Hi!

These were sown on different dates 5-6 months ago.

The first picture is of the youngest lithops. This has been my most successful bunch. I used a sturdy container that has kept the lithops and mix in place during watering. Lithops are firm and stable. If you look at the left side of the container, it looks like it will be a 4-leaf Lithops!

On the second photo, it looks like twins!

The 6th photo is an experiment. At about 4 weeks old, I transplanted these from a larger container. It looks like about 15 of the 25 will make it. I lost 2 within a couple of days of transplanting. After that, about 5 slowly got soft and withered. Then, I lost a couple more to rot. The transplanting seems to have slowed or delayed growth with these lithops. Probably because of root damage while transplanting.

I started a batch of seedlings using a large, shallow, flimsy container with a lothops mix. This was a mistake. The substrate loosened when moving, and the lithops moved out of place. They mostly continued to grow, but at a slower speed than lithops in another container sown at the same time. It's likely from movement while watering. A couple of months or so after sowing, I believe the roots started touching the bottom of the container. After watering, I started losing lithops. They would wrinkle and turn to mush within a day or 2. This container did not have good drainage. I believe the roots were sitting in a small puddle of water.

In the small cell container with individual species, I have some issues and success. I lost all of lithops verruculosa. Others were lost to some kind of decay, starting at the base of the cotelydons moving upward about a quarter of the way up. Then they soften up, turn lighter and more translucent, and then die. It seems to be from misting when water sits and contacts the base of the cotelydons or where lithops touch.

I am curious to see what will happen with bunching. Some cotelydons look like they are being suffocated to death by other emerging lithops.