Lithops!!!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

I Like Plants........Do you water the top of the soil, or the bottom or????? How close to the plant do you water? Seems like some of these things are sooooo fussy to water, so just want to be sure. As you have managed to at least keep some alive anyway!!! Good for you!

The stem of lithops tend to suffer from rot/fungus if you water it too much. They have really long tap roots for such stumpy fellas - make sure you have a deep pot (at least 3 inches deep) and have slightly more organic material at the bottom, with more gravelly sand closer to the stem. They evolved to happily drink water from the more fertile and moist layer several inches under their rocky roosting place.

I'd say water once or twice a month is pretty sufficient for mature year-olds in the spring/summer if your pot is big-ish. Smaller pots dry out faster, so maybe once a week (depending on your local humidity and temperature) -- poke your finger at the bottom of the pot's water drainage hole to check if the soil is bone dry or not.

When they're still babies until their first dormant period they'll need more humidity and surface moisture as their tap roots are still very short. If them roots dry out, they're pretty much toast.

[Green Mantis]

FistulinaHepatica,-----------Thank you very much for the incredible site on transplanting etc. Soooo interesting. Do you happen to know Where in Calgary a person can get Bonsai mix?????

Sounds like I need some. Plus some gravel. I have a really good purchased cactus mix, but I think it would need to be mixed in with the bonsai mix. Because "when" I get a couple I don't want to lose them.

Guess I need to look on "FleaBay" too. LOL!!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

I was looking for bonsai soil too, but I wasn't looking too hard as I'm pretty happy with my perlite:potsherd bits:cactus soil mix.

FleaBay is a bit of hit and miss with regards to seeds. Once I found a reliable and reputable grower (sounds like a grow-op! ) I tend to stick to it. Reading through feedbacks is a good way to find out; some buyers will post germination %, quality of seedlings apart from the more obvious and usual "fast delivery and secure packaging".

I even risk buying seeds from European and Asian sellers if I know their reputation -- some of them will have their own Gardening Supplies business in their own countries and sell over-stock seeds on FleaBay for really cheap. I got my 70-ish lithops seeds + postage&packing for about USD$3.00 great bargain if you know how to start them!

Another good site on Lithops starting is by this guy:

https://www.strangeplants.com/

He also has his own personal favourite Lithops growing medium mix that contain more exotic ingredients

You gotta check out the wonderful Lithops graphic puzzles on his website, too! Great time waster while waiting for your seedlings to grow

[I like plants]

I Like Plants........Do you water the top of the soil, or the bottom or????? How close to the plant do you water? Seems like some of these things are sooooo fussy to water, so just want to be sure. As you have managed to at least keep some alive anyway!!! Good for you!

I water from the top until water comes out of the bottom. How close: I don't know lol. Just enough to not make a mess everywhere. Lol.

[I like plants]

When I was in SA the ranger guide I was hanging out with said that the baby lithops seeds like it really moist and quite shady and cool to germinate. They germinate late in the summer wet season, grow a fair bit in the cool-ish moist autumn before the hot blazing winter (hot and during the day, freezing cold at night), when they go completely dormant and not need any water ... until spring rains come again the following year.

I would recommend mixing lots of gravel and sand to the cactus soil you get from garden centres, as they like the growing medium very lean (2:2:1 gravel:sand:cactus soil, or even 3:3:1 if the soil is very rich)

This guy's blog is pretty good on lithops repotting

https://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-repot-lithops-living-stones.html

Thanks for the link!!!

[Green Mantis]

Fis and I like plants............... Thanks both of you for the information and Fis, for the links, VERY interesting. I'll be checking those out more tomorrow.... Fis, I have bought some plant cuttings and seeds on e-bay, have been happy with them so far, but never noticed anyone with cactus seeds. So guess I will have to check more often. Thanks again both of you. This is "FUN", look at what we are, and have learned!!!

