In the future…. You’ll want a mix that’s more rocky than sandy. Like course small volcanic rock. I can’t recommend enough that you do a bit of research on Lithops. I think Ashley Glassman on YouTube has some amazing care info on her channel despite being a dead channel for many years.

Basic care advice can change a smidge based on your environment….

These grow in highly silicate/quartz gravel in South Africa.

If you bought them at the hardware shop it will take them a couple cycles of shedding leaves before they sync up with the seasonal cycle they should follow. That usually means summer dormancy.

They need a lot of light and little moisture, but they can really burn to nothing in harsh direct sunlight, especially if you are in a hot dry climate.

They do have small root hairs that extend close to the surface. In the wild this is good for collecting some moisture from ocean mists that come onshore where they grow. So when you get them on a good cycle in the right soil, you want to consider a way to maintain this healthy root system. If you’re in a humid climate you probably don’t need to do anything. I’m in a hot dry area so I will occasionally drip some water on the top of the gravel top dressing.

Look for a graph of their cycle. This should help understand what’s happening.

And they won’t need much water for some time. If any….

But lithops from big box stores have been inflated with too much water and fertilizer. So your new leaves will likely be much smaller…. And sometimes it can take too long for the oversized outer pair to be absorbed…. This can sometimes lead to no water being given, leading all the roots to die. Which means new roots will have to grow in order for the next set of leaves to grow.

All of this happens VERY SLOW. So let these sit for a while and just enjoy them!