Lithops - Orchid Board

Jennyfleur · #1 03-20-2011, 11:34 AM

Hi everyone,
Just for a bit of fun, I thought I'd have a lithop post

I started growing these about 15 years ago. Actually, to say that I 'grow' them sounds as if I have dedicated a lot of time to them, researched them etc. when all I did was find a pot for them and put them on a windowsil!

I guess you can say I started with 4, but they have all grown and divided so much, it's best to say I have four pots with multiple inhabitants. So, here are a couple of photos. Three out of the four have yellow flowers (these flower every summer) and one has pink flowers (which looks more orange in the picture, and this one flowers in the spring).

Since they live in a south facing window, they get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. I water them with either tap water or rain water and they don't seem to mind either and they get more water in the summer (maybe once a month) than the winter (maybe once or twice druing the whole season, if that) - it kinda depends when I remember. That's really it to be honest! However, here's a link to a lithop website with lots more info and pictures (especially if you scroll the page the link takes you to) and, I have admit, I've learnt a lot from it already, which can only be good

Gallery: Lithops

Paul Mc · #2 03-20-2011, 11:44 AM

WOW, I'm soooo jealous! I have tried and tried with them and never succeeded. They would start to divide and then die.

I'm reading the link you gave now. Maybe I'll give them another whirl!

Jennyfleur · #3 03-20-2011, 11:55 AM

Hi, hope it helps

The only advice I feel I'm qualified to give is that humidity just doesn't seem work from what I can tell. I bought one for my best friend as I thought they were pretty much un-killable and he has a horrible track record with plants. After a year of sitting on his old kitchen windowsil (which regularly got very steamy), it had grown very tall (whereas mine stay very low) and then turned a bit mulchy and died

Triffid · #4 03-23-2011, 05:39 AM

Wonderful flowers and interesting plants! Been eyeing these up a few times now.... May have to get some too!
Thanks for letting us see!

Discus · #5 03-23-2011, 05:48 AM

Fingers crossed, my Lithops and related plants are in the same room as my orchids, and the humidity doesn't seem to have made them too sad - they do get very strong sunlight on them for quite a lot of the day, though, which may help!