Several Issues in the Maintenance of Lithops
The editor explains the knowledge about Lithops, a type of succulent plant, and discusses several issues in the maintenance of Lithops. These are very useful tips and are recommended for collection!
It is difficult to cultivate Lithops, and some even say, "Caring for Lithops is a form of meditation." Let's learn about the issues in the maintenance of difficult-to-grow Lithops:
Firstly, the growth rate of Lithops is not slow
Many flower books and journals believe that Lithops grow slowly and are difficult to manage. Therefore, despite its unique appearance attracting many enthusiasts, due to this misconception, there are not many people who try growing it, and few people cultivate it in practice in China. In fact, many flower books and journals simply reprint each other's content, and it is rare to find first-hand information from personal experience, so people just repeat what others say.
Lithops are usually sown for propagation in March to April, and the seedlings emerge in about 6 to 15 days after sowing. The seeds are small, and the seedlings are also weak after germination. The young plants do grow slowly, so careful and meticulous care is required, especially to prevent the invasion of harmful fungi.
About one month later, the plants begin to grow, but the nutrients in the seeds have been largely exhausted, and the function of self-nourishment has not yet fully formed, so it is necessary to supplement the required nutrients in time and provide lighting (3000-10000 lux), while also preventing excessive light from causing excessive accumulation of anthocyanins in young plants, which can inhibit growth.
Therefore, the key to the growth of Lithops seedlings in the later stage lies in the care between 50 to 80 days. The method of supplementing nutrients is to spray a dilute compound fertilizer with the same ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which can be absorbed by the leaves and also provide a small amount of nutrient solution for the roots. The concentration should be kept below 1.5%. The temperature during this period should be controlled between 15-30 degrees. By the third month, the young plants can reach the size of mung beans. But at this time, the weather turns hot, so attention should be paid to ventilation and cooling, slightly drying the matrix, and preventing high temperature and humidity that can cause rotting of seedlings and high temperature leading to dormancy.
After the autumn, as the weather cools down, the seedlings can be transplanted with a spacing of 2 centimeters. After two weeks of acclimatization, the young seedlings will grow a bit more and should be cared for to strengthen them by spraying a dilute liquid fertilizer every 10 days. By the end of October, increase the light intensity and duration, and the plant body can reach 12 millimeters. After December, as the weather gets colder, full lighting and measures for insulation and humidification should be taken, without making the matrix too wet or dry. Continue to care for it until early the next year, when the atomic leaves split, and the new leaves (true leaves) begin to grow.
By mid-April, the plant body can reach 20 millimeters. From sowing, it takes 13 to 14 months for the seedlings to become commercial seedlings (C-S). If further cultivation is continued, the growing soil should be changed every half year, and by 24 months of age, the plant body can reach over 35 millimeters, becoming a standard plant, but it cannot bloom yet, and there is little increase in the number of heads.
Additionally, it has been observed that individuals with green or blackish skin grow faster than those with red-purple varieties.
Secondly, the issue of Lithops dormancy
We have found that the decisive factor causing Lithops to enter dormancy is temperature, followed by light. To break the dormancy of Lithops, it is necessary to start from these aspects. Practice has shown that as long as the temperature is maintained between 15-28 degrees from late spring to early autumn, young seedlings are given less nitrogen fertilizer and more dilute phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, without making the cultivation matrix too dry or too wet, with 70% shading, shortening the duration of light exposure to 5-7 hours per day, and forming a day-night temperature difference of 8-10 degrees, Lithops will grow throughout the year. It is just that the growth rate is fast or slow due to the change of seasons. In temperate regions, the above method can be used to break the summer dormancy. In northern regions, where there is heating in most homes during winter, as long as Lithops are placed in an environment above 10-15 degrees, given normal daylight, and supplemented with a 20-40 watt light source to extend the duration of light exposure, the winter dormancy can be broken. relatively speaking, it is easier to break the winter dormancy than the summer dormancy.
Thirdly, methods to further accelerate the growth rate of Lithops
Breaking the winter and summer dormancy of Lithops will undoubtedly promote its growth. In conditions where temperature can be controlled, on a sunny windowsill or enclosed balcony with heating in the north during winter, Lithops will have the first leaf split before the Spring Festival. At this time, appropriate fertilization should be applied, slightly increasing the watering amount, and no shading is needed because the UV light is already discounted when passing through glass. Loosen the cultivation matrix every half month without injuring the roots, and continue until early April, when the new leaves will grow to the size of the old leaves. At this time, the old and new leaves overlap in a cross shape, and the old leaves are not wrinkled, which does not affect the ornamental value during the Spring Festival. Of course, you can also adjust the temperature to make the old leaves split in early January. In the north, heating is stopped in mid-March, and the outside temperature rises to about 4-15 degrees, with indoor temperatures between 10-21 degrees. At this time, less watering should be done to increase the concentration of the liquid in the new leaves. If the temperature is slightly lowered to maintain around 7-18 degrees, forming a distinct temperature difference with day and night changes, the effect is even better. By early May, when the outside temperature rises to 16-25 degrees, the plants will show the phenomenon of new leaves splitting the old leaves again, and there is a possibility of an increase in the number of heads. By mid-June, the plants will have three pairs of leaves, with the lowest layer slightly wrinkled but still overlapping in a cross shape.
