Too much water!
Lithops take a lot of abuse in big box garden centers. Most don't carry them, but some do, and it seems the employees always want to water the poor little creatures like crazy. Lithops don't like much water, and when I mention that to the garden shop employees, some insist that "Lithops must be fat!" --They can't stand to see them get wrinkled, which is natural in dormancy. So lots of rotted lithops, burst lithops, and just plain sad and desperate lithops. I rescued this little guy for a couple dollars from a big box store last week. His outer leaves were rotten. Shook him out of his soggy soil, (roots seemed OK), replanted him in a Lithopot with well-draining soil. We'll see if he survives....
I guess I drowned mine....It withered, so I kept giving it more and more water. Didn't know they had a dormant stage. I'll keep reading to find out how yours do before I get another one. Sounds like a good experiment you've got going. And I love the pots...a great aesthetic for desert plants.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I've been working on the Lithopots for a few months, finally happy with them!
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