First, it is crucial to understand where we come from. We are native to the harsh, sun-scorched deserts of southern Africa. Our entire biology is an evolutionary marvel designed for extreme drought and intense sunlight. The journey to a new home is incredibly stressful for us. We are often shipped in dark boxes, deprived of light and water, and subjected to fluctuating temperatures. When we arrive, we are vulnerable and in a state of shock. Acclimation is the gentle process of helping us recover from this trauma and adjust to the specific conditions of your home, which are undoubtedly different from our native desert.
Please do not immediately place us with your other plants. This period of isolation is for everyone's protection. Gently remove us from the shipping packaging and carefully examine our bodies and roots. Look for any signs of pests like mealybugs or spider mites, and check for soft, mushy spots indicating rot. This is also the time to assess our potting medium; it is often a peat-based mix that retains far too much water for our needs. We absolutely require a gritty, fast-draining substrate, typically a mix of at least 80-90% inorganic materials like perlite, pumice, or coarse sand.
If a repot is necessary, please be extremely gentle. Our root systems are fine and fragile. Carefully tease away the old soil, but avoid washing the roots as this can cause damage and increase rot risk. If any roots are dead or mushy, you can trim them with a sterilized tool. Before repotting us into our new, dry, gritty home, allow our roots to air dry and callous over for a day or two. This prevents pathogens from entering any micro-abrasions. Once potted, do not water us. We need time to settle and for our roots to heal in the new soil.
This is perhaps the most vital step. After our journey, we are not prepared for direct, intense sunlight. If placed immediately on a sunny windowsill, we will suffer severe sunburn, which appears as white or brown crispy patches that are permanent and can be fatal. You must introduce us to light gradually. Start by placing us in a location with very bright, but indirect light for about a week. Then, over the next 2-3 weeks, slowly increase our exposure to direct morning sun, hour by hour. Eventually, we will thrive in a spot that receives 4-5 hours of direct sunlight, preferably in the morning, with bright light for the rest of the day.
Resist the urge to water us for at least a week, and often much longer, after repotting. We are likely not thirsty; our plump, fleshy bodies are designed to store water. Watering a stressed Lithops with damaged roots is the fastest way to kill us through rot. You must learn our annual cycle. We absorb water and grow new leaves in the autumn and spring. We are dormant in the heat of summer and often in the deepest winter. A good rule is to only water when the old leaves have completely withered into papery shells and the new pair is looking slightly wrinkled or soft. When in doubt, it is always safer to not water.