Analyzing the above situation, the fundamental factor is still temperature. From the coolness of October to the warming of November, it promotes the first splitting in January, and the subsequent temperature conditions allow the new leaves to grow and mature. After the heating stops in March, it enters a cooling state, and after the temperature rises in late April, the plants grow again and new leaves emerge, promoting a second splitting. In fact, under artificial conditions, the plants experience two winters and two summers in about 270 days from October of the previous year to May of the next year, completing the growth and development process of two years in nature. This method accelerates the enlargement of individual Lithops or the increase in the number of heads, but whether it can提前 flowering and seed production needs further observation and research.
Fourthly, the matrix issue in potting Lithops
Lithops, like other succulent plants, currently still uses soil as the main cultivation matrix. Overall, two points should be noted: loose and breathable, rich in organic matter. I am accustomed to using market-purchased Clivia soil mixed with 1/3珍珠岩 or zhongshi (虫+至) stone as the cultivation matrix, while also adding a small amount of superphosphate. In a pot with a depth of 15-20 centimeters, place broken pot pieces 3-4 centimeters thick, add fine brick particles 2 centimeters, put some decomposed sheep manure or oil cake, then place the mixed cultivation soil to 1 centimeter from the edge of the pot, slightly compact it, use a bamboo stick to make holes, carefully place the Lithops seedlings' roots, and press them into the ground until the root and stem junction. If some plants are slightly wobbly, it doesn't matter. When preparing the cultivation soil and transplanting, it is necessary to control the water content, making it the best when it can be pinched into a ball and then crumbles when released. After transplanting, do not water, place it in a place with weak light and warm (15-20 degrees), and after a week, sprinkle a little water around the plant, and after half a month, normal management can be carried out. Using this method of transplanting, whether it is repotting old plants or potting seedlings from elsewhere, the survival rate is 100%, with no damage.
Fifthly, the issue of fertilization in the cultivation of Lithops
Several years of practice have shown that the best basal fertilizer for Lithops is decomposed sheep manure. After decomposition, it is cool and rich in potassium, with a pH of around 7.2. Mixed with oil cake meal, it supplements trace elements and nitrogen fertilizer, providing comprehensive nutrients without causing dryness or sudden growth. Adding superphosphate supplements phosphorus and calcium, and makes it function in a slightly alkaline matrix. Therefore, the plant roots grow well, the leaves are full and glossy, the number of分裂 heads increases, and flowering and seed production are easy. For routine root fertilization, a multi-element compound fertilizer is used, and organic fertilizer extracts can also be used. Adult plants should use less fertilizer with high nitrogen content or high无机盐 content. When fertilizing, prevent the fertilizer solution from soiling the plant body. Foliar spraying uses a commonly used foliar fertilizer for ornamental plants. When the new leaves split the old leaves, urea can be applied directly, 6-8 grains for large plants and 3-4 grains for small plants, to promote the rapid growth of new leaves. However, prevent water accumulation at the new split to avoid rotting of the plant body. Fertilization and watering should be carried out simultaneously, and it is best to apply thin fertilization frequently. Never be impatient, as it may cause fertilizer damage.
Sixthly, the cultivation and management of imported plants
When introducing Lithops, usually only seedlings can be introduced, and seeds are rarely available, and the variety and quality of the introduced seeds are often not guaranteed. On the market, there are often only small seedlings (C-S) for sale, and few mature plants. Therefore, most introducers can only purchase small seedlings by mail order. Lithops seedlings are small and are usually dried before mailing, wrapped in soft and breathable paper, and take 5 to 8 days or even longer to reach the introducer. Although the plant body does not suffer much loss, the roots are very dry, and some plants' roots break easily, leaving only the fleshy leaves or the root-stem junction, which is a pity to discard and there is concern about the survival when cultivating.
In fact, Lithops are very drought-resistant in their native habitat, and sometimes the roots can be without water for more than half a year. The higher lignified rootlets will contract, relying only on the reverse water from the leaves to maintain the roots. But as long as it is not absolutely dehydrated, when the environmental conditions improve, the old roots will absorb water, expand, and grow new rootlets. If the old roots break off and the plant body does not rot, new roots will grow from the remaining part of the main root.
Based on these conditions, do not rush to plant the Lithops seedlings received by mail. First, dip the roots in water and place them on moist soil in a gentle environment for 8-12 hours, then plant them using the previously described transplanting method, and there is no need to use root-promoting agents. New roots will grow in 5-7 days, pay attention to the amount of watering, and after half a month, normal management can be carried out, and fertilization can be applied to promote growth after 20 days.
If some plants have no roots at all, they should not be discarded as long as the plant body is not rotten. Use a loose and breathable matrix, and in an environment of 15-25 degrees, use the cutting method to grow roots. When cutting, there is no need to shade or moisturize, and嫩白 rootlets will also grow in 10-15 days. When the roots are 0.2-0.7 centimeters long, they can be transplanted, and the survival rate is quite high. This method can also be used for the division propagation of Lithops.
The above introduction to several issues in the maintenance of Lithops, hoping to bring some knowledge of flowers to flower enthusiasts.