My lithops arrived faster than expected! Now I’m in a tizzy of excitement and question everything. Can I get a gut check on my planting mix and confirmation that these are okay not to water right away? They arrived pretty plump. TYIA
The materials look good at a glance (maybe zeolite lava rock akadama and pumice in there?). Is it the entire bag that course though? The plants do need some finer grit for the root hairs to cling to. You could try adding in some perlite since that’s usually just dust anyways and will be held down by the mix, or take a hammer to the mix. That’s my opinion anyways!
Guzmanv_17
This bag is perfect… you can add in 10-15% organic but honestly they’ll do fine in this mix.
They don’t need water… you are correct and they are plump enough. Personally, just cause they’re new to you and your potting them… I would give a spoon full of water… help them settle. Watering promotes root stimulation and growth.
Use a pot that has a drainage hole and is at least 3-4 inches… 5 would be even better.
TxPep
I think the particle size is too uniformly large overall. There needs to be a range of sizes just short of dust fines.
Roots need to cling to the substrate to access the retained moisture in the surface porosity, etc. If the mix is too airy, and the pot dries out too fast… the plant doesn’t have enough time to regenerate¹ the fine root-hairs (the root structures responsible for the greater percentage of moisture uptake) and then drink up. One waters the substrate, not the roots directly in the case of traditionally potted plants.
If I were to start again, I’d probably go with the decomposed granite. I suggested the grower to another redditor. She decided to try the DG for her other lithops. She’s very happy with the results and the plants she purchased.
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¹ If you are allowing the pot to 100% dry out and stay that way for a number of extra days or weeks, the fine root-hairs are the first to die off, followed by the lateral roots. No roots, no water uptake… they need to grow back first… which they can do, they just need time.
3 Comments
The materials look good at a glance (maybe zeolite lava rock akadama and pumice in there?). Is it the entire bag that course though? The plants do need some finer grit for the root hairs to cling to. You could try adding in some perlite since that’s usually just dust anyways and will be held down by the mix, or take a hammer to the mix. That’s my opinion anyways!
This bag is perfect… you can add in 10-15% organic but honestly they’ll do fine in this mix.
They don’t need water… you are correct and they are plump enough. Personally, just cause they’re new to you and your potting them… I would give a spoon full of water… help them settle. Watering promotes root stimulation and growth.
Use a pot that has a drainage hole and is at least 3-4 inches… 5 would be even better.
I think the particle size is too uniformly large overall. There needs to be a range of sizes just short of dust fines.
Roots need to cling to the substrate to access the retained moisture in the surface porosity, etc. If the mix is too airy, and the pot dries out too fast… the plant doesn’t have enough time to regenerate¹ the fine root-hairs (the root structures responsible for the greater percentage of moisture uptake) and then drink up. One waters the substrate, not the roots directly in the case of traditionally potted plants.
🌱 Native habitat pics
https://www.travel-tour-guide.com/Namaqualand_flowers_photos_south_africa_succulents_trip/07_lithops_photos_conophytum_photos_fenestraria.htm
🪴 The grower I purchased from uses decomposed granite mixed with about 5-10% organic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNWVgB9JzyC/
🪴 I use this.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeaFVtog8g-/
If I were to start again, I’d probably go with the decomposed granite. I suggested the grower to another redditor. She decided to try the DG for her other lithops. She’s very happy with the results and the plants she purchased.
•○•
¹ If you are allowing the pot to 100% dry out and stay that way for a number of extra days or weeks, the fine root-hairs are the first to die off, followed by the lateral roots. No roots, no water uptake… they need to grow back first… which they can do, they just need time.