[I like plants]

Fis and I like plants............... Thanks both of you for the information and Fis, for the links, VERY interesting. I'll be checking those out more tomorrow.... Fis, I have bought some plant cuttings and seeds on e-bay, have been happy with them so far, but never noticed anyone with cactus seeds. So guess I will have to check more often. Thanks again both of you. This is "FUN", look at what we are, and have learned!!!

I have been growing Giant Suguaro seeds that are now 1 year and a few months old. They are doing pretty well.

Your welcome for the help!

[cheesus]

Heres some of mine...
lost a couple along the way though...
not the easiest plant to please

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC01522.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC01521.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC01520.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC01519.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC00579.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC00763.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv341/mmcateer/DSC00758.jpg[/img]

[I like plants]

That's a very nice collection of Lithops. I'll take some pictures of mine soon.

[Green Mantis]

cheesus...........What kind of potting mix are you using? Seems to have lots of gravely looking stuff in it, or is it just on top?????

Congratulations on your awesome collection!!! The are beautiful.
Apparently lithops aren't for the beginners, but you have to start somewhere, I guess. I really want to try them, but NOT kill them. How many do you have??? Looks like lots? Super collection!!!

[cheesus]

just a little D.E. for topdressing. I got these lithops off of ebay about a year or so ago. I won the auction for 60 of them for 30 dollars. They were all very healthy. For potting medium, I use 40% D.E., 40%perlite or granigrit, 20% cactus soil.
Matthew

[Green Mantis]

Ok, this is going to sound incredibly stupid, but what is "D.E." ?????

[cheesus]

D.E. is diatomaceous earth. It's high fired calcined clay with a very high internal porosity. Turface is the same thing. It soaks up a lot of water but releases it slowly to the plant without keeping it saturated. I use NAPA #8822 though. It's much cheaper, easier to find and has a better particle size than turface. You do have to screen and rinse it though to avoid small particles and perched water though. Be sure to do that in a well ventilated area too. You don't want to be breathing that stuff in. I use it for a topdressing as well to look nice and to keep soil off of the stem.
Definitely get some, since I've been using it, my plants couldnt be happier.

Matthew

[FistulinaHepatica]

If you can't get plant gravelly thingamabob, you can also use NON-CLUMPING cat litter sand to help with the soil mix drainage! Make sure you rinse it well first if it's the scented variety. Don't want kittikats start pooping in your cactus/lithops pots

[Green Mantis]

cheesus, and FH,--------Thank you both very much for the suggestions. I ordered some cactus seeds from e-bay, so "when" canada post allows them to get here, I will be usuing these mixes. Thanks again. Amazing what you learn, when you ask!!!

[Green Mantis]

FH. I will definately not get the scented kind, don't want the cat in there! LOl!!!! Don't think either her, or I would be impressed.

[FistulinaHepatica]

Oh So Happy Me! Finally my long awaited hostages are freed from the Crappy Post holding depot today!

Seeds for Lithops optica var Rubra has finally arrived! Yay!

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/390Lithops_optica_var_rubra3.jpg[/img]

Hey Green Mantis, I'm going to start transferring your baby lithops into their own container so it can get used to it before their journey North. As far as I can tell, I've got about 25 baby lithops poking their curious faces to the North facing window light. I'm sure I can spare you quite a few in case some don't survive travel! Will post pics later when I get my act together!

Edit to add: Anyone living within pickup distance to Calgary are welcome to a baby Lithops or two. I don't and won't post them though; need to be pickup only as they're still pretty fragile, and who would trust Canada Post anyway PM me

[Green Mantis]

FH That would be fantasic!!! But I only want 2 or 3, I don't want to take too many plants, and look like I am being greedy!!! So glad you got your seeds through crappy post and storage!!! Now you'll be onto all sorts of other things, LOL!!!! The one pictured is very pretty! Congrats.

