The more I get into growing cacti and other succulents, the easier I find it and the better results I get. I recall how carefully I sowed in the early years and how unimpressive the results were. At one point, I even felt I would never master this. For several years, I didn’t work with the plant cultures at all, but one day when I visited a friend who successfully grows cacti and lithops from seeds, I decided to try again. And if with cactus seeds everything turned out quite easy – even if not for the first time – the lithops surprised me more than once or twice.

To some extent, I was lucky that the climate in Plovdiv is very close to the climate of the homeland of the Mesembryanthemum plants, with the only difference being that in our latitudes they bloom in the fall. So, I decided to make the most of the climatic conditions for the successful cultivation of Mesembryanthemum. From experience, I’ve deduced the following facts:

– Seeds germinate best at daytime temperatures not exceeding +25-27 degrees Celsius and at night – not higher than +15 degrees, but not lower than +12 degrees. In Odessa, this is the end of April and the end of August. Therefore, I cultivate twice a year during these periods.

– Plants easily rot in the absence of ventilation and are prone to fungal diseases.

– In very hot weather, young seedlings stagnate and don’t shed on time, which can cause their death in winter.

– Plants can be transplanted even at the age of 2 months, but it’s better to do this between 6 months and one year of age.

– Up to 2 years, it’s better to shade the seedlings, so they don’t burn in direct sunlight, although the color in full sunlight is always richer than that of shade plants.

– Lithops can be self-pollinated, but offspring from two parents are always healthier.

– Evening spraying in the summer can replace 1-2 waterings, but for the third time, they should be watered thoroughly to prevent the root system from drying out.

– The poorer the soil, the stronger the root system; the stronger the root system, the better it absorbs moisture and easily withstands a brief excess of water.

– Frequent repotting into a larger pot for some species stimulates earlier blooming (by 2-3 years), but that doesn’t mean one-year-old seedlings should be planted in a 10 cm pot!

There are many more nuances that determine both the germination rate and the number of seedlings that survive to one year, but the basic rules for sowing and care in my case look like this.

A mix of perlite, sand, and red clay (40:40:20) is well smothered in the oven. Soil is not used at all to avoid losses. The clay contains many trace elements and nutrients that are not found in perlite and sand. It sits in the middle of the pot. In the absence of clay, it’s worth spraying the seedlings with fertilizers once every 2-3 weeks (I use cactus fertilizers with a minimal nitrogen content (no more than 2%)).

I carefully moisten the seeding plates with boiled water, adding the growth stimulator Emistim-S. (A broad-spectrum plant growth regulator, it contains a balanced complex of bioactive compounds – products from the biosynthesis of fungal micromycetes from the root system of ginseng).

I sprinkle the seeds on top with 1-2 mm of fine river sand. This protects the seedlings from falling after sprouting, as the sand, lifted by the seedling caps, will fall evenly into the gaps between them, keeping them upright.

For the first 1-2 weeks, I keep the cups hermetically sealed under grids (in the shade). If exposed to the sun, the seedlings will simply cook.

After 2 weeks, I completely remove the lid and place the cup in a cool, shady, and well-ventilated place. The seedlings are moistened once every 2-3 days. It is necessary to ensure that the seedlings do not dry out in the first months, and their roots are always sprinkled with sand. I dilute my seedlings and usually start acclimatizing them to less frequent watering in 3-4 months.

If everything goes according to plan, at the age of 4-6 months, the first moulting begins, allowing the miniature plants to prepare for a dormant period. I put my April seedlings in joint wintering with cacti, but every 3-4 days I spray them lightly so they don’t dry out. From January to February, I reduce the spraying to once a week and make sure that sunlight does not fall on the plants. The number of winter sprays depends on the condition of the plants and ranges from 1-2 times a week to once every 2 weeks. The main thing is not to let them dry out. But even overly swollen “balls” will not survive the winter. On particularly warm winter days, when the temperature in the greenhouse rises to 20 degrees, I water the seedlings, but without zeal, no more than once a month.

Usually, by February-March, they thin for the second time, and brightly colored one-year-old plants with a diameter of 5-7 mm greet the spring. In my experience, this is better than trying to keep them in a greenhouse with cactus seedlings and worrying about whether they will survive until spring or not. Their more ascetic lifestyle benefits them, which in principle can be said for people too :).»

I’m trying not to overwater mature plants because not everyone is able to appreciate my generosity, and sometimes they burst, become deformed, even in just 1 year. Constant sunlight from 8 am to 5 pm without shading allows plants to showcase the full richness of their colors. But with the slightest omission by the evening, you could end up with two “dumplings” that are no longer good for anything. I inspect all my plants daily and rearrange them regularly to avoid burns. Yet this year, despite all precautions, in mid-June, I burnt about 40 lithops in 2-3 days, something that wasn’t even observed during the July heatwaves when the sun thermometer showed 65-68 degrees Celsius! On one hand, this is unfortunate, but on the other hand, to restore the species, I will sow seeds again. This means there’s a chance to grow something beautiful and unusual…