40+ Lithops. What now?

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From0to10in2weeks
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40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

Hi, I couldn't resist that pot with 40+ lithops yesterday and it followed me home from a big box store... :lol:

But now what? My understanding is that it is better to separate them than leaving them in such a large cluster. And the substrate looks rather organic. So, I could repot them changing to a more suitable substrate. But is it better to do this now heading into winter or wait till next spring?

Of course, there was no label on the pot. So, I have no idea what species they are. But I see a number of them have white, dried out flakes looking like "silk paper" surrounding them. I presume that these are the remnants of the former leaves. Hence, I infer that these are summer growers. Would you agree? And what do you do with those white flakes?

Also, would you water them once more before winter? Or just leave them without water till next spring?

Thanks. Best.
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keith
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by keith »

Also, would you water them once more before winter? Or just leave them without water till next spring?"

Now you will be a Lithops expert. I'm not but this is what I do beside rotting them.

I wouldn't water them unless they shrivel they look full of water from the picture. Plus usually they don't get watered after they flower in the fall until Spring when new bodies appear growing out of the old bodies which turn into the white dry paper looking stuff which you can remove carefully sometimes.
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7george
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by 7george »

From0to10in2weeks wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:13 pm Hi, I couldn't resist that pot with 40+ lithops yesterday and it followed me home from a big box store... :lol:

But now what? My understanding is that it is better to separate them than leaving them in such a large cluster. And the substrate looks rather organic. So, I could repot them changing to a more suitable substrate. But is it better to do this now heading into winter or wait till next spring?
Do it when you have time for this. Not into 40 new pots but into several ones leaving them space to grow. Soil replacement is a good idea too.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

keith wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:33 pm I wouldn't water them unless they shrivel they look full of water from the picture.
Their surfaces though are all wrinkly/bumpy. Aren't they supposed to be smooth?

Best.
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

7george wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 12:40 am Do it when you have time for this. Not into 40 new pots but into several ones leaving them space to grow. Soil replacement is a good idea too.
Thanks. It sounds like you think there is no rush, right? Also, how many individuals can one fit into this pot (10 cm diameter) for instance such that they are comfortable? I don't have a good sense how large they'll actually get. Not knowing the species doesn't help...

Best.
bbarv
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by bbarv »

Nice pot of seedlings!
I would mist it couple of times and repot at the end of February-beginning of March.
Could be Lithops hookeri
https://www.succulentguide.com/cactus/ ... es=hookeri
https://www.succulentguide.com/cactus/ ... s&species=
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

bbarv wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:28 pm Nice pot of seedlings!
I would mist it couple of times and repot at the end of February-beginning of March.
Could be Lithops hookeri
https://www.succulentguide.com/cactus/ ... es=hookeri
https://www.succulentguide.com/cactus/ ... s&species=
Thanks for the suggestion. And volunteering an ID guess. The variability in appearance within one species is... mind boggling. Best.
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by 7george »

You can place at least 5 - 6 in a pot depending on their size and your plans to grow them. At next thinning you will know how many to leave in a pot, do not consider 100% surviving even sometimes this can be the fact.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

7george wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:59 am You can place at least 5 - 6 in a pot depending on their size and your plans to grow them. At next thinning you will know how many to leave in a pot, do not consider 100% surviving even sometimes this can be the fact.
Thanks. And understood.
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

I happened to go to a local cactus nursery here in Berlin last week. There I learned that this pot I bought at a Bauhaus was originally from them. They confirmed that this is a mixture of hookeri variants. They also strongly advised against repotting now but wait till next year.
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by keith »

Their surfaces though are all wrinkly/bumpy. Aren't they supposed to be smooth?" I think that's normal for some Lithops.

I would look at the sides like Picture 20 and 39 they look pretty fat and smooth to me. When the sides get wrinkled in the morning you can think about watering but not in the Winter let them wrinkle then and they should grow new stems out of the old stem.

In the Hot sun they can Wrinkle but fill up by Morning. So I look in the am. Lithops need very careful watering at least the way I grow them ( outside) or they rot. And in the Summer I have stopped flood watering like with cactus and just use a shot glass full of water or they rot. I think some go dormant in Summer when its hot with long days not sure yet. They seem to start up again in the Fall like now.
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

keith wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:02 pm Their surfaces though are all wrinkly/bumpy. Aren't they supposed to be smooth?" I think that's normal for some Lithops.
Yes, you're right. I confirmed with the cacti nursery that at least for L. hookeri this is as expected.
keith wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:02 pm I would look at the sides like Picture 20 and 39 they look pretty fat and smooth to me. When the sides get wrinkled in the morning you can think about watering but not in the Winter let them wrinkle then and they should grow new stems out of the old stem.
They are actually as bumpy/wrinkly at the surface as all the others. The photo is misleading. And I understand about keeping them dry in the winter.

I actually did a little experiment and locally applied a few drops of water around #30. I got some water on top of it but I wicked it away with a paper towel. Well, it turned squishy within a few days... And I expected it to be my first Lithops fatality. But it appears to have recovered! Now, it's not quite as firm as all the others but it's definitely much firmer than just after watering.

Lithops are... whack. Sure enough, on the trip to the local cacti nursery I purchased a small pot with two L. karasamontana. Both about pushing out flowers. Yes, I realise it's cheating... Oh well. I just tried to pollinate both of them. Exciting.
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

You were right! Thanks.
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by keith »

They are actually as bumpy/wrinkly at the surface as all the others. The photo is misleading.'

Not the top I meant the side of the stem as it comes out of the ground look for wrinkles on that part of the lithops.
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Re: 40+ Lithops. What now?

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

The one Lithops (#30) I've locally added a few drops of water to indeed died. Fickle little buggers. But lesson learned. Glad I tried it only with one.
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