HOME LITHOPS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS

Succulent plants of the family Aizovye (Aizoaceae) unusual and attractive. How to preserve and enhance this beauty of South African deserts on your windowsill? To answer this question, first, let's dwell on the acquisition and adaptation.

Vereda lovers of indoor plants, representatives of this family are also known under the poetic name "living stones". Which is no coincidence - many species resemble pebbles, among which they hide in their native rocky wastelands from herbivores. The Aizovs chose a strategy of mimicry for their survival. And what is important for us, connoisseurs of the beauty of the plant world, did it with amazing perfection.

SHRUB SPECIES

If you wish, your fellow succulent growers can get hold of cuttings of common shrub aizovykh: Aptenia cordifolia (сейчас Mesembryanthemum cordifolium), Delosperma echinatum (the species has lost its independence), Corpuscularia lehmannii, Trichodiadema density, Oscularia deltoides (нынче Lampranthus deltoides). Stem cuttings of these species after light drying without problems

take root in wet sand. In the future, for normal growth and regular flowering, they require fairly intense sunlight.. Such aizovye, even with rotting roots from overflow, can be cut and rooted. Many succulent lovers limit themselves to these types., possibly, adding to them the plants of the genera Malephora и Carpobrotus, brought from a holiday in southern countries.

SUPERSUCCULENTS

And what, if the soul of a florist cannot calm down at the sight of adorable super succulent aizae, which is hardly possible to graft? To get these plants, now there is no need to travel to Africa - flower shops delight with a variety of assortments, there are also "living stones". Mainly Pleiospilos nelii, Titanopsis calcarea, Frithia fair, Fenestraria rhopalophylla and, sure, variety of lithops, Argyroderma and Faucaria. Besides, these and many other aizovykh can, with some effort, grow from seeds by yourself. But first things first.

LITHOPS PURCHASE IS A RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Let's admit, you are lucky enough to find a treasured plant in a flower shop. Take your time to buy. Inspect and decide first, is it healthy. An unpleasant feature of the super succulent aizovykh is a strong susceptibility to fungal rot. A diseased plant can turn into a watery gruel in a couple of days with no chance of salvation.

USUALLY, Aizovye get sick during long storage in the store, excess moisture in the soil, especially in low light, reduced (below +20 city.) temperature or, on the contrary, in heat conditions higher +35 city, and lack of ventilation.

Disease attacks the roots first, then the stem and lower leaves. If they become soft and "come apart" at the slightest pressure - the plant,Alas,not a tenant, and you shouldn't buy it. Only faucarias can try to save, zacherenkovav (the cut of the stem should be firm and greenish-white as opposed to yellow-brown when rot).

Besides, "Dutch" plants are often infested with pests. Ticks are almost invisible to the naked eye, but their presence is noticeable by the layer of the thinnest cobweb and small light necrotic specks, completely covering the damaged areas. Chervets - mealy-white oval insects - usually sit motionless in the leaf axils and in the "cracks" of fibrous peat soil. Whether to acquire a plant in this case, depends on the degree of damage. You can save such aiz, although far from 100% probability, way, which will be discussed below.

NEXT STEPS

Freeing roots

so, you are the lucky owner of a Dutch plant. Firstly, it must be freed from soil as soon as possible, especially if it's wet. The likelihood of decay and death grows with every day the plant is in it. The thing is, what in industrial greenhouses plants contain at a certain temperature combination, humidity and lighting, supply with special fertilizer solutions, stimulants and fungicides. It is not possible to reproduce these conditions at home., and the peat substrate, with its moisture capacity, quickly becomes a medium for the development of pathogenic fungi. Therefore, the soil (as well as the remains of dry leaves at the root collar) should be removed immediately. At the same time, most of the small sucking roots are usually removed.. This is not a problem - the main thing, do not damage the root collar and main root (it is pivotal in lithops, playo-spilos, fenestration).

There may be several closely planted plants in the POT - they must be separated from each other.

