Repotting Lithops | Repotting your New or First Lithops Plant | November 2020

[@hillsboroughgalleryofarts8285]

Do you water them after repotting?

[@CactusCove]

Hello thank you for watching 👍🏻🌵😊 If your Lithops plant is very plump and without any severe wrinkling you do not need to water a Lithops after repotting. Lithops roots don't need any time to callous or heal like a cactus would... so depending on the time of year and where you're located in the world, if your Lithops is very dry and showing wrinkled skin then its okay to give a little water after repotting. Here in the UK I've now stopped watering from October, and won't be repotting any Lithops unless it's an emergency repot needed. When you take off Lithops roots during repotting or damage any, a Lithops will repair its existing roots first, they are funny things... they won't grow new roots unless there's enough moisture in its soil mix to enable it to do that aswell. So only give a little water just to settle in its roots after repotting if you've had a lot of root loss, otherwise leave them alone if they're plump or its their resting period. Hope this helps.

[@davidwood639]

Thank you for not blasting us out with unnecessary music. Great content.

[@CactusCove]

You are most welcome... I don't like unnecessary background music to my videos especially when it's too loud... for a long while I have excluded it from my videos because its such an annoyance for me personally. If done well and subtle it can enhance, but yes I don't add it anymore except for intro and outro. Thank you for your comment 😁👍🏻🌵

[@davidwood639]

@@CactusCove Glad you agree about the music. I wear hearing aids and hearing speech is hard enough without incessant beats in the background. I'm new to Lithops but your tips are so helpful, thank you. I'm from Yorkshire so i am in sync with your seasons.

[@CactusCove]

@@davidwood639 good luck with your growing journey with Lithops 😊 mine are in various stages of splitting now. Have a good evening.

[@MySteaming]

I've got loads of these! They aren't fussy on what potting media you use. Any general purpose Compost will do. Mine live very happily in bog standard stuff from Poundland.

[@barbarahenry3698]

I just purchased my first Lithops, mainly because you never see them locally for sale! Secondly, because I was afraid of killing it, but I have had much luck with a Split Rock that I've had for at least 3 years, and it sounds like the Lithops and Split Rock have similar likes and dislikes. But before watching you video, I did remove it from it's plastic tiny pot because it's soil was soaking wet, and is in the process of shedding, and if like my Split Rock, doesn't need to be watered as it uses the old leaves for moisture. You mentioned that they don't need to dry out and heal before planting, but I worry about how damp it still is. I'm hoping to rescue it-not kill it!!!!

[@bhumphries1360]

Lyn, from Desert Plants of Avalon sent me here. And I am so glad! I can't thank you enough for the helpful tips.

[@CactusCove]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Glad it's helped you out with your Lithops, and much thanks to Lyn for signposting you to my channel 😀🌵👍🏻 thanks Lyn!

[@cucar8363]

Me too!!❤

[@mrbusterhoo]

Can I tell you - this was a fantastic educational video. Thank you so much for posting!!!!

[@CactusCove]

Thank you so much, greatly appreciated, thank you for commenting, it's one of my favourite videos amongst many I've done, I'm pleased to know its of help 😄 Thanks for watching 👍🏻🌵😊

[@joell.delacruz6080]

I wish for the tall terracotta pots like you have there.

[@kaytorrence8870]

This is an excellent video I have yet to get my first plant but finally found some but I believe them to be in little pots and will need to be repotted

[@CactusCove]

Happy repotting to you, and happy growing 👍🏻😊🌵

[@lilithmoon7805]

Just purchased my first one.......wish it luck! Thank you for the care video, hopefully it will survive x

[@CactusCove]

Good luck & happy growing 😊🌵👍🏻

[@Cactimania]

Nice repotting Claire, those Lithops look nice and healthy. I might give them another go next year 😊 Thank you for sharing with us as always, from Edith & myself, have a wonderful day 🌵☀️🌼🌺🏜

[@CactusCove]

Hello Daz... Thanks for watching and for your comment... Lithops once you get the hang of them are easy to look after, yes give them another go😄 🎄🌵🎄🌵🎄🌵 Have a great day 👍🏻😊

[@edithcoliagrandis]

Daz and I did not succeed on keeping these cute plants alive. Your video just makes me want to try again but maybe when i’m in the UK already. The temperatures here in SG just won’t suit lithops unless i have them in an air-conditioned room 24/7. Thanks for sharing with us, Claire. 🥰

[@CactusCove]

Hello Edith! Thank you so much for watching and for your comment... Lithops can be very sensitive to too much, and more so, humidity, and water, and especially if incorrectly given a watering on very humid and even overcast/cloudy days, even here in the UK... they Can be finicky these Lithops! 🤣Good luck for your next go at growing them in the future👍🏻 🤗🌵⛄🌵

