How to Grow and Care for Living Stones (Lithops, "Butt Plants")

Living stones (Lithops) have a peculiar form and brightly colored flowers, giving them high ornamental value, and they are deeply loved by many succulent enthusiasts. So today, the editor will introduce to you the cultivation methods and precautions for living stones, and you can learn them.

1. Cultivation methods

1. Soil

Living stones are not strict about their environment and are relatively easy to cultivate. Ordinary succulent potting soil can be used directly for planting. Of course, you can also mix leaf mold, calcareous material, and river sand in a 4:3:3 ratio to make your own mix. For the calcareous material, you can use shells or eggshell powder.

2. Repotting

Planting and repotting of living stones are both carried out in autumn. When repotting, first separate the plant from the soil, shake off the soil around the roots, trim off the old roots, and then replant with fresh soil. Just be careful not to damage the fine feeder roots during handling. Living stones are highly adaptable, and different varieties of living stones do not reject one another, so different varieties can be planted together in one pot.

3. Water and fertilizer requirements

Every spring is the shedding season for living stones. At this time, fertilization should be stopped and watering controlled so that the old outer skin dries up early. Experienced growers can also directly peel off the old skin by hand when the plant shows signs of shedding, allowing the small new plant inside to receive sunlight as soon as possible; this way the small plant will grow more robustly. However, those with insufficient experience may harm the living stone while doing this, so extra care is needed. After the plant sheds its skin, apply a compound fertilizer once to promote robust growth of the young plant.

Watering is generally done at night or in the early morning when the temperature is lower. Do not water during the day when the temperature is higher, lest the sudden drop in temperature harm the plant. During cultivation, avoid rain exposure, especially prolonged rain or heavy rainstorms; otherwise, excessive water absorption can cause the top of the plant to split. Avoid keeping the potting soil wet for long periods, as algae and moss are very likely to grow in the pot.

4. Light and temperature

Living stones are plants that relatively like light. Except for summer, when they should be shaded by half, they can be given sufficient light the rest of the time, which will make the leaf color more beautiful. In addition, living stones are not cold-tolerant. The minimum temperature in winter should not be lower than 10°C, and it is best to keep them indoors in a sunny spot for care.

2. Precautions

The best growing period for living stones is from late autumn to the following spring. This is the most critical period for care and also the growing season. High summer temperatures are unsuitable for their growth, so it is their dormant period. Therefore, when caring for them, pay attention to water and temperature control during the growing and dormant periods. In addition, also pay attention to the prevention of pests and diseases. Common problems in living stones include leaf rot and leaf spot disease, which can be treated by spraying pesticide in time. Pests are mostly root-knot nematodes, which require repotting, changing the soil, and chemical treatment.

The above are the cultivation methods and precautions for living stones. I hope they can help you!