help my lithops!

[mikaelagreyy]

I left my plants in the care of a friend while I was out of town for 2 weeks and did not specify to her their individual care needs (I have a little bit of everything) and she said she watered everything every other day! how disastrous for my little succulents. I'm most worried about my lithops!

obviously the little guys not doing too great. is there any way I can save him? from what ive read so far hes gonna die.

[rainbowgardener]

To start with, what you have is not a lithops, it is pleiospilos. They are both in the ice plant family but separate genus. Here's a thread about the differences, with pictures: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... ps#p320816

It is a common error. Both of them are sometimes called stone plants, living stones, etc.

Yes every other day watering is TERRIBLE for your pleiospilos, which is incredibly sensitive to too much water. Lesson learned, you need to leave detailed written instructions about the needs of each plant or group of plants (it helps to group them by common needs) for caretakers.

I am not sure what to do now, except leave it alone and see if it pulls through. It needs plenty of light and very sandy pebbly free draining soil and no more water for a long time and no fertilizer. It will either heal itself or it won't and I don't think there's anything you can do to change that.

[mikaelagreyy]

@rainbowgardener
thank you for clarifying that it is a pleiospilos! ive put it on a sunnier windowsill than made it clear to my room mates to not disturb. hopefully it'll pull through, thank you for the help!

[mikaelagreyy]

good news! although the splits on the individual leaves were from over watering, there are new leaves coming in so that means the split down the center is due to that! its looking more optimistic that the plant will live! ive stopped all watering (following advice from other forum) and hopefully in a few weeks the new leaves will have fully emerged. I'll post pics later!

[mikaelagreyy]

I'm not sure how long it takes for the new leaves to come in (2 weeks?) but there seems to be good progress! don't mind the bad colouring of the photos but I tried to get a clear shot so you can see the new leaves coming in. so exciting!

[rainbowgardener]

Yay!!!

[mikaelagreyy]

another update! its looking really great, although a bit wrinkly. I was wondering when the old leaves will shrivel and go away. I read it was only supposed to be a few weeks, but its been about 2 months since it started this process. also, it will get bigger, right? its about half the size of the old growth right now. other than that, it looks pretty healthy!

[veeneck]

These things need to be really really dry. I have killed a few just by watering once a week. Once a month is more like it, if the plant is in the sun, and in the winter no water at all. These are the most drought tolerant plants in the world.

[mikaelagreyy]

thanks veeneck, ive been giving it a little every other week or so and it seems to be doing well but thats good to know for next winter. it got over watered and nearly died!

[david90531]

It is a Lithops after all... the first pictures I too thought it was something more of the Pleiospilos lane...
I'm glad it is doing much better, looking good! I would get it out of that soil though, it won't do well in there for the long run, and you'll make your life much easier if they stay in more porous, sandy/gritty soil mix.

[rainbowgardener]

Agree about the soil.

Re the ID... still not sure. It looked so clearly like the pleiospilos in the first picture, why would it be so different now?


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... okerii.jpg

the rounder greener one on left is a pleiospilos, the flatter browner one is lithops.

Here's what the lithops looks like dividing:


https://www.strangeplants.com/Img/tLitho/DSC09174cwx.jpg

so I'm still not sure, but maybe you are right and I was wrong....