[FistulinaHepatica]

Oh, that pic is lifted from a South African xeraphyte website. I hope my little seeds will look like that in a couple of years or so. All sown with the other lithops seedling (so they won't get lonely so far away from SA)

Will update pictures when they *hatch*

Also got some Aloe polyphylla and Cereus forbesii spiralis seeds from same place. I like mathematically inclined plants hopefully in a couple of years or so they will look like these

Cereus forbesii spiralis:
[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Cereus_forbesii_spiralis_short_sp_810.jpg[/img]

Aloe polyphylla:
[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/aloe_polyphylla_lg.jpg[/img]

[FistulinaHepatica]

First of all, I wouldn't recommend transplanting seedlings as they are pretty fragile, but if you're really careful and have a steady hand it shouldn't hurt them too much!

1- Prepare your transport carrier and growing medium. For temporary pots I'm using a couple of egg carton nests; reason being that they are packaging for food so not likely to contain any chemicals that could hurt the roots. Plus it's kinda fun *banjo*-ing some creative solutions.

The carry case itself is a recycled cherry tomato plastic packaging. It already has ventilation holes in the bottom (which will be the top as I use it upside down)

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2314.jpg[/img]

2-I use a teaspoon of cacti & succulent soil mix

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2315.jpg[/img]

3- And two teaspoons of perlite. I don't want to use potsherds as I don't have any sterilised ones anymore ... don't want any fungi contamination now, do we?

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2316.jpg[/img]

4- Mix them together with the spoon handle, and press a dimple in the middle of each egg carton cell, I used the end of a sharpie pen.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2317.jpg[/img]

5- Make sure you transplant when it's nice and cool. I did it after sundown today - it's been pretty hot today! My little nursery of lithops is currently a recycled *Subway takeaway cookie case*

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2318.jpg[/img]

6- Before I pick out any seedlings, I used the mister and thoroughly soak growing medium and the egg carton cells, as well as some extra water in the carry case as well. The idea is to make the little air pocket in the carry case as humid as possible so that the seedlings' roots don't have to work over time to get water.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2319.jpg[/img]

7- Now.... which ones of you lot are going to have an adventure? They're about 3 weeks after sowing. I can't believe how quick they grow in size! The seeds are about the size of the fullstop at the end of this sentence, and now the biggest ones are about 3mm across their faces.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2321.jpg[/img]

Decision time... chose a couple of big 'uns and a smaller one. They're christened Tom, Dick and Harry a tweezer comes in handy. Thank the Great Pumpkin for Swiss Army Knives; they have everything but the kitchen sink built in

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2322.jpg[/img]

8- Tommy nestling in the dimple I made earlier. Don't know if you can see the tap root ... it's pretty fine and threadlike. Its VERY long compared to the lithop itself - Tom is about 6mm long, but his taproot is over 1cm!

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2323.jpg[/img]

9- *Dicky* was easier to move as he has decided to sink his taproot into a small clump of soil. I just had to lift the clump and place it in the second cell.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2324.jpg[/img]

10- Harry had a little accident I sneezed as I was moving him so one side is ever so slightly bruised. Ooooops he looks ok though. Will keep a close eye on him for the next few days to make sure he makes it.

After placing them in the dimple, I used the tweezers to gently collapse the surrounding medium onto Tom, Dick and Harry; burying all of the root and about half of their body-length. A couple more spritz of water from the mister to help the medium settle around the roots.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2326.jpg[/img]

11- Tom, Dick and Harry chilling out in their cherry tomato case, under my full spectrum lamp, ready for pickup!

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DSCN2327.jpg[/img]

[Green Mantis]

My goodness, "Tom" "Dick" & "Harry" look like they should do very well!!! That's quite a delicate process. They are so tiny and cute!!!

I have a bit different cactus mix, I must remember to bring you a bag and you can try it, see what you think of it. I happened to find it at a co-op in Red Deer, tried it and I really like it for my plants.

Those aloe's you are growing are Really neat!! You could get dizzy looking at that one long enough. LOL!!! Is it ever quite the plant. Going "round and "round like that. There sure are some interesting cactus, out there in every size, shape and description.

