I'm in the same boat Joe, so I'm anxious to see what the response is. Lithops are new to me and I'm hoping mine don't give up the fight. I got a cluster of 3 Lithops werneri, the largest of which has no roots. The other 2 had decent roots. I give mine a very light spritz once a week and that seems to be OK. I'm hoping the largest one will put down new roots once the days start getting longer.
Amy

Cool. Just like an autumn crocus :)

D'oh! Wrong thread. Here's my reply for this thread:

I'm curious how you're treating them that they shrivel so quickly. On a sunny window sill? In a warm indoor room? This isn't just idle curiosity. I've often wondered that Lithops appear to be taking on water even in absolutely dust-dry soil, as if they were absorbing it from the air. Maybe the roots literally are taking on water just from the humid air and your plants are unable to do that?

Anyway, on to more practical matters. What you have is a cutting. Treat it like a cutting. Bright but not too sunny. Not too warm, but bottom heat may be helpful. A dry substrate but occasional water. Obviously it will root much better in spring.

There's nothing wrong with watering a Lithops in winter, if it needs it. But you might be able to let your little cuttings shrivel a lot more than you think. The more they shrivel, the less water they will lose, until they are hidden inside a dry husk like a Conophytum. Make them work for their water and maybe they'll decide they need roots after all :)

Hey Shrubs n Bulbs,

Mine are in a east window that is supplimented with compact flourescent lighting on a timer once the sun is no longer shining through the glass (thats about 4.5 hrs here right now). I'd guess their total photoperiod is around 10 hrs. Not much humidity in Minnesota right now...so dry is very dry. It doesnt get terribly warm either, they're are on a stand behind the window - temps in the Mid 60's F during the day and probably high 50's at night.

PS I followed your advice and brought the thermals to England, but I never needed them. Cold in the UK is nowhere near cold in Minnesota! It was 2 degrees F (-17 C)when I left MN. Magpies 1 - Evil Arsenal 0 was a fantastic result...loved that one. ManU 4 - Wigan 0 was fun too.

Best Regards!
Joe

It's so dry here that just thinking about taking a shower hurts! Some of my Lithops are retaining water well, others need a little drink weekly. I've found that keeping them in one of those little plastic greenhouses that come filled with 6 baby cacti in one inch pots helps them out some. I'm waiting for spring when I can set them outside and give them a breath of fresh air. I'm sure they'll be able to absorb water from the moist spring air. The humidity in our house must be about 30%!

My Argies and Titanopsis also need water weekly. The Argies let me know when they wrinkle up. My Cheiridopsis are fairing much better, but then they are larger and have larger roots too. It's all speculation on my part, but it's what I've observed.

Amy

I keep my Lithops (just a few...) on a windowsill facing east where I close the blinds at night (so they sit between the blind and against the window...) My house is old, so I'm sure some nights, it can get pretty darned cold against that glass with the blind blocking the "heat" (I keep it 60-62) in the house. I typically water mine every 2-4 weeks, depending on how much sun they get.

Joe, I would just water when you think they need it. When books say "don't water at all in winter" I take it with the grain of salt. We all have different growing conditions and you have to adjust for your conditions. And watching the plant is probably your best guage. I think you're on the right track.

Denise in Omaha

-8C (18F) here last night, Joe. You were here in a heatwave! Actually you were here in normal "mild" December weather. Last night was the coldest temperature I've recorded since moving here five years ago.

You guys can only go by what your plants are doing and I'm not there to see them, but I still worry :) Putting Lithops behind the curtains is a good idea provided you don't freeze them. They definitely appreciate a cool night. And low humidity is your friend. Better I think to stick with the low humidity and water occasionally. I would love to be back in sub-30% humidity (well, I wouldn't but the Lithops would) instead of 60%.

Remember they are supposed to shrivel up over winter, it is the new leaves inside that matter now and you want the old ones to be thinned and even a bit crispy when they are ready to break through. Look at the base of taller plants and you might see a bulge that is the new leaf pair trying to grow. Probably a bit early yet, but new plants are often on a weird timetable. Most of my Lithops are now wrinkled to some extent, although the largest ones aren't yet, and I have no intention of watering until the new leaves are fully through and the old leaves are gone.

Hang in there with the "cuttings", they have a habit of growing roots just when you thought they were dead. Just don't rot them by fussing too much.

Thanks for the advice S&B. Would it be asking too much of you to post a picture of your most wrinkled plant to give us an idea of what you're describing?
Amy

You don't have to ask me twice to go out snapping photos :)

L. dorotheae, a bit tall and wrinkling from the base. Also a bit dusty!
{{gwi:738253}}

L. otzeniana, healthy plants, thoroughly wrinkled.
{{gwi:738255}}

A couple of L. hookeri.
{{gwi:738257}}
{{gwi:738259}}

And another, L. gesinae var annae.
{{gwi:721146}}

Compared to a larger L. gesinae which isn't wrinkling yet.
{{gwi:738262}}

I have to admit, I don't have the guts to let my Lithops get that shriveled. Mine get stingy splashes of water throughout the winter, but like Amy said of her area, the air is very dry here.
What works for one person doesn't always do it for another-- if I let my plants get too dry and they lose too many roots, it makes it difficult to get them going in spring without rotting them. I want to get them outside ASAP. We generally have quite a bit of rain in spring. I don't have a covered shelter for them, and since we farm I tend to be a little too busy at that time of year to do much plant coddling/relocating. When it starts to rain, there are other things that need doing before I'll get around to bringing the Lithops in. It's best that they have an active root system before they go outside.

On occasion I'll have a plant that hangs on to its old leaves a little too long because of the cushy growing (compared to no water all winter), but it's better that way than having them all turn to mush in spring.
Now if I had a greenhouse I could probably let those little suckers shrivel.

