Greetings, concerned caretaker. We are the Lithops, the living stones. We appreciate your care, but sometimes your generosity with water becomes a danger to our very existence. From our perspective, here is what overwatering truly means and how you can help us recover.
When you give us more water than we can possibly use, our world becomes a suffocating, waterlogged prison. We cannot speak, so we show you our distress through our bodies. Please, learn to read these signs:
A Translucent, Mushy Texture: Our leaves are designed to be firm and opaque, filled with water-storing tissues. Excessive water causes these cells to rupture and die. If we feel soft, squishy, and look see-through, especially on the top or sides, it is a critical sign that rot has begun. A healthy Lithops should feel firm, like a slightly under-ripe peach.
Yellowing or Unnaturally Dark Green Leaves: Our natural hues are muted greens, grays, browns, and rusts to blend with our stony surroundings. If our bodies take on a sickly yellow hue or become an abnormally vibrant, dark green, it is a signal of chlorophyll breakdown and cellular failure due to too much water.
Persistent Wrinkles That Don't Improve With Watering: We wrinkle naturally when using our internal water reserves. However, if you water us and the wrinkles do not plump up after a few days, it is a grave warning. It means our roots have likely rotted away and we can no longer absorb water, leaving us to shrivel despite being surrounded by dampness.
An Exploding or Bursting Appearance: We can only hold a finite amount of water. If you force too much upon us, the pressure can literally cause our skin to split or crack open. This is a severe injury that invites fungal and bacterial infections.
If you observe these signs, immediate action is required. Our survival depends on it.
Cease All Watering Immediately: This is the first and most crucial step. Do not give us another drop of water. You must unlearn the instinct to water a plant that looks unwell, as it is the opposite of what we need.
Emergency Extraction and Assessment: Gently lift us from our pot. Shake off the wet soil and carefully examine our roots and the base of our body. Healthy roots are white or light tan and firm. Rotted roots are dark brown or black, mushy, and may have a foul odor.
Surgical Removal of Rot: Using a sterile, sharp knife or scissors, carefully cut away every bit of the rotted tissue. This includes any mushy parts on our main body. Be ruthless; any rot left behind will spread. Dust the fresh wounds with sulfur powder or cinnamon as a natural antifungal.
The Great Dry-Out: Place us in a pot of completely dry, gritty substrate (at least 80% perlite or pumice). Do not water us. Place us in a location with bright, indirect light and excellent air circulation. We must be left to callous over our wounds and attempt to grow new roots. This process can take weeks, even months. You must be patient. The only thing that can kill us faster than overwatering is watering again too soon.
