Cactus and Succulent Society of New Zealand (CSSNZ) Inc.



Lithops ... 3/3


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Sunlight
Grow Lithops in full sun during the summer and winter (acclimitise them if they have previously grown in shadier conditions). If grown out of sun they will grow leggy (tall) and lush, and prone to rot and not flower.


Fertiliser
If the plant hasn't been repotted recently then half strength low nitrogen fertilizer (e.g. Tomato fertiliser) can be used at watering time in summer once a month. Do not feed the plants from autumn onwards as this can cause lush growth which can be fatal during the winter months.
Alternatively a low nitrogen slow release fertiliser can be incorporated into the potting mix which will release small amounts during watering.
Do NOT try to "force" the plants ... ie try to make them grow faster.


Flowering

Lithops species

Lithops flower in late summer/early autumn. The flowers are either Yellow or White in different species. Flowering is usually an indication the plant is preparing for it's water rest and watering should begin to be reduced.







Lithops species

If successfuly pollinated a capsulated seed pod will form, it is a pentagon flower type shape and will gradually dry to a browny colour. When dry it is closed but if a water droplet is placed on it, it will open out like a flower to release (some of) it seeds. This means in nature when it rains it releases seeds, but if no rain is present seeds can be retained in their capsule for many years, staying viable. Also seeds can be released in small amounts over time with each rainfull, so that not necessarily all seeds are released at once and some are saved for future rainy periods so increasing survivability of future generations.


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