Greetings from the Lithops community! We, the Living Stones, have very specific needs to thrive in your care. Our pot is our entire world, and getting it right is the first and most crucial step to a long and healthy life together. Please consider our perspective on the matter of drainage and size.
Our greatest fear is wet feet. In our native, arid habitats, our roots are designed to seek out deep moisture and then dry out completely and rapidly. A pot that retains water is a death sentence for us, leading to rot that can consume our entire body from the roots up.
Therefore, the pot you choose must have at least one large drainage hole in the bottom. Multiple holes are even better. This is not a suggestion; it is an absolute requirement. The material of the pot also aids in drainage. We strongly prefer unglazed terra cotta or clay pots. Their porous nature allows the substrate and the pot walls themselves to breathe, wicking away excess moisture and helping the soil dry out much faster than a plastic or glazed ceramic pot ever could. Think of terra cotta as a breathable home that helps regulate our water intake perfectly.
When it comes to pot size, bigger is most certainly not better. Our root systems are surprisingly compact, consisting of a long taproot and a few fine secondary roots. We do not need a vast volume of soil. A pot that is too large presents a significant danger: the excess soil will hold onto moisture for far too long after watering, creating a damp environment around our roots that we are utterly unequipped to handle.
An ideal pot should provide just enough room for our roots to comfortably spread out without being cramped, with a small margin for growth. A good rule is to choose a pot that is only 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) wider in diameter than the total width of our cluster. More importantly, the pot must be deep enough to accommodate our taproot. We require a pot that is at least 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) deep to allow our main root to grow straight down without being bent or restricted, which is essential for our health.
We are social plants and enjoy being with others of our kind. Planting several of us together in a shallow, wide bowl-style pot (with drainage holes!) is an excellent solution. This arrangement, often called a "community pot," is highly beneficial. It creates a more stable root mass that utilizes the water in the pot more efficiently, helping the substrate dry at a more even rate. It also mimics our natural growth habit and makes for a stunning display of different colors and patterns. Just ensure the pot is not overly wide; a dish that is too vast will still hold too much damp soil and defeat the purpose.
