How to water

Lithops are quite tricky to water and are easily overwatered. They require water during some stages of their growth cycle and won't tolerate any water during other stages. All of the soil should be dry completely before watering your living stones. If the soil is moist - snooze this action, we will remind you again in 2 days.

Important info

• The key is to grow them in soilless substrate such as pumice or scoria which allows the water to drain easily. For best results, wait until your plant starts to get a little wrinkled before watering.

• In general, you should water your living stones when the soil is completely dry and the plant start to shrivel just slightly or shrink during the spring and summer period and ignore it almost completely during the winter.

• You'll need to keep an eye on them as they can sometimes go into dormancy early. During that time, it's always better to keep them on the dryer side than to accidentally overwater them.

Water over the soil

• Pour water over the soil or put the plant directly under the tap

• Continue adding water to the pot until it starts to run out from the drainage holes

• If you have a tray under the pot, make sure you remove all the collected water afterwards - never let your plant sit in water

• If you watered under the tap make sure that water has stopped running out from the bottom before putting it back

Make sure your pot has drainage holes, without these your plant runs the risk of rotting in the excess water that can’t drain out. — Planta tip

Bottom watering

• Fill the plant tray with water

• Make sure the soil through the drainage holes is in contact with the water on the tray

• Wait for about 10 minutes

• Feel the soil to see if it absorbed enough water —> if the soil is moist throughout, remove any excess water from the tray

• If it’s still dry —> add more water to the tray

• Wait 20 more minutes before removing the excess

Note

Bottom watering will not wash away salts and other minerals from the soil, so make sure to also give water over the soil every now and then.

Water bath

• Fill a bucket with lukewarm water

• Lower the whole pot down in the water, stop where the stem of the plant starts. Make sure all of the soil is under water

• The water will start to bubble - wait until it stopped

• Lift the pot up and let the excess drain off

• Put the plant back in the cachepot or on the tray

• After 1 hour, check that the plant isn’t standing in water, if it is it might get overwatered and rot