Treatment

Treat all lesions on succulent plant leaves with contact fungicide "Maxim". If you still find pests, succulent (completely cleared of soil, remnants of dry leaves and visible pests) immerse in warm detergent solution for about half an hour (eg, Fairy, stable foam layer 3-4 cm), in which the insectoacaricide "Fitoverm" is also diluted ("Aktofit") and an insecticide based on imi-dacloprid ("Tanrek", "Commander", "Confidor", "Find") in maximum concentration according to the instructions for them. After that, rinse the plant under a weak stream of running water and dry in a light (no direct sunlight) location.

Dishes for planting lithops

The diameter of the container should approximately correspond to the size of the aboveground part of the plant, depth - root length. You can plant several plants of the same type or different types in one wide pot, caregivers. In the bottom of the tank, holes are required for the outflow of water. The walls are made of solid, lasting, non-bending material. Soft seedling pots are excluded, it is better to use cast plastic or ceramic cookware, including unglazed.

Substrate for lithops

Personal sad experience of losses of rare collectible Aizov from rot shows, that the substrate for such plants is better to use mineral, without admixture of moisture-absorbing organic matter such as peat, humus or coconut fiber. Optimal composition for growing in plastic pots: 30-50% zeolite fraction 3-5 mm, the rest is small quartz stones (sold for aquariums) the same faction. For pots made of unglazed ceramics, the content of zeolite as a moisture-absorbing component can be higher, since such pots lose moisture faster due to its evaporation through the walls.

Zeolite is composed of individual absorbent (not clumping!) cat litter and some aquarium soils. Zeolite can be replaced with pumice, diatomite, flintite, lechuza, seramis or brick chips of the same fraction. It is also allowed to add expanded clay to the mixture., agroperlite or charcoal, however, they have a tendency to float when flushing and watering.

Planting lithops

Place drainage at the bottom of the pot (expanded clay or large pebbles), plant the plant in the prepared mixture, and sprinkle the root collar with not sharp quartz stones 5-10 mm to avoid damage and decay. It is advisable to rinse the soil before planting, dry and sterilize (eg, heated in a microwave oven).

Successful sowing and care of seedlings "from seed to seed" (before fruit ripening) in fact, the only way to fully master the skill of growing aiz. Plus flower shops (and even professional collectors) offer for sale a rather narrow range of adult plants of this family. Many interesting (and not too difficult to care for) species can only be purchased as seeds.

WHERE TO BUY LITHOPS

It is best to buy seeds from trusted collector suppliers, independently collecting and distributing seed material in portions 10-20 seed. They usually clearly indicate the species, variety. sometimes even a region in South Africa, where does this genotype come from. And this information can be trusted. There are many online stores, selling portions of only 3-5 sunflower seeds, often more expensive and more likely to be misgraded. But you can also use their services for a start..

HOW TO CONTACT

Having received the seeds, you will be amazed, how small they are. The seeds of all Aizovs are really very small (in conophytums and especially in dinteranthus - generally dusty). The exception is the seeds of faucaria and glottiphyllum - they are slightly larger. Work with seed, so as not to lose him, better over a large sheet of white paper. It is convenient to pour the seed portion itself before sowing onto the inner fold of a thick white paper folded in half and manipulate the seeds with a long thin needle.

Due to their small size, the seeds are almost impossible to sterilize before sowing, as is usually done with cactus seeds. Sterilizing solutions (hydrogen peroxide, etc.), used for this, able to "kill" most of the small seeds. But since aizovykh can be successfully germinated only in a sterile environment (otherwise most of the seedlings will be destroyed by rot), it is necessary to process the dishes and the substrate for sowing, followed by their sealing for the period of emergence and the beginning of growth.

