For my seeds to awaken, you must replicate the gentle, nurturing conditions following a soft rain in my native South African habitat. I require a warm and consistently moist environment. A soil temperature between 65°F and 80°F (18°C - 27°C) is perfect. You can achieve this by placing my pot in a warm, bright location but out of direct, harsh sunlight. A windowsill with indirect light or under a grow light is ideal. The most critical factor is high humidity; you must enclose my pot in a clear plastic bag or cover it with a plastic dome to create a miniature greenhouse. This prevents the tiny seeds from drying out, which would be fatal.
I am a succulent, but as a seedling, I am incredibly vulnerable to rot. My growing medium must be very well-draining yet capable of retaining some moisture for a short time. Please create a mix for me using equal parts of a sterile potting soil, coarse sand, and perlite or pumice. Sterilization is key to protect me from fungi. You can bake the soil mix in an oven at 200°F (93°C) for 30 minutes to achieve this. Fill a shallow pot or tray with drainage holes with this dampened (not soggy) mix. Gently level the surface, as my seeds are like fine dust.
Since my seeds are minuscule, do not bury them. Simply sprinkle them sparingly and evenly across the surface of the prepared soil. A light dusting of fine sand or vermiculite can help anchor them, but it is not strictly necessary. After sowing, use a spray bottle to mist the surface thoroughly with water, ensuring the seeds make good contact with the soil. Immediately cover the pot with its plastic cover to seal in the humidity. My germination can take anywhere from two weeks to a couple of months, so please be patient. During this time, keep the soil surface consistently moist with daily misting if needed, and ensure I remain warm.
Once you see my tiny, green specks emerge, your care must shift slightly. I still need high humidity, but now I require more air circulation to prevent dampening off disease. You can begin to open the cover for a short period each day. Continue to water me from below by placing the pot in a shallow tray of water, allowing the soil to wick up moisture. This prevents you from dislodging my delicate roots. Keep me in bright, indirect light. I will grow very slowly; it will take months before I begin to resemble a tiny, proper Lithops. Do not disturb me during this critical growth phase.
For the first few months, I will be developing my taproot and first succulent leaves. After about three to four months, you can begin to very carefully transplant me if I am too crowded, but it is often safer to wait until I am a year old. As my body swells and hardens, you can gradually treat me more like an adult plant. Slowly reduce the humidity by increasing the ventilation over several weeks until the cover is removed entirely. Then, you can begin to let the soil dry out more thoroughly between waterings. With this careful attention, I will reward you by growing into a unique and fascinating living stone.