That must be really exciting watching those tiny lithops growing. Soooo tiny!!! Amazing what a person can make out of various containers isn't it. I use the bottom's of those fruit cups, the big ones for underneath my plant pots. Imagine I could use them for starting seeds as well. They have the lid as well, so I would just have to make some air holes and tape them like you did. Although those chicken containers really work great! Can't wait to see how these lithops turn out. Gosh they are tiny. So cute though. They will be very interesting to watch growing up.

[FistulinaHepatica]

I guess the Lithops optica rubra must REALLY like the cookie case nursery and the company of older green lithops seedlings to talk to. Believe it or not, it hatched after only 1 day!!!!

Here's the new addition to the Lithops Clan - the wee lil lads are teeny compared to their green cousins. The pink-ish blob in the middle of the pic :

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2361.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2360.jpg[/img]

Sown them LAST NIGHT. I checked them this morning and saw nothing. When I was going to mist the nursery just now I got the biggest surprise!

Life is FULL of surprises, and some of them are Danged Good!


Edit to add: Now that I thought it out in my sleep, those rubras are probably from the old mixed seed batch. There is NO WAY the seed could have hatched that quickly

[Green Mantis]

Hmmmm???? Wonder what is coming up then?? This all sounds very interesting. Can't wait to see it get bigger, could be some rare cactus?

Or maybe it did sprout that fast? Never know, but I guess over time you will find out. Lol!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

Harry didn't make it -- he's now in lithops heaven photosynthesising with a miniature harp

I've selected another robust looking meanie to replace him though. He was kinda covered in cactus soil ... so I called him (wait for it....)











DIRTY HARRY


(Bada-BING! Tssschhhhh!)

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Lithops%20transplant%2028062011/DirtyHarry.jpg[/img]

[Green Mantis]

Awwwww poor little Harry! He must have been very tender to move? He's in plant heaven now, where he will grow big. Poor thing.

Now, we have "Dirty" "Harry". LOL!!!!! Dirty Harry sounds like he should be tough!!! We Hope!

[FistulinaHepatica]

Since Tom, Dick and Dirty Harry are doing well - I figure my transplanting technique is somewhat ok.

Refined it a bit - used surgical tape wrapped and extend the reach of the tweezers; and since it is just tape at the end, it will have more grip and give on handling the seedling. Kinda like the rubber tipped tweezers I used in the fibre optics lab some years ago.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2404.jpg[/img]

Decided to transplant the older lithops seedling into a new pot which I'm going to gradually reduce humidity and dry out over the next 3 months.

There are still some seeds that haven't hatched, I'm sure, but I don't want the ones that are growing to be too damp - you can see algae creeping around in the yogurt pot nursery - plus it's so much harder counting green lithops against algae background!

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2403.jpg[/img]

Now 18 of the older ones are in their new home:

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2405.jpg[/img]

They have 3 months to fatten up before I dry them out for the winter dormant period.

Edit to add:

Here's [url=https://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?p=278481#post278481]a link to another thread with very useful lithops PDF[/url]in another forum that I regularly go to. It's a more science oriented (UBC botanical gardens forum) if you're a plant geek like me and trying to identify your Lithops species.

[Green Mantis]

FH........ Just was looking at that site, very interesting!!! I have decided that I am going to have to go with shorter plants from now on.

Which makes the cactus ideal, as long as I don't pick ones that are too tall The shelf I have, that has the flourescent lights on it, is only so high, so taller plants don't really work in there!

I totally tipped over awhile back, when you were talking about cactus seeds and ordered a Whole bunch! Yikes!!!!!

I ordered them off e-bay or Flea bay. LOl!!! From someone in Bulgaria. Is that where you got any of your seeds from???

What I was thinking, was how about I wait to pick up, "TOM", "DICK" and "DIRTY HARRY", until the seeds come. Then we can do a seed swap? I'm not going to need ALL the seeds in those packets, so why not you take some of each and hopefully one of us can keep them alive and growing........What do you think???

Then we can each have some weird seeds going. I'm saving containers now!
One thing I'd love to know is where you got your aloe polyphylla seeds from, they are so different, I'd love to get an order of seeds too. See what happens.