SEEDING DISHES

To grow aizovy from seeds, you need a hermetically sealed plastic (or other light and chemically inert) container with transparent lid, not deformable in contact with hot boiled water. Desirable, so that it is opaque (so less blue-green algae will start in the ground). But since the seedlings will not live in it too long - before transplanting into a pot, you can also use a transparent container, especially since the algae mentioned are not particularly harmful to seedlings

inflict. At least, it will be more convenient for a newbie-grower to follow the development of roots, and then, how dry the soil is. Transparent cover, through which light enters the seedlings, should be easily removed and put on the container, so that the seedlings are not damaged during inspections.

Container height - 4-7 cm, whichever, how long is the root of a particular plant species. The longest roots grow fenestraria and lithops. I sow most of the other aizovye in shallow containers - the substrate dries out faster in them, which reduces the chances for the development of pathogenic fungi.

Before sowing, I make many small holes in the bottom of the container using hot metal objects (thin tube, spica, nail, awl, etc.). It is also necessary to select a pallet for the container. It must withstand boiling water sterilization. Containers, lids and pallets are carefully washed.

IRRIGATION OF LITHOPS

Watering is the most difficult issue in the Aiz culture. According to the previously proposed conditional classification of these plants by the phases of seasonal activity, we can conclude, that with the right lighting and temperature conditions, opportunistic species can be watered all year round, summer growing - in May-June and then in August-November, winter growing - in March-April and August-November. The rest of the time, it is better to keep the aizovye in absolute dryness..

therefore, in particular, copies, purchased in July or winter, do not water after transplanting, and immediately sent to rest and taken out of rest only with the end of this period. If the plants are purchased during the growing season, then the first time is watered through 1 -2 weeks after transplant.

HOW TO WATER FREQUENTLY

The interval between watering depends on the specific plant. For your information: large healthy lithops, or pleiospilos, well "drunk" during the last watering, able to exist without problems in dry soil without water for more than a year.

MAIN feature, what plant needs to be watered, - the appearance of small wrinkles on the surface of the leaves.

After watching Aizov dry, can be seen, that wrinkles appear first on the lower leaves and only then on the upper. At the same time, they become deeper on the lower leaves., and the top leaves, before wrinkling, first reduce turgor and lose gloss. After watering, a healthy plant for 1 -2 restores turgor for days, and the wrinkles disappear.

WHEN THERE IS NO "REACTION"

Transplanted or underwent a dormant period, specimens grow sucking roots of the desired mass within a month. While the plant is taking root (even if it does not immediately respond to watering), it should not be watered more than once every two weeks, otherwise it can be killed by fungi, which start in moist cool soils. If the plant responds to watering differently or does not react at all, although the time for a dormant period has not yet come, Is a cause for concern. We must extract it from the ground, examine the roots, remove rotten fragments, lubricate slices with fungicide ("Maxim", «Fun-dazol»), dry for about a week and plant in the ground, which dries faster in your conditions.

WATER QUALITY

Do not use water directly from the tap, dirty, remnants of tinctures, various kinds of drinks, etc.. Ideal sterilized and distilled. If desired, you can boil freshly harvested rain / snow water or use distilled, which is sold in large bottles at gas stations. But, as practice shows, you can do with tap water, if you boil it, let it settle 1-2 days, drain from sediment, boil again, chill to +20-25 city., then apply.

FEATURES OF LITHOPSE IRRIGATION

For the Aizov it is important, so that moisture reaches the sucking roots, while not touching the root collar and lower leaves, otherwise they can rot. I water the plants, submerging the bottom of the pot for a few seconds in water.

During this time, it manages to penetrate inside through the drainage holes and wet the bottom layer of soil. Water penetration into the container can be assessed by ear by the characteristic hiss of the moisture-absorbing zeolite granules. After watering, I let excess water drain from the pot and put it in place - portions of water, zeolite-absorbed bottom layer, enough for plants. This technique requires a properly prepared substrate and some "sleight of hand" - you must have time to remove the pot from the water before, how all the soil gets wet.

