Friday, June 14, 2013

This year's Lithops portraits: dorotheae (2 pics)

Even after years growing these plants you still can't figure them out sometimes. I've had two dorotheae C300 specimens looking very similar in their size and overall health. One has regenerated in an exemplary manner and has doubled in size since. Perfect, fat and healthy looking plant! Beautiful markings, too. Meanwhile the other tried to grow two heads, then regenerated with only one head again and obviously failed to grow roots while doing so. Now it's refusing to drink and is slowly dying. Same pot, same conditions, same everything - different outcome. Go figure!


The other three-headed and large-windowed dorotheae is doing fine. I normally remove remains of the flower but this plant flowers from only one head every year and I'd like to know if it's the same one. :)

6 comments:

  1. I've had similar results this year, Lithops are so very mysterious!

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    1. Yes, in some cases it's really difficult to tell what went wrong... But it's all the more precious when it goes right :)

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  2. Beautiful plants Rika. L. dorotheae has some wonderful markings. It's one of the lithops I've considered growing more of, and perhaps cross pollinating several with the best markings to stabilize a colorfully marked form. Of course I would have to grow a fair number, perhaps 20, maybe more, to have a good chance of getting some exceptionally nice plants. Right now, increasing the number of plants I have is probably not a good idea. I'm still amazed at the plant quality you achieve growing lithops in pure pumice on a windowsill. Makes my efforts, with the facilities and supplies I have, seem a bit second rate. Your plant skills are very impressive. But, I'll keep trying. ;-)

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    1. Looking forward to reading about your endeavours with the dorotheae. I wished someone would want to pay me to do this kind of work. I'd work all night and day :)
      Ooh I saw your plants! You're too modest!

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  3. >Same pot, same conditions, same everything - different outcome. Go figure!
    Precisely my thoughts about lithops )

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    1. Frustrating but not enough to make us give them up :)

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