[@desertplantsofavalon]

WONDERFUL repotting video Claire and your Lithops are GORGEOUS and look so nice and plump and healthy and they look AMAZING in their wonderful clay pots, thanks so much for sharing and sending you lots of love and happiness and PLANT POWER from across the sea for a wonderful afternoon XXXX

[@CactusCove]

Thank you Lyn! Thanks so much for watching and commenting 👍🏻🤗🌵🌃🌵🌃🌵

[@cactusandfriends_by_vane]

Very cute Lithops, Claire! I see you use a very mineral mix. I have bought my first Lithops and they need a repoting, so I will use your guide. Thank you for sharing what you do. Love from Spain 😘💕☮️🌵🌺.

[@CactusCove]

Hello to you! Thank you so much for watching and taking time to comment... Yes I do now use a mineral based substrate... things like Pumice, Lapillo, Gravel/Grit etc and I use Bark chips too aswell in the mix you see in this video, but I do use coco coir sometimes... Its just I'm trying out Bark chips aswell to see how they perform for my Cactus over time. Some people pot up Lithops in just Pumice alone, so there is lots of choice, as long as its very well draining you will have a happy Lithops and it will enjoy your climate much more than here in the UK... Happy Growing! 🌵🎄🌵😊

[@CactusCove]

If what I share helps just one person, it's worth sharing, thanks for your kind words 🤗

[@cactusandfriends_by_vane]

@@CactusCove 🥰

[@UginUa]

Very helpful! Thank you! I was surprised how loose the soil was. Could you please spell the dressing name?❤

[@CactusCove]

The top dressing is KYODAMA. 😊👍🏻🌵

[@cucar8363]

Hello! I bought a pair and want to repot them. I am in Florida. Is ok to do it now? Thanks for the video.

[@kewn8286]

Great video, thank you.

[@CactusCove]

Thank you, much appreciated. Thanks for watching 👍🏻🌵😊

[@carineds]

Just bought some Lithops few days ago, never had those before. Very educational this video, now i know how to repot them. The Lithops i've got are many Lithops in a narrow nursery pot as i see with you and Lyn(s videos, you put only 1 in a terracotta pot, so i think it's best i seperate them or leave it as it is? Love the video. Take care🤩🥰

[@CactusCove]

Hello, Lithops are happy in groups or separately, it's entirely personal preference, also if you are restricted for space it's nice to pot lithops in little groups. Just ensure ones that you keep together have the same watering needs. 😊👍🏻🌵

[@carineds]

@@CactusCove thank you 🤩🤩

[@theresafreemantle1457]

The first one is a lovely blue colour

[@CactusCove]

Thank you for watching and for commenting... I don't have either of these Lithops (I think!) so it's nice to to have a couple of different ones 😁🌵🎄🌵🎅🌵⛄👍🏻😁

[@kaktus_cactus]

Thanks for sharing. Guess what?😀my next video lined up is about...litops haha although not about repotting.

[@CactusCove]

I will look forward to watching your next video 😉 Thank you for watching and for your comment, have a great day 🎄🌵🎄🌵🎄

[@akeem2983]

Days ago I bought a pot of tiny (with biggest ones about 1.5 centimeters and smallest one 0.5 centimeters in diameter) lithopses and they also live in their stock pot that looks like in the video and has similar soil substrate. Some of them have weird white-ish indentations on them that look kind of like healed wounds and one of them has areas that seem to be covered in some sort of loose dried out layer of skin - I don't know whether or not it is normal for them. Should I repot them now or is it better for me to wait for different season?

[@amilie15]

How do you decide when to repot if you buy Lithops in unsuitable soil?

[@CactusCove]

If I get Lithops in really bad soil then I will repot them after purchase. If they are bought and the leaves are in their absorption stage, then if you're not experienced with Lithops I would wait until the outer leaves have gone crispy to be on safe side. Lithops bought in awful soil like Peat, is no good for Lithops long term but is okay from when growing from seed upto a year or so during that stage but after that they need a better mix into their adult phase. If you are fully bare rooting like I show in my video, then I wouldn't suggest when it's in full bloom, or when it's consuming its outer leaves. If you are in the UK like me, then now is a good time to repot a lithops now it's in the start of it's growing season again.

[@charmainattwood]

Hi could you tell me what the tool is you use to take off the soil before repotting is please and what is the top dressing you use.? 🌵🌵🌵🌵

[@CactusCove]

Hi, In this video I'm using a dentistry tool. They are very handy, I have a few different sorts, they can be bought as sets or individually. Alternatively a chop stick or skewer or similar pointy tool is good too. 😊🌵👍🏻 The top dressing is commonly known as KAYADAMA.