To some extent, the upper drainage helps protect the lower leaves from excess moisture.. It must be made of material, non-absorbent. Claydite, how extremely moisture-consuming, not suitable for top drainage (although for the lower one it is optimal).

UNWANTED contact of moisture on the upper leaves and flowers, especially faded.

SEEDING CONTAINERS AND SUBSTRATE

All components of the substrate are carefully sterilized in a microwave oven or on a gas stove. Let cool and store in closed disposable plastic bags. I prepare a mineral mixture for crops (50% quartz sand and 50% moisture-absorbing inorganic material - brick chips, zeolite, seramis, flintite) fine fraction 0, 5-3 mm.

I pour on the bottom of the container 1 see drainage (pebbles, expanded clay), so that finer soil does not spill through the drainage holes. After filling with the main mineral mixture. I pour about 1 see mixture of fine (to 1 mm) sand with moisture-absorbing material of the same fine fraction (1:1). This layer is important at the very beginning of the development of the root system of seedlings., when she is still very young.

Further, if I sow different types, I divide the surface of the bowl into cells with wide strips of dense plastic, boiling water resistant. Then I sprinkle the surface with a layer 0, 5-1 see clean sand (fraction 0, 5-3 mm - for large and medium-seeded aizovyh fraction less 1 mm - for dusty seeds).

In one container, it is desirable to group species with similar care features.

The distance from the ground surface to the transparent cover in the closed state must be at least 2 cm.

STERILIZATION

I take two wide pans. I fill the first one with tap water and use it to sterilize instruments (needles, tweezers), lids and pallets, the second - with pre-boiled water, for containers with soil.

I put metal tools and trays in cold water, and when it boils, put plastic lids, I turn off the stove, I leave the pan to cool.

I bring the water in the second bowl to a boil, I apply fertilizer concentrate to stimulate the growth of seedlings with approximately the same content of N-P-K (eg, Kristalon green). While the liquid is boiling, carefully load containers with soil, after which I turn off the stove. To avoid getting burned by the hot steam, I do it with heavy gloves using sterilization forceps or mesh shopping baskets. Air bubbles come out of the ground when immersed, grains of sand and / or spacers may move. Later, when the contents of the pan have cooled, I extract containers, letting water drain (I then use it to water other seedlings), I put it on a sterile tray from the first pan, I level the soil surface with sterile tools. It should stay moist enough, otherwise the seeds will not sprout.

SOWING

I shake the seeds one by one with a sterile needle from the fold of a piece of paper folded in half onto the sand covering the ground. I distribute evenly. I don't bury the seeds of the Aizovs (sprout in the light), but you can push a small seed into the gap between grains of sand with a needle, if it gets on a coarse "element" of the mixture.

Sowing density - from 14 family / 1 about sq.cm (conophytums, dinterantu-sy), to 10 sem. / 10 sq. cm (lithops) and 4 sem. / 10 sq. cm (shrubby aizovye - faucaria, glottiphyllum, etc.).

Do not touch the soil and interior surfaces of the container with non-sterile instruments, do not allow foreign objects to fall into it, especially organic - threads. pieces of paper, etc..

GROWTH CONDITIONS

After sowing, quickly close the container with a sterile lid. (before that, I take it out of the water in the first pan) and put it under the phytolamp, based on 200 Lamp watts per 1 m2 of illuminated surface. Direct sunlight on crops is unacceptable.

I illuminate containers in cycles 12 hours day / night.

EARLY STAGE

Examining the crops (without opening the container) daily. I open the lid for a while once a week, I drain the condensate accumulated on it and remove non-viable chlorophyll-free seedlings with sterile instruments. If mold appears, I delete it immediately, and place, where was she, I treat it with a fungicide - sprinkle it with Fundazola powder or spill it with undiluted Maxim. Contact with fungicides directly on seedlings is undesirable.

Some seedlings need help. With a sterile needle, I make a depression in the surface sand and gently guide the root there, slightly raising the "head".

Aizov seeds germinate 1-3 weeks. Dinteranthus, