If you are looking for something small but fascinating to grow, then Lithops is a plant that meets these criteria!
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These come from southern Africa and can be grown indoors. They were originally discovered by Westerners by William John Burchell, who was on a botanical expedition to the continent in 1811. While traveling through the Northern Cape Province, he came across strange brown stones that had cracks at the top. However, as he got closer to the stones, he found that they were indeed succulents. They look very attractive and are certainly different from the usual indoor plants that you will find. Not only to look good, to answer the question asked in the title in general, Lithops are easy to grow and probably won't be too much of a challenge even if you consider yourself a novice gardener. That said, there is some great information that we're going to highlight in this post to make it even easier for you.
Important information about lithops
In addition to the name Lithops and the various Afrikaans words that refer to it, you may also come across them known as flower stones, mimicry plants, and pebble plants. They are small and rarely grow much taller than 1 inch above the surface of the soil and often have only two leaves. The leaves look like the crevice of an animal or like gray-green brown stones that have gathered together. There is no tribe and the greatest percentage of them are underground. Its structure and design have helped confuse animals and conserve moisture.
Lithops can grow in different areas with nutrients and limited water. Because most of the plant's body is under the surface and doesn't have much space for leaves to collect solar energy. The system therefore collects solar energy on the leaf surface with the help of window panes. The transparent areas of the plant are full of calcium oxalate, which is a reflective fact that increases the amount of light that penetrates the plants.
Tips for growing lithops
It's best to grow lithops in pots unless you live in a particularly hot area. You will need to use either potting soil or a commodity for the pots Cactus mix incorporated into some sand. Put the potting soil dry in the pot, add water and place the pot in a light place. For the best volume of light, you need to place the plant by a south-facing window. They can reproduce either by seed or by division, although plants grown from seeds take several months to establish and then years before they can resemble actual plants. Both are available either online or at kindergartens that specialize in succulents.
Care for lithops
As mentioned earlier, Lithops is relatively easy to care for. You need to take into account and consider the climate that the particular plant you are growing from comes from. Why? You must do your best to mimic these conditions and have the best chance of success. You also need to be careful not to pour over living stones. They do not need watering during their dormant period from autumn to spring. While pretty and attractive on their own, the flowers are very aesthetic and if you want to encourage them through Addition of diluted cactus fertilizers in the spring when you start watering them again.
There aren't too many pest issues to be aware of when it comes to lithops, but they can suffer from some fungal diseases, moisture mosquitoes, and dandruff. Look for discoloration and assess your plants in case they need immediate treatment.
