Three Misconceptions about Lithops Cultivation
For most women, the small knowledge of Lithops, the three misconceptions in the cultivation of Lithops, the editor will introduce them next.
In the past one or two years, the domestic Lithops enthusiasts group has almost exploded in development. However, it is easy to fall into three misconceptions during the cultivation process of Lithops, resulting in both losing money and stones. Therefore, it is mentioned here, hoping that the majority of newcomers will avoid them.
Misconception 1: Blindly Chasing Size
As a type of succulent plant that grows in poor environments, Lithops is small in size and grows relatively slowly, which cannot satisfy the needs of many enthusiasts. A large and plump stone can greatly stimulate the interest of enthusiasts and give them a sense of achievement from the bottom of their hearts. However, the undeniable fact is that among the many factors for evaluating the appearance of stones, the importance of patterns, color, and shape far outweighs size, as the former can better reflect the genetic lineage of the individual, while size can be artificially increased by adjusting humidity and fertilizer, which does not truly reflect the quality or growth age of the stone. The truth is revealed after molting, and such stones are greatly reduced in both ornamental value (swollen body and light skin, texture) and health.
For these nutrient-poor plants, it is not difficult to accelerate their growth, but restoring their normal appearance is a艰苦 and careful process. In the author's circle of friends, there was a master who bought a stone as big as a small fist, only to find that it was not in good condition after receiving it. As a result, he did not water it for almost a year, carefully nurturing it, just to restore the stone's original patterns and color, but at the cost of the stone shrinking nearly half in size after molting. Blindly pursuing size is often futile without being familiar with the stone's age and the physical characteristics of its species. Stones with excessive fertilizer are often too plump, with their middles looking like lips about to flip out.
Misconception 2: Treating It as a Desert Plant
Because Lithops comes from Africa, some people automatically associate it with the Sahara (desert) when they hear Africa, thinking that the habits of stones are the same as those of cacti in the American desert. Here, we need to correct a misconception: the native place of stones is in southern Africa, most of which are located in the arid Gobi region of the west coast of southern Africa, and some like Zixun come from the sandy soil grasslands in the northeast interior of South Africa. Most of these species grow in environments with gravel and stones, also associated with other succulents or low shrubs, and are found at various altitudes, from canyons to mountain peaks. Even in regions with little rainfall throughout the year, there is often fog and dew brought by ocean currents, and the surrounding stones and plants form an excellent hiding place for stones. Moreover, this area is far from as hot as the Latin American deserts near the equator. Therefore, the heat and drought tolerance of stones is much lower than that of cacti and other desert plants. If you insist on maintaining full sun exposure all year round under strong sunlight and with little water, the result is often tragic. The popular saying “No stone dies of drought, only of overwatering” is just emphasizing not to overwater, and it should not be fully believed.
Cacti have a higher tolerance for dryness, strong sunlight, and high temperatures than stones.龙王丸 can be kept in the sun all year round with occasional watering at home, but stones should avoid strong sunlight exposure in spring, summer, and autumn.
Misconception 3: Blindly Copying the Native Environment
Often, some stone enthusiasts are proud to say when talking about their stone cultivation methods: “I'm simulating the native environment! Stones survive like this in South Africa!” Indeed, simulating the soil composition, suitable temperature, light, and humidity of the native environment is beneficial for the growth of stones. However, blindly imitating without considering the pros and cons, and even copying the disadvantages of the extreme environment of the native place, is not advisable. It seems that some people are ignoring this question: Does the survival rate of stones in the native environment exceed that of our home cultivation? The answer is of course no. Both in the reproductive period and the growth period of mature plants, the survival rate of stones in such harsh natural environments is very low, otherwise, why would those stone species with hundreds of seeds in a pod evolve over the years and still only have a native area of a few tens of square meters.
Stones that grow under extreme high temperature, dryness, and barren conditions are not the healthiest or in the best condition. Like animals in Africa, they are just struggling to survive through this difficult time. For example, wild golden monkeys have to endure hunger for a long time due to food shortages in winter. Should we also stop feeding them in winter under artificial conditions? Providing stones with a comfortable environment that promotes healthy growth allows them to reproduce in large numbers and ensure excellent health and appearance, glowing with the most beautiful luster. After all, the ornamental value of ornamental plants is the most important, and it is meaningless to torture them to make them look shriveled and dull to prove their resilience.
The harsh environment of the native place will make stones closer to their natural appearance, with earth tones and slow growth, and only a part of the shriveled leaves exposed from the soil are the usual conditions. If the same is done in home cultivation, the ornamental value will be greatly reduced.
The above () introduces the full content of the three misconceptions in the cultivation of Lithops, hoping it will be helpful to green plant enthusiasts!