Frequently Asked Questions

When receiving a bare root cactus or succulent, it is important to have the substrate prepared when receiving the plant: 30% soil, leaves + 70% maicillo (or stones of approx. 3-4 mm in diameter, the gravel of aquarium) and the pot (s) for transplanting. For more details see the next question.

Once in their pots, the plants should be in semi-shade for one or two weeks, since being in a closed box in the dark they become a little more sensitive to the rays of the sun, which can cause burns.

The first watering is done a week after transplanting unless they have been in the box for a long time (more than 2 weeks), in which case it is best to water the first day.

2/3 year old Lithops can survive bare root in a box (outside temperatures above 0 ° C) for about 3/4 weeks.

There are many mixes of substrates for Lithops, most will do. There are four conditions that are essential for a Lithops substrate: porosity, low richness (nutritive elements), low moisture retention and somewhat acidic reaction (PH between 6 and 7, never more than 7). Porosity is achieved with inorganic substrate with a grain size of approximately 2-4 mm; the richness, water retention and acidity will be given by the organic part of the substrate, and it is controlled with a low organic content (no more than 30% organic matter; such as soil, compost, humus, etc.). A well-draining substrate mix is ​​a mix that dries completely after good watering in 48 hours. The mixture that I currently use is a mixture of 30% of leaf soil (or compost of leaves or matillo of leaves or universal black earth) sifted through a 4 mm mesh and 70% of sifted maicillo (the dust is removed through a strainer with an opening of approx. 1 mm and particles larger than 4-5 mm) or pebbles with a granulometry of 2 to 4 mm in diameter are removed.

See videos in the section Manuales

The irrigation that I personally applied based on my experience in Chile is:

• Summer: sporadic and superficial waterings, so that only about the upper half of the soil is moistened. It is safe to give enough water to restore the firm appearance of the plant.
• Autumn: increase the frequency of watering and water abundantly. Let the substrate dry completely between waterings. The waterings should be reduced gradually after the flowering period.
• Winter: do not water.
• Spring: start watering lightly, increase the amount of water gradually. Let the substrate dry completely between waterings. Reduce watering in late spring.

The amount of hours of exposure to the sun is one of the key factors in the cultivation of Lithops.

It requires at least 4 hours of direct sun a day, ideally the morning sun. The midday sun during the summer on very hot days can burn the Lithops, try to protect it with some mesh. Ideally, place them in a window facing east.

Lithops need very little fertilization. If you want to fertilize, it is recommended to use liquid fertilizer with low N content (since a high proportion of nitrogen causes in succulent plants the creation of very weak and watery tissues, as well as a decrease in the number of flowers produced and even their non-appearance ) twice a year only in the growth period, bone, once in early fall and again in early spring. The proportion of the compost compounds should be approximately: N: P: K = 10:20:30 or 4: 8: 8, use approximately 0.5-1 g. per liter of water. (* data: Nitrogen: favors growth and gives plants that green and healthy color, Phosphorus: especially favors flowering and Potassium: makes plants harder and more resistant to drought). Use trace elements, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese and other minor elements if the fertilizer used has a low or no richness in them.

The Lithops transplant can be done in any season of the year, but it is recommended to do the transplant during the growth stage of the Lithops (autumn, winter and early spring), ideally at the beginning of this in the first days of autumn. The ideal thing is to do the transplant once every two years, but it is not completely necessary if the Lithops is in a good sized pot. The transplant should be done when the substrate is completely dry. Once the transplant is done you should wait at least 5 days for the roots to heal well (unless you bought Lithops with bare roots and come from far away with the roots already healed after so many days traveling, in that case water from Immediate and place in a place that comes only about 2 hours of direct sun and other than the midday sun, since after so many days locked in a box they can be affected by the sun at once, after about 10 days place the sun with normal sun hours for a Lithops).

See videos in the section Manuales

1. If you notice that the Lithops starts to lengthen, it means that you are missing sun. A healthy Lithops does not have a height greater than 1 cm. To solve this problem it is important to incorporate the sun very gradually, since the plant got used to the shade and can burn easily.
2. If you notice that the Lithops starts to swell a lot and even crack, it means that you are watering too much. A healthy Lithops does not exceed 4 cm in diameter per head.
   

• During the first month: lots of light, without direct sunlight.
• During the second month: a lot of light, with indirect sun (sun through a net or mesh).
• During the third month: gradually incorporate the sun.
• Finally, the idea is to have 3 to 4 hours of direct sun at the beginning of each day and plenty of light, until 18 months of age, then they should be treated like any adult Lithops.

With good environmental conditions, such as those achieved indoors with air conditioning or heating and a good amount of light, Lithops seeds can be sown year-round. If you want to sow outdoors, early spring is recommended for countries with very cold winters and mild summers (so that the plants are of adequate size when winter arrives) and early autumn for countries with little cold winters and very hot summers (so that the plants are of adequate size when summer arrives).

See manual "2-Siembra Manual.pdf" in Manuals section or download directly from the following link: 2-Manual Siembra.pdf

See video of Germination of Cactus and Succulents (Lithops) seeds in cotton in  Manuals section.