There are indoor flowers in almost every home, but it is rare to find flowers such as lithops. Once you see such flowers, it is impossible to forget them. Therefore, it is worth considering in detail the cultivation of lithops from seeds at home in order to place these amazing plants in your home.
Lithops are indoor potted plants related to succulents. However, given suitable environmental conditions, these «living stones» can also be grown in open ground. These plants are native to the desert. It is precisely because of the harsh environmental conditions that the appearance of these plants is unique - they do not have a single stem, there are practically no classic leaves, they almost do not grow in height.
The height of lithops does not exceed 3 cm, and in appearance they very much resemble two small stones connected to each other at the bottom. A distinctive feature of these indoor plants is their minimal consumption of not only moisture, but also various nutrients from the substrate. However, despite this, they are quite demanding regarding their growing conditions.
Seed material
The success of growing lithops at home depends on its quality. It is best to use fresh seeds obtained from two mature flowering plants. The seeds will be inside a small box that will appear in place of the flower. But if it is impossible to use the material collected with your own hands, then you can turn your attention to retail chains.
Despite the fact that lithops seeds retain good germination for 10 years after ripening, you should choose the freshest possible material. It is recommended to give preference to products from well-known manufacturers that have been known on the market for a long time. It’s even better to choose seeds from those companies that specialize specifically in selling material and related products for indoor plants.
Important! If the seeds are taken out of the box on their own, then you just need to place it under running water, and they will fall out of it themselves.
How to grow it yourself?
There are no particular difficulties here, but it is very important to follow the sequence of actions and all recommendations. Otherwise, you may not be able to grow lithops from seeds yourself. The best time for planting is winter-spring. At the same time, it is better for beginners to choose a time closer to summer. It is worth remembering here that seed material is very demanding of attention, especially in the initial stages.
Therefore, the planting time should be chosen so that it is possible to regularly monitor the germination and development of the lithops themselves.
Important landing nuances
Before you start growing lithops at home yourself, you should pay attention to the following points:
- if sowing is carried out in winter, then it is necessary to take care of an additional source of artificial lighting in advance;
- It is best to refuse to plant seeds in the summer - it will not be possible to ensure sudden temperature changes necessary for normal plant growth;
- if necessary, you can propagate lithops vegetatively - it is worth knowing that the dormant period of the flower lasts from June to August, and the best time for planting in this case will be January or February, after flowering ends.
Container and substrate
You should not think that since lithops practically do not absorb water and nutrients, then you should not worry about choosing the right container and substrate. For successful seed germination and their normal growth and development, it is necessary to ensure the availability of high-quality soil. Drainage is also required; ordinary fine gravel is also excellent. Its volume should be approximately a third of the total volume of substrate required for planting lithops.
The soil for sowing seeds and further growing lithops should be prepared independently. Experienced plant growers recommend the following mixtures to choose from:
- perlite and coksovite in proportions 1: 1;
- earth, sand, pumice and perlite - 1: 2: 2: 2;
- forest soil or pumice and river sand - 3: 1;
- finely crushed brick, turf soil, river sand, clay and peat - 1: 2: 2: 1: 1.
Before use, the selected mixture must be heated in the oven at a temperature of +120 degrees for 1 hour and then cooled completely.
Some plant growers advise adding a little stove ash to the substrate mixture - about 100 g per 1 kg of soil.
How to plant?
The selected seeds must first be placed in a warm solution of ordinary potassium permanganate for 6 hours. If it is not available, you can use regular warm water, adding 1 tsp to it. baking soda per 1 liter of water. At this time, the container is first filled with drainage to 1/3 of its volume, and the rest of the space with prepared soil. In this case, there should be a distance of no more than 1 cm from the top edge of the pot to the substrate.
Next, the seeds are spread evenly over the entire surface of the soil - they are not sprinkled with substrate on top. They should be planted at a distance of approximately 3-4 cm from each other. The top of the container is covered with thin cling film or glass and placed in a well-lit place, but not in direct sunlight.
How to care for seedlings?
The first few days and even weeks of planting require close attention. It is necessary to control not only the intensity of seedlings, but also air humidity, ambient temperature and the condition of the young plants themselves.
Temperature and light intensity
During the summer season, the covering material is left for 4-7 weeks, and after a month its volume is increased. In winter, the shelter is left for a period of 1.5-2 times longer, and its volume is increased. Lithops must be constantly well lit, otherwise the leaves will begin to change their color and become very elongated. The optimal temperature for them is considered to be from +15 to +18 degrees at night, and from +28 to +30 degrees during the day. It is very important to ventilate the room daily by lifting the protective film on the container.
Lithops react extremely negatively to stagnant air in the room.
Humidity and plant nutrition
These are two more important factors that directly affect the growth, development, health and intensity of flowering of lithops. It is necessary to irrigate only the seedlings daily, without touching the soil itself with warm water. After the emergence of mass shoots, the room is ventilated 4 times a day for 20 minutes at regular intervals. If lithops seedlings do not appear 10 days after sowing, it means that the seed material was of poor quality and it is not possible to grow «living stones» from it at home.
Watering is carried out extremely rarely. To do this, pour a small amount of it with a tablespoon directly under the root of the flower. Particular attention should be paid to ensure that moisture does not fall between the leaves into the place where the flower itself appears - otherwise the lithopsis will begin to rot. In autumn and winter, this type of succulent is not watered at all, but only irrigated 1-2 times a week. Lithops do not need special feeding, but if desired, they can be fertilized with a small amount of any mineral fertilizer once a year, otherwise the plant must be transplanted into a larger container.
Transplant
These plants are planted only in groups of at least 3 pieces. Lithops picking is carried out during the active period of their flowering. The soil is prepared in the same way as for sowing seeds. The first transplant is allowed only after these succulents have survived at least one winter. After the procedure, the surface of the substrate is mulched - this way the flowers will receive additional support.
How to grow in open ground?
During the hot season, from about the end of May until the first days of September, these succulents can be grown outdoors. To do this, they are simply taken out in pots and placed outside in such a way that moisture does not fall on them, as well as direct sunlight. Caring for the plant is the same as when growing them indoors. The difference is that the soil is irrigated regularly when the temperature rises above +33 degrees. If the nights become too cold, then you need to return the lithops to the room.
These plants look amazing and unusual. From the first minutes they attract all attention to themselves. By following all the simple recommendations described above, everyone can become the owner of such a beautiful and truly unique succulent in their home as lithops.