[@sunshinecarnivores1919]

Killed a lithops years ago! This was before the internet was available like it is now.

[@CactusCove]

My Mum had Lithops over 20 years ago, she never used computer's and didn't even use the Internet then, but weirdly she was able to keep them alive...😄 Thank you for command watching 👍🏻🙂🌵

[@naord8407]

Hi Claire. Great video. I can see that your Lithops have a dead flower. So for repotting, du you have to wait for the flower to die? What is the right period for repotting them?

[@CactusCove]

I personally will repot a lithops at anytime if I'm not disturbing the roots too much, especially if its an emergency repot for some reason. However do not tend to repotva lithops when it is absorbing its outer leaves. So wait until it has its new set of leaves and its during the growing season, usually watering them starts from May but can be delayed into June depending on weather etc. Personally I wouldn't repot a lithops during its flowering, so I'd wait until its finished. I often repot lithops in Winter before the growing season would start again the next May. Thus let's its roots heal and plant has time to sit as they won't be watered during that time. There is lots of information online too. Bear in mind if you're flower has been pollinated or you're not sure, do not pick off the dead flowers, because it will if its been pollinated develop a seed capsule and these can take upto a year to ripen.

[@naord8407]

@@CactusCove Thank you for answering. I didn't know that it takes a whole year to develop a seed capsule. I learned a new thing today.

[@jessicayim6896]

Wow so lithops only using Rocks ?

[@CactusCove]

Yes Lithops can be grown in just rocks or stones 😉😊🤗👍🏻 as long as its very well drained mix they are happy.

[@Mojopoodlebrain]

can a beginner purchase a premade potting mix similair to this ?

[@CactusCove]

Yes, there are many premade mineral based potting mixes available, taking away the hassle of mixing one up yourself. You tend to find the better ones available from online sellers/websites which don't contain peat based components.

[@greenbalcony1803]

Thanks for sharing

[@CactusCove]

Thank you 😊🌵👍

[@faheamakhtar74]

Thank u

[@bobbymalta73]

Thank You..

[@raghibraj]

No soil or vermicompost needed?

[@CactusCove]

Lithops will survive in the sheer bare minimum of substrates, they can be potted in pure mineral, so they don't need any soil type component. But it's down to choice, the only thing your potting mix needs to be is very very well draining and preferably dries out within 2 to 3 days after waterings. They don't need fertiliser either, but if you struggle with getting Lithops to flower depending on your personal growing conditions then a very weak fertiliser given when necessary may benefit and perk up the Lithops.

[@2shyjen]

Hi! What size are the pots?

[@CactusCove]

The pots are 6.5cm overall diameter, internal diameter is 5.5cm and height of the pot is 7.5cm. So there is a little inner lip inside which the plastic pots sit on so they are kept up high with the rim of clay pot. I re-use these clay pots and drill a hole in the bottom and use them as is. I made a video about drilling the holes, incase you need that information. Thank so much for watching my video. 👍🏻😊🌵

[@2shyjen]

Thank you!!

[@micheletubaj7924]

Don't they need soil?

[@CactusCove]

Hello, Lithops can grow in a completely stones or rocks mixture without any soil or soil substitute added. For instance, pure Pumice could be used as a potting mix entirely, or a mix of gravels and stones etc to your preference. They really don't need much at all. As long as the potting mix you use can dry out after 2 or 3 days in the right conditions you will be okay. Thank you for watching.🙂

[@stevevaughn2040]

You put in the pulverized bone meal?

[@CactusCove]

Lithops don't require any fertiliser or additional feed, but you can add it, if it's to your preference, but don't overdo it. The potting mix shown in this video is my cactus mix. I personally don't add fertiliser to any of my Lithops anymore, but the mix shown in the video may have had minimal traces of Bonemeal, if I had taken it from a mixed batch of potting mix at time of filming. I always add Bonemeal separately now when repotting so I can be sure I've added enough, because using a mineral mix without 'soil, I find the powder sinks to the bottom of large batches when made up, so it's peace of mind for me to add it directly to pots whilst repotting, and sprinkle the amount I need. (I also add my Activated charcoal, znd the bird grit this way too, adding it separately and not mixing it up into large batches, as the granules I use are small). Bonemeal I use is the powder form, it is slow release for 5‐6 months, so it wouldn't detriment your Lithops if you only added 1 application a year, but as standard now, I don't feed lithops atall. Hope this helps. 😊🌵

[@stevevaughn2040]

@@CactusCove Thank you. I use bone meal in vegetable garden but go very gritty to all grit for cactus and lithops

[@cactuspekanbaru]

Boleh di bagi tutor nya, saya dari #cactusnesia

[@CactusCove]

Thanks for your comment