Lithops fulviceps v. lactinea C222 - 20 seeds
Lithops fulviceps v. lactinea C222 - 20 seeds
Living Stones (Lithops) are unusual succulents that have evolved to resemble the pebbles and rocks that litter their native habitats through southern Africa. These very small plants hug the ground and grow extremely slowly. It can take years for a plant to eventually fill its pots with new leaves. Structurally, Lithops are comprised of two fused leaves above ground that connect to an underground stem with a long root.
The leaves are extremely thick and the degree of fusion depends on the species. Some species appear to be a single leaf, with hardly any evidence of the leaf fusion, while others are deeply lobed to the level of the soil. These plants are great collectibles, but require a careful hand with the water. Too much water and the leaves will burst or the plant will die from beneath. If you provide them with good conditions, they will flower in mid-to late summer with white and yellow daisy-like flowers that emerge from between the leaves.
1. Sterilize substrate (3+ minutes in microwave or 50 mins in oven- (350°F) and let it cool)
2. Mesembs (Lithops, Conophytums...) require a well draining soil, which means it dries out quickly. Soil should contain a lot of pumice, perlite or sand. Sand should consist of many sizes of particles, from dust to 1/8”. The basic soil mix is 1 soil mix to 3 pumice and sand. Remove any big chunks (peat) from the potting soil.
3. Planters should be about 1-1.5 inches deep. Fill a container with good draining soil. Leave 1/2 inches to the top free. Press the substrate, equally.
4. Disperse pebbles granulated up to 0.2 inches
5. You can sow 50 -100 seeds into one planter 3x3 inches. Mesemb seeds are very tiny.
6. Equally Water the substrate with water (boil and then let it cool) - place a piece of a napkin on top of the substrate and slowly pour the water over it.
7. Let the container soak up water for 5 minutes. Leave the container to drain out the water surplus.
8. Mix some fine sand to the bag with seeds, and sprinkle contents of the bag onto the substrate and pebbles. Do not cover with too much soil or the seeds may not germinate.
9. Put the whole container into a zip bag to keep humidity.
10. Avoid exposing to direct sunlight, but provide them light on some bright place, temperature should be about 77°F.
11. The germination process usually starts within 4-7 days but some seeds can germinate after month or two. Don't expect all the seed to germinate at the same time.
12. Start opening the container gradually so that the seedlings can get used to the new air conditions. Remove bag completely after a month.
13. Seedlings need some moisture, substrate shouldn’t be dry, but don’t overwater. and they need an ample amount of light – but not direct sunlight! you need to take care of them constantly next 3-5 months.
14. Repot them when you notice that seedlings are space-limited, which is usually in a year.
15. Buy only seeds from reputable sources like www.rareplant.me. That way you will avoid scams, fake or bad seeds, and you will always get fresh ones.