IMO, you're doing the right thing, Joe. I'm going through about the same thing trying to re-root some optica rubras that the cat ravaged. They've been gradually putting out new leaves since last summer-- a painfully slow process-- and I've been trying to do the correct water dance. I'm not sure whether they have any roots or not at this point, but I'm not about to pull them up to find out! Best of luck getting your plants going!

Wow S&B, some of your more wrinkled Lithops actually look more wrinkled than mine! So I guess I'm coddling them and need to knock it off! LOL

While we're on the subject, I received a L. pseudotruncatella ssp. volki in horrible condition. It was withered so badly it looked like it was on the brink of death. I potted it anyway and put it on the windowsill with the others. It has since dried to a flaky, flat disk with roots. I am leaving it in hopes that, by some miracle, it might spring to life come spring. What do you think? Should I toss it or leave it alone and see what happens? It looks quite dead now and is completely dessicated.

Jen, I'm with you on keeping the roots healthy through winter in order to make the outdoor transition easier in spring. I give just enough water to keep the roots viable because I don't want my plants to lose them completely in winter. We northerners have to make compromises because of our climate which is not conducive to growing these plants we are so in love with!

Amy

Lithops are really well adapted to long drought. I always start with gentle watering in spring, just to give the roots chance to kick start. I inherited a L. bromfeldii a few months ago that looked and felt more like a walnut than a live plant, but it puffed up with no problems. The skin is still incredibly tough and it will be interesting to see it anything can break out in spring. I don't see any harm in gently watering a really dessicated Lithops in winter, I just wouldn't want to get one full to bursting point at this time. Also, give it time if it doesn't respond to the first watering, wait a few weeks and try again. Whatever the situation, a Lithops can always wait an extra week or two for water. I've never killed one by underwatering, including living in the US, and I don't imagine I ever will.

L. optica 'Rubra', BTW, I've taken to spraying very regularly (I've stopped now for the winter) with just an occasional full watering. It does nothing quickly and needs a delicate balance to keep the new leaves healthy and still consume the old ones.

Thanks folks,

An excellent perusal,

Me... I'm now fluent in Lithops:)

Am I doing something wrong here? Mine are much more shriveled than yours. You can see the new ones coming up. I thought I wasn't suppose to be watering when they were like this?{{gwi:738264}}

Joel,
You're not supposed to water them when the new leaves push through because they will absorb the moisture from the old ones. That's the general rule at least.

Here's my most wrinkled one. It's shriveling at an alarming rate but I don't see new leaves pushing through yet.

Lithops lesliei Pietersburg

{{gwi:738266}}

The plumpest are these two:

Lithops lesliei 'Albinica'

{{gwi:738268}}

A slightly dusty Lithops julii v fulleri

{{gwi:738270}}

This has been a very interesting discussion!

Amy

Joel, you live in the desert, you get to make your own rules :)

Your plants look healthy enough for now, but you can probably give them a little water without causing too much damage. Looks like your plants are way ahead of mine. Even the ones that are starting to split will barely move until I get some sun in another two or three months. Some desert dwellers spray in winter and water deeply in spring and autumn. Keep an eye on the new heads and water just sufficiently to keep them happy while the old leaves shrivel away. Tricky thing with multiple plants in one pot, I wouldn't want to give any water to the one on the left ;)

I might be tempted to give that L. leslie a little spritz, Amy :) Although I don't think its in any danger at the moment. I find that they respond dramatically to even a little water in winter.

A spray bottle! I like that. Thanks. It just gets tough trying to find advice that applies out here. The one gentleman from Ohio was talking about 60%-30% humidity just blew my mind. I've seen it go below 6%.
Seperate species can be a pain, but they do look sharp in a large and shallow pot. I will try a spray bottle though. That really sounds like the ticket.

What a great column on growing lithops - I really appreciate all the good tips in here. After the great lithopcide of last winter I have had good luck with growing these great plants. I have found that the spray bottle is the only way to go in watering them in the winter (or anytime for that matter).

For those who really like growing these plants and if you dont already have it -Lithops - Treasures of the Veld by Steven A. Hammer is a great all encompassing book on lithops and gives a great understanding of these plants.

ToddO

Not sure if it matters, but the ones I am having trouble with are all L. karasmontana bella in case that helps. I'd feel better if there was a sign of the new growth breaking through...the formely "rootless one" seems to be the best of the lot.

Regards,
Joe

L. karasmontana ssp bella:
{{gwi:738272}}

Thanks S&B, mine are currently more wrinkled with no hint of new growth peaking through the middle. Not sure if that's good or bad! Awesome looking little plants though.

Regards,
Joe

HereÂs mine today. I donÂt think that I have watered them in a couple of months and I havenÂt been planning to water them until April.
One of these days I will figure out how to get close-ups from my camera.
Clockwise from top left L. julii ssp. fulleri, L. lesliei "Albinica", L. schwantesii and L. marmorata "Framesii"
Ian

Joe, in an ideal world the outer leaves become very thin as the new ones develop and then just part and wither away, a bit like Ian's L. schwantesii is doing. But Lithops in cultivation are often too tall and fat, like my L. bella, and then things are not so pretty. If the leaves don't wrinkle up a lot before the new ones come then they have to fight through all the flab to find the light and each generation of leaves gets taller and taller. Look how thick and fleshy the old leaves are still despite appearing so wrinkled. Everything comes right a lot easier if you have really strong sun, but they'll have to wait until April or May for any worthwhile sun.

i noticed in a post further up this page that someone said that a lithop with bulging at the base shows signs of new leaf growth....does this apply to seedlings too? I have some 3 month old seedlings, the largest being 2 mm in diameter.