While most of the lithops have finally regenerated and started growing I still have several that don't make much progress. They seem to be stuck at some stage and won't go forward with it. I'm generally bad with julii so no surprise there. The only julii I was able to keep alive for several years now is this brunnea. The others - no idea what they're planing. At least summer is finally here. Hopefully it will make them use up their accumulated resources soon.
Hi Rika,
ReplyDeleteI think all lithops growers have these plants that just don't do what they are suppose to do. Don't they read the lithops books! The question I have is how such plants are watered, or if they are watered, during this stage. Common lithops sense would say, don't water. However, I have had plants that I gave no water to, and instead of absorbing the water in their old leaves, they just completely dried up and died. This was especially true of small, young plants. If these mavericks were in their native habitats they would receive the rainfall the normal lithops received. I'm a bit undecided on the care these uncooperative plants should receive. Of course if they were easy to grow, it wouldn't be as much fun. Bob
Hi Bob. Absolutely. That's the biggest dilemma with these plants. There are three tactics (and I've tried them all): not watering, watering, surgical intervention. Not watering (1) seems like the safest way but as you say it sometimes leads to death. For some reason the plants just don't use old leaves to get what they need (maybe the connection between the old leaves and the new body has dried up but over the ground it doesn't look like it... or it's just sick). With younger seedlings (up to two years) I'm more careless with water: I water if they look like they might need to drink even if the old leaves are still there. Watering (2) is really problematic. I've read somewhere that watering the "late leaf-changers" might stimulate them to snap out of it and start growing. I've tried that recently and it only led to the OLD leaves getting bigger and has probably made the whole process much much slower... With younger seedlings that won't get out of their old leaves I don't have any scruples removing the old leaves with scissors or even just ripping them off (3). After that they start growing very quickly and I've barely experienced losses. It sounds cruel but it helps. I've also tried this with adult plants successfully but the old leaves have to be digested for the most part. I wouldn't touch them if they still look like those on the photos above.
DeleteIt's hard to tell what to do with these cases. I imagine if you grow thousands of lithops you don't even notice those that have timing-troubles. But we notice everything and try to help :)
That was very enlightening Rika. I've never tried a surgical approach. It seems with these problem plants that since the new leaves are not increasing in size, they probably are not regenerating new roots yet. I think I'm going to unpot a few problem plants and learn more about the status of the root system. The root system is the key to many potted plant problems. Lithops are different in that they go through a root renewal as well as a leaf renewal, but I've really never examined the roots during various parts of the lithops life cycle. Since I have a new batch of seedlings coming along, I may take a look at the root systems of some of the plants that are having difficulty with their regeneration and see in that tells me anything. I've read through several books and no one seems to mention or go into this problem other than to say don't water when the old leaves are still present. I may also write to Steven Hammer and ask him. He is generally nice enough to answer, although it often takes him a long time.
ReplyDeleteBob
Surgical approach should be the last resort when nothing else helps. The guys on the photos will probably be done sometime in September at this rate... : /
DeleteI might be wrong but shouldn't the roots start regenerating only after the old leaves are used up? After all if they are not watered for up to 6 months the root should be inactive until the first watering. Which in our collections normally happens when the old leaves are gone. As I understand the point is that the roots remain inactive in order to enable the plant to use up the resources in the old leaves instead of getting them from the environment. So if you look at the roots of such a lithops plant it's normal to not see any new growth, isn't it?
True, this problem isn't mentioned anywhere and it's really too bad because the regeneration process is the most dangerous in a lithops life. Every winter you lose some or have troubled cases: late starters, double-regenerators, dangerous decrease in size, too weak to grow two heads but doing it anyway. The reason why you don't find this in the books might be what I said before - the book authors are mass growers and don't pay attention if it's just a couple of plants, those just die unnoticed and fall under description "that was a weak plant anyway". The troubles described are always those that endanger the whole collection (pests and diseases).
Since lithops are classified as a woody plant, they should have two types of roots. There should be a main, somewhat woody root that does not die off over the winter, and active roots, with root hairs, that absorb the water and which disappear over the dry winter period. I want to confirm that when a lithops is holding on to its old leaves too long (not completing its regeneration properly),there are no active roots present. If I find active roots, this might be the reason the regeneration is stalling. Of course WHY there might be active roots when there shouldn't be - that's another unknown. In diagnosing plant problems you just take one step at a time. I've dug up many sick, and dead, plants in my university career, but I've always been timid about digging up my lithops. Time to be brave....and maybe learn something. :) Have a wonderful Sunday.
ReplyDeleteTrue, we can understand what they should and what they shouldn't look like but finding out 'why' is difficult. Understanding the reason would save so many plants grown by hobby growers! I believe you're an expert in finding these things out so I'm very much looking forward to your reports on this matter. :)
DeleteWish you a great Sunday, too!
Well, what can I say? I have plenty of plants which refuse to renew their leaves - even when conditions have improved. I have - for example - two L. fulviceps v. lactinea C 222 which don´t renew for the second year in a row. B-Z Same with some Dorotheae and a few L. julii. And I´m quite sure they´ll all end dead sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteBy the way if I water the Fulviceps the bodies swell. They don´t rot (at least)!
You are lucky if your Lithops renew their pair of leaves late! Instead they don´t at all! 8-((
Andy
Don't give up Andy, it sometimes happens that they keep a leaf-pair for two years or regenerate twice in one year. It isn't optimal but they still might survive. I've had the same problem with C222 and they died eventually. With julii I have troubles all the time. It's best not to grow them, I figured...
DeleteQuote: "It's best not to grow them,"
DeleteAAAAHHHHH...don´t say that!! 8-oo I´d have to hang myself at the next tree I guess! ;o)
Also "very good" news the C 222 eventually die...hahaaa! *wallbash* But I´m growing some from seed and hope this will work better! B-P
Best regards
Andy