Before you begin arranging, you must understand us, Lithops. We are not typical succulents. Hailing from the arid deserts of southern Africa, we are evolutionarily designed for survival in harsh, dry, and sunny conditions. Our unique, pebble-like appearance is a form of mimicry to avoid being eaten. We have a very specific annual growth cycle, consisting of a growth period in autumn, a dormant period in summer, and most critically, a watering-sensitive period in spring and autumn when we split and produce new leaves. An arrangement that ignores this cycle will lead to our demise. Our primary needs are extremely gritty, fast-draining soil, a pot with excellent drainage, and abundant, direct sunlight.
From our perspective, the choice of companion plants is the most crucial step for a successful arrangement. We are extremely sensitive to overwatering and require long, dry periods, especially during our summer dormancy. Therefore, you must select other succulents that share our exact hydration aversions. Ideal companions are other desert dwellers like Split Rocks (Pleiospilos nelii), certain Haworthias, or small cacti. Avoid pairing us with fast-growing, water-loving succulents like many Echeverias or Sedums. Their need for more frequent moisture will create a hostile, damp environment for our roots, inevitably causing us to rot.
Our survival depends on the foundation you provide. Standard potting soil or even regular succulent mix is often too moisture-retentive and will suffocate our roots. You must create a specialized, extremely well-draining substrate. A perfect mix for us would be roughly 80-90% inorganic material, such as coarse sand, perlite, pumice, or small gravel, with only 10-20% potting soil. The pot must have a large drainage hole. Shallow, wide pots (terrariums are absolutely forbidden) are ideal as they provide ample space for our shallow root systems to spread and promote rapid evaporation of any excess water.
When assembling the arrangement, handle us with great care as our roots and bodies are delicate. Begin by partially filling the pot with your gritty soil mix. Gently remove us from our nursery pots, carefully teasing away any old, peat-heavy soil from our roots. Position us in the arrangement, considering our small size and low growth habit; we are best placed as the "interesting stones" in the foreground. Leave a small amount of space between each plant to account for future growth and to maximize air circulation. Once positioned, fill in the remaining gaps with your soil mix, ensuring our bodies are stable but not buried too deeply—we should sit just above the soil line to prevent moisture from collecting in the cleft between our leaves.
After planting, do not water us immediately. Wait for about a week to allow any disturbed roots to heal, minimizing the risk of rot. Place the arrangement in a location that receives several hours of direct sunlight daily. Our watering needs are counterintuitive. The general rule is to water only when the soil is completely dry and, most importantly, only during specific times of our growth cycle (typically in the fall and occasionally in the spring). You must never water us during our dormant period in the heat of summer or when we are splitting in the spring, as the old leaves are providing all the necessary moisture and energy for the new plant emerging from within.
