Can Lithops Use Organic Fertilizer? A Detailed Guide to the Correct Fertilizing Method

For potted Lithops, the soil is extremely critical. Practice has proven that the size of the granular substrate for growing Lithops should be chosen according to the growth stage of the plant. For small seedlings, the substrate particles are required to be fine and the covering should also be thin. After transplanting, a layer of stones should be spread on the surface of the potting soil, and transplanting is generally done into moist soil to avoid watering after potting and settling in, thereby reducing the risk of infection by pathogens.

In terms of pot selection, plastic pots can be used for planting, and for clustering types of Lithops, purple clay pots are also suitable. Then the small seedlings can simply be potted and planted.

Adding organic fertilizer is naturally meant to increase the fertility of the potting soil, but we must not blindly apply fertilizer at random, otherwise it will not only fail to promote plant growth, but may also cause poor growth. However, when Japanese experts grow Lithops, they usually mix some fully decomposed dry organic fertilizer into the large granules of the drainage layer, and if that is not convenient, a small amount of slow-release granular fertilizer can be applied instead. In this way, Lithops often maintain a better growing state.

It can be seen that appropriately adding some organic fertilizer during the cultivation of Lithops is acceptable, and this is also quite important for the plant to maintain good growth. Although organic fertilizer can be added appropriately, during the fertilizing process we need to master the correct method. The key points are mainly in three aspects:

1. The position for adding organic fertilizer in the pot must be scientific. Usually, the organic fertilizer is mixed into the granular material of the drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

2. The state of the organic fertilizer added must also strictly meet the requirements. Usually, dry organic fertilizer is added, basically in granular form.

3. In addition to the above two points, in the process of incorporating organic fertilizer, fully decomposed fertilizer must be chosen; generally, semi-decomposed organic fertilizer should not be chosen. In particular, avoid applying raw fertilizer, otherwise it can easily cause serious harm to Lithops.