So, why is it an enigma? This is my second lithops plant. The first one I kept for over a year and I THINK I must have overwatered it. I thought it would recover but, no matter what I did, it just died. The way I kept it for a year was that I would water it half as often as the other cacti and then only with 1 tablespoon of water. I would mist it with water quite often. I kept this up until I placed it outside. I thought that they had a growing season and that I should water it a little more. NOPE! Anyway, I decided to try again. This one, I have treated slightly different. I have not watered it any more but I didn't mist it enough, I think. I placed it outside a few weeks ago and, so far, I haven't noticed anything except that it is more wrinkled. I am watering it slightly more than normal but I am also trying not to water it too much like before. With Lithops, the watering dance is very delicate.
Here are some guidelines for Lithop care:
-Water when dry with 1 tablespoon of water from late spring to early summer.
-Stop watering during its summer dormancy.
-Give the plant just a little water if it begins to shrivel during dormancy.
-Resume watering in late summer to early fall.
-Keep the plant dry through winter and spring.
-Allow old leaves to completely dry up as new ones grow by not watering.
-Fertilize sparingly.
They require light shade, a dry summer and thrive above 61 degrees Fahrenheit. This species is also called Fenestraria rhopalophylla.
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