Lithops: slow splitting

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From0to10in2weeks
Posts: 185
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:45 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Lithops: slow splitting

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

Hi all,

I observed the first splitting in this pot of Lithops hookerii in the week of November 21st 2020. The number of plants showing signs of splitting then slowly increased by about 3-4 per week. Then, there was a sudden jump in numbers from 22 to 31 in the first week of February 2021. But now it seems to have stalled again (still 31) and progress is really slow overall.

Here are photos of the pot on December 29nd 2020 and today.

Lithops_hookerii_Dez2020_IMG_5080.jpg
Lithops_hookerii_Dez2020_IMG_5080.jpg (284.54 KiB) Viewed 1589 times
Lithops_hookerii_Feb2021_IMG_5276.jpg
Lithops_hookerii_Feb2021_IMG_5276.jpg (263.98 KiB) Viewed 1589 times

Is that normal? The pot is located on the window sill of a southeast facing window. In addition, it's been under a grow light. Temperature in the shade on that window sill in the past months varied between 16 C at night to 22 C during a few sunny days. I haven't watered the pot since I bought it in early September 2020. Well, I locally watered one isolated Lithops and it promptly died. And two neighbouring plants also seem to be affected somewhat.

What would you suggest I do? Wait it out? I had hoped to transplant them into a larger pot with better soil...

Thank you. Best.
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greenknight
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Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: Lithops: slow splitting

Post by greenknight »

Just wait. The drying off of the old leaves is a gradual process, there's no way to hurry it. Give no water until it's finished.
Spence :mrgreen:
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From0to10in2weeks
Posts: 185
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:45 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Re: Lithops: slow splitting

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

greenknight wrote: Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:30 am Just wait. The drying off of the old leaves is a gradual process, there's no way to hurry it. Give no water until it's finished.
Thanks for the reassurance. What confuses me is the large difference in the extent of splitting between them. Or the variation in time it took to get started. Most photos of Lithops in one pot of the same age I've seen seem to suggest that they are more or less on the same cycle.

Best.
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