Subscribed.

O.O

I'd be curious to know this as well. I hear they are quite fussy about watering needs. Very dry but never dried out. (Hope I read the article correctly)

They are definitely the most confusing for me, lot of conflicting info it seems, all I know is I blew up my first one, would like to put these ones in gritty but just want more opinions first. Some say water weekly, some say only a few times a year, argh

Keep dry most of the year but water heavy during growing season. a rapidly draining soil mix is necessary. check this link Lithops culture

nice looking plants ewwmayo! You have a culture that works for you! Soil mix is everything. Generally these plants seem to be overwatered and die due to that. I have seen a nice clump of a Lithops growing in a hanging planter with only partial exposure to the sun under the eaves of a southern porch which was not watered very much at all but survived quite well. The weather was coastal with occasional summer fogs.

Ewwwmayo, awesome post. Mesembs being grown in conditions unlike their native environment seems to be very challenging. One misstep and you could have mushy blobs the next day. Would you mind sharing your favorite websites with info on these guys?

Minty - I haven't really been keeping track, but perhaps here are a few helpful online reads:

• Llifle - Photos for Identification

• Llifle - Care and Info

• Cactiguide - Growing Mesembs by C&C (very useful with photos and discussion)

• Flowering Stones - Extremely detailed IDs, if you can handle the massive qty.

• Flowering Stones - Cultivation

• Art of Growing Mesembs - must read with a lot of insight

• Lithops Info - Cultivation, I like the little sketches

• Cono's Paradise - short but helpful

• Terry Smale - Growing Lithops

• Blog of a Plant Whisperer - Lithops facts and trivia

A lot of the information is repeated and regurgitated across so many sites... after a while it's pretty obvious when the articles are by someone who really doesn't grow Lithops (or grow them well).

Also spent a lot of time digging (all posts) through the Gardenweb cacti forum back to 2010? I found that all the tidbits of information are really helpful, just initially it was very difficult to figure out what's valuable/helpful or just will not apply to me ever. For the longest time I never even thought I would grow Lithops!

I find ewwmayo's post very useful. I've killed several Lithops (and Haworthias) plants because of over-watering. So, I always water Lithops just when the soil gets completely dried up and sometimes use a toothpick to check the pot if it's still damp and yes as I live in a tropical area with a longer rainy season -- the growing conditions depend a lot.

ewwmayo

I need to ask you something that bugs me :) - in several post, you are mentioning temps of 40*C and as much as close to 50*C...what is your terrace made off to be so hot? We don't get those temps in Ontario, Canada. I lived in Toronto for over 40 years and temps are literally identical with your location. Never even close to 50*C...unless your terrace is all tar, enclosed, with sun beating down on it - I just want to understand. I am sure your thermometer is not in full sun to take temps (?)...(I believe that you are talking temperatures, not humidex - even humidex isn't 50.) What floor is it? I understand microclimate, but this seems to he extremely high.

Rina

edit to add:

from: -click here for current temps in Ontario-

With the humidity factored in, it was expected to feel a lot hotter — in the 40s.

By the late afternoon, the heat record was broken in Toronto when temperatures at Toronto's Pearson International Airport hit 36.3 C, smashing the hottest recorded July 6 from 24 years earlier. The 1988 high was 34.7 C.

Prode - Good to hear feedback from a different zone/tropical area, thanks.

Rina - Nothing special with my terrace! I don't consider humidex. It's completely open on the top and the wood decking is a very light colour. The sun does beat down on it pretty hard midday and early afternoon.

Perhaps the difference is that I measure surface temperature? Leaf/plant temperature is more important than ambient air temperature (The Karoo: Ecological Plants and Processes).

I'm normally using a couple thermometers:

1. A green data logger that sits out with my plants day/night.
2. Handheld infrared thermometer for measuring spot surface temperature (originally bought for the kitchen/house, but re-purposed for plants).
3. Digital thermometer that records current and peak temperature / humidity of the day (one in the basement and another was for the bathroom, but joined the plants too!).
4. Wireless thermometer that has two sensors - one indoors and one outdoors (used to check on my garage temperature in the winter for water pipes).

Suppose I like to have my tools be multitaskers! Ha.

If you consider the temperatures measured by the weather network, that matches pretty much exactly with the ambient air temperature.

Here are some sample surface temperature measurements I did last month:

• Weather network measurement: 33°C
• Ambient temperature in shade on roof: 36°C
• Terra cotta pot in sun: 47°C
• Terra cotta pot in bright shade: 36°C
• Deck surface in sun: 70°C
• Deck surface in bright shade: 39°C

ewwmayo

Thank you for the explanation!

Most of us are not so scientific about taking temperatures...and it maybe confusing unless mentioned - at least for me...I understand all about the surface temps, but since you didn't pointed it out, the temps quoted didn't make sense to me.

Rina