Tillandsias, Mesembs, orchids, herbalism, art, pensive musings, and gardening on sand dunes.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
OK, to prove this blog is correctly titled, here are some of my lithops in my handmade Lithopots! As you can see, they are in various stages of the very mysterious Lithops Growth Cycle. Well, I'm learning, and it's fun.
I bought one of these years ago; the store called them rock plants. They do look like really cool rocks. But mine died a horrible death. You'll have to let me know how to keep these awesome plants alive. I'd love to have a living pet rock again.
Poor little guy, the places that sell them to us may not know how to care for them, and so we don't know, either! I'm just learning to take care of them myself, but I'll certainly share what's working and what's not. There are only a couple books out there that have a fair bit of info on lithops/mesembs, and some of the advice is contradictory, but I think I'll figure it out, with the help of other lithops growers!
So cute!!!! I love those little guys and need to get more. The one I have is a foursome that badly needs repotting so that it can have room to reproduce. Right now all of the growths are in the mysterious stage where the old leaves are still fat, and the new ones are almost as large.
I only water them about once every 4-6 weeks, sometimes not that often, especially in winter, but when I do, I water them a LOT so that they stand in water until it's all absorbed, gone within hours. Seems to work for my lonely Lithops plant and most of my other succulents.
Thanks, Doc Elly! They really are adorable, the teddy bears of the succulent world. Yours seem to be very happy. I'm just learning their peculiar life cycle, and it seems that different species have different timing- I've got one flowering, a bunch "re-leaving", and the rest kinda just sittin' there.
I don't know the first thing about plants, but I wanted to say Hi! and I'm willing to be educated. :) Those little guys remind me not a little of Audrey of Little Shop of Horrors fame. Feeeed me!
You know, a couple family members feel the same way about lithops that you do, in fact, one calls them, "The Audreys"! I swear they are not carnivorous, at least not during the daytime.
Hi Mara, Nice to meet you. Your Lithops look incredibly healthy and happy, maybe it’s because you give them so much love, maybe it’s because of the very cool hand made Lithopots that they live in. Your Lithopots really do look great, beautifully made, and organic looking. Love the ones with the glazes too. Did you make them yourself? Do they have drainage holes because Lithops love a well drained substrate. Some of them look a little like a Lithops as well, with their sides open like Lithops leaves. :-)
Hi, Gaianursery! Thank you for all your kind words. I'm a lithops newbie, but I've grown cacti and herbs all my life. I make the Lithopots, specifically for cacti and small succulents. They have lots of little holes in the bottom for quick drainage, but no soil loss. They are light colored so the soil does not heat up too much. I use shells I gather from our area (SE US) for the patterns. They are stoneware, but I'm experimenting with earthenware now, too. At some point, if they continue to work well with the plants, I may sell them, not sure yet. Welcome to the blog!
Thank you Marla. Yes, these pots are unique and beautiful and I think that there is/will be a strong market for it. Watch out Ebay, Etsy, Amazon et al.
I bought one of these years ago; the store called them rock plants. They do look like really cool rocks. But mine died a horrible death. You'll have to let me know how to keep these awesome plants alive. I'd love to have a living pet rock again.
ReplyDeletePoor little guy, the places that sell them to us may not know how to care for them, and so we don't know, either! I'm just learning to take care of them myself, but I'll certainly share what's working and what's not. There are only a couple books out there that have a fair bit of info on lithops/mesembs, and some of the advice is contradictory, but I think I'll figure it out, with the help of other lithops growers!
ReplyDeleteSo cute!!!! I love those little guys and need to get more. The one I have is a foursome that badly needs repotting so that it can have room to reproduce. Right now all of the growths are in the mysterious stage where the old leaves are still fat, and the new ones are almost as large.
ReplyDeleteI only water them about once every 4-6 weeks, sometimes not that often, especially in winter, but when I do, I water them a LOT so that they stand in water until it's all absorbed, gone within hours. Seems to work for my lonely Lithops plant and most of my other succulents.
I love your Lithops pots, too!
Thanks, Doc Elly! They really are adorable, the teddy bears of the succulent world. Yours seem to be very happy. I'm just learning their peculiar life cycle, and it seems that different species have different timing- I've got one flowering, a bunch "re-leaving", and the rest kinda just sittin' there.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the first thing about plants, but I wanted to say Hi! and I'm willing to be educated. :)
ReplyDeleteThose little guys remind me not a little of Audrey of Little Shop of Horrors fame. Feeeed me!
You know, a couple family members feel the same way about lithops that you do, in fact, one calls them, "The Audreys"!
ReplyDeleteI swear they are not carnivorous, at least not during the daytime.
Hi Mara, Nice to meet you. Your Lithops look incredibly healthy and happy, maybe it’s because you give them so much love, maybe it’s because of the very cool hand made Lithopots that they live in. Your Lithopots really do look great, beautifully made, and organic looking. Love the ones with the glazes too. Did you make them yourself? Do they have drainage holes because Lithops love a well drained substrate. Some of them look a little like a Lithops as well, with their sides open like Lithops leaves. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, Gaianursery!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your kind words. I'm a lithops newbie, but I've grown cacti and herbs all my life. I make the Lithopots, specifically for cacti and small succulents. They have lots of little holes in the bottom for quick drainage, but no soil loss. They are light colored so the soil does not heat up too much. I use shells I gather from our area (SE US) for the patterns. They are stoneware, but I'm experimenting with earthenware now, too. At some point, if they continue to work well with the plants, I may sell them, not sure yet.
Welcome to the blog!
Thank you Marla. Yes, these pots are unique and beautiful and I think that there is/will be a strong market for it. Watch out Ebay, Etsy, Amazon et al.
Delete