Just got my first lithops, I would appreciate someone double checking my plan for how I'll treat each of them (also seeking general tips for conveying the seasons to the lithops when growing them indoors)
I purchased these lithops yesterday. I have never owned lithops before. Another plant that I bought from the same seller had mealybugs. I will be treating that plant with imidacloprid granules to kill any mealybugs which were not killed by the alcohol I sprayed that plant with, but because of lithops' particular watering schedule I want to make sure I know where each of them is in their cycle before watering them to absorb the insecticide. I haven't seen any mealybugs on the lithops but I know better than to assume that seeing none means there are none.
I live in the northern hemisphere but I grow my plants under grow lights. I generally decrease the time time the grow lights are on by a few hours in the winter to help the plants know that the season has changed. Is that enough for the lithops to figure out when they should start splitting/go dormant?
I'd appreciate if someone more experienced looked over the following plan and told me if anything is incorrect:
#1, #3, and #5 are splitting.
- Tentative Plan: I'll wait for them to finish before repotting in grittier soil. I'll add imidacloprid granules once the soil dries out after the first watering post-repot. I'll wait for them to get very wrinkled before watering again to ensure they absorb a lot of the insecticide. (I don't want to add the insecticide on the first watering because I want to make sure they have roots to absorb it)
#2, #4, and #6 don't appear to have started splitting yet (or have already finished) All three are a bit wrinkled on the sides. I'm not sure if they are pre- or post-split so I'm not sure if I should water them.
- Tentative Plan: (assuming they're post-split) I'll lightly water them to help them prepare for repotting. Once the soil is dry I'll repot them into something grittier. Then I'll add the granules and wait for them to be thirsty before watering again.
Alternatively, I'm not sure they actually need to be repotted. The guy I bought them from said he repotted them 3 months ago. The soil looks a bit too organic relative to what's usually recommended but it's not at all compacted and the pots are tiny (1.5 inch x 1.5 inch x 2 inch). Assuming it's 50% grit, do you think it will dry quickly enough that I can skip repotting this year (there are drainage holes at the bottom of each pot).
If I do repot them, would it be acceptable to put them in larger pots than I would other succulents if my soil mix is 85-100% inorganic (I usually do 50% pumice, 25% perlite, 25% bagged succulent mix but I'd probably swap at least half of the succulent mix for coarse sand when repotting the lithops). The last two pictures show the pot size I'd probably repot them in if a larger pot is acceptable (2.5 inch x 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch). I don't have any smaller pots that fit nicely in 1020 trays.
My goal is to get them all repotted (if necessary) and full of insecticide as quickly as possible so they don't spread mealybugs to my other plants.