I couldn't believe it yesterday, we went to Wal-Mart, and they had awhole bunch of cactus plants in. I just ended up with two, but I think I might go back tonight and see if one I was thinking about, is still there. Was really surprised to see cactus in already, but Happy for sure!!!

I got my son one of the little pots that have 3 cactus plants in them, BUT the gravel on the top is GLUED down??? You can't shake it off???? Guess if he ever wants to re-pot, he'll have to break the pot??

What would they GLUE the gravel on like that? Weird? I did get one with round circles, kind of, that has white stuff on it, almost like a spiders web??? I will have to look that up and see what it's called. Really cute though, plus it's a low plant! Which is what I need. Well I better get off here, as we are going back to Wal-Mart LOL!!!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

Yes, Walmart, Crappy Tire and some high turnover garden centres have this bad habit of gluing gravel. Technically water can still pass through, but it makes repotting a bit more of a prickly endeavor. I was told that it's to make sure soil and gravel don't shake out when they move the plants as they are kept dry (thus very loose) in the pot.

Some people use chisel to remove the glued stuff
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101205172132AAC8CpZ

I've rescued many a cactus plant from store which are not glued in and have lost all their soil/gravel and just standing there in their bare roots and perishing - so I kinda see why this gluing gravel into pots have become a trend.

I've got some spare Aloe polyphylla seeds. Started a few a couple of days ago ... waiting for it to hatch, along with Cereus forbesii spiralis and [url=https://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dioscoreleph.htm]Dioscorea elephantipes[/url]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Dioscorea_elephantipes.jpg[/img]
Dioscorea elephantipes -- some people might think it's fugly, but I think it's tortoise-shell like caudex really unique! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... or beer-holder if you imbibe and get beer goggles

Well, I'm fine either way with regards to Tom, Dick and Dirty Harry. How often do you come down to Calgary? We can always swap seeds other times, as I still don't trust Crappy Post to deliver things with all the mail back log (still got several other seeds not here yet ... so they'll have to wait to be hatched next year). Don't feel obliged to trade seeds for T,D and DH; I'm just glad I don't have to cull any of them for lack of space!

[Green Mantis]

That elephants foot is fantastic!!!! It really is different, those are the kinds of plants I like. Weird looking ones So if the seeds don't get here soon, it's better not to try planting them until spring?

I am hoping they come before the 20th, that's the next day we will be in. I am still going to bring you a bag of that different cactus soil I got from the co-op in Red Deer. I mix it, but it's great stuff!!!

That doesn't make me very happy about that glued soil. I can understand WHY they do it, but if it's going to kill the plant when you re-pot, what's the point? Because the cactus that have it on them, I really like. Guess I will have to be "VERY" careful, and hope for success a lot.

When we went back into Wal-Mart ( I got the cactus I left yesterday ) We stopped at sobey's for some groceries, and I found a cactus or succulent I have never seen before.

It's called Pearl Bells ( Entretien)??????? It has the prettiest little purple flowers on it, that do look like bell's. So now I have to try looking that up, to see if that is really what it's called. It was only $3.99 too! Usually Sobey's plants are expensive, I was thrilled! It definately came home!! So am going to be doing some searching to try and find it.

Sounds like you are going to have all sorts of interesting cactus growing there!
Have you ever seen an of those string of pearl cactus? I have'nt seen any around for years. It's fun to look. Good Luck with the seeds you are waiting to come up, and I can't wait to see the three lithops!!

[Green Mantis]

I found the pearl bell flower, it's a kalanchoe, very pretty and interesting. I've never seen or heard of one before. Should be interesting to watch grow. I don't think they grow very tall, so that's great.

I just would like to give you some seeds, that you can try as well, hope they come soon.

[daveinMB]

I planted mine in my cactus garden outside, I live in Manitoba and they did great! they are in the flowering process.... speaking of which... I need pollen so I can get some seeds from these little guys... anyone wanna post me some lithops pollin????