will this remain as one plant or will it sprout more at the base?
Lithops marmorata 06.22.2013.jpg
Lithops marmorata 06.22.2013.jpg (31.06 KiB) Viewed 2028 times
iann
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by iann »

It looks OK, but very late. I guess winter only finished a couple of weeks ago in Ontario? You have better colour on the new leaves. I wonder if this might be L. karasmontana, ever so common in box stores. Have you watered yet?

In answer to your question, it won't do anything! It certainly won't sprout from the base (OK it might, but that is extremely rare). The outer leaves will slowly dry up over the summer (they will, or you are watering too much!), with luck it will produce a flower in the autumn, and then a new pair of leaves will emerge over the winter. In time, you may get two pairs of leaves emerging one winter, that's as exciting as it gets.
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Ivan C
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Ivan C »

It looks OK, but very late. I guess winter only finished a couple of weeks ago in Ontario? You have better colour on the new leaves. I wonder if this might be L. karasmontana, ever so common in box stores. Have you watered yet?
Oh no... our winter finishes in March but this year we have had, like everyone else, some very flip-flop weather. Generally it has been good but a couple weeks late. I got it from a horticultural club not a box store so I don't know how common it might be.

I took a look at some L. karasmontana images and I don't believe it is that.

I got it late April and repotted into new soil within a couple days. I then gave it a sip a couple weeks later and nothing since. I feel the outer leaves and they are still quite firm so I am not taking a chance with water. It is tempting and very unusual not to water during the growing season for most plants.
Lithops-top1.jpg
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In answer to your question, it won't do anything! It certainly won't sprout from the base (OK it might, but that is extremely rare). The outer leaves will slowly dry up over the summer (they will, or you are watering too much!), with luck it will produce a flower in the autumn, and then a new pair of leaves will emerge over the winter. In time, you may get two pairs of leaves emerging one winter, that's as exciting as it gets.
Thanks for that info. I hope when it flowers, it will be easier to ID.
Lithops-top2.jpg
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Ivan C
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Ivan C »

I finally noticed some action. It looks like it is splitting? New pairs of leaves? And maybe, just maybe a flower?
L. karasmontana subsp. karasmontana var. lericheana_1446.jpg
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Saxicola
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Saxicola »

Glad to see it is doing well! It is probably new leaves. All of mine are in the process of putting out new leaves now. It makes me happy because several of mine got scorched or damaged in the course of moving to my new house last summer (the new yard gets a lot more sun than the old). Thankfully, unlike cacti, those scars go away with the old leaves!
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by CactusFanDan »

New leaves. :)
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iann
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by iann »

Late for a flower, but maybe. Probably leaves.
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Ivan C
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Re: Lithops - What do I do now?

Post by Ivan C »

iann wrote:... In time, you may get two pairs of leaves emerging one winter, that's as exciting as it gets.
And here we are. I'm happy to see this. I've decided to name it...
Lithops karasmontana subsp. karasmontana var. lericheana C329.jpg
Lithops karasmontana subsp. karasmontana var. lericheana C329.jpg (41.71 KiB) Viewed 1599 times
Interesting to note. Double the quantity but half the size.
Lithops karasmontana 06282014.jpg
Lithops karasmontana 06282014.jpg (51.83 KiB) Viewed 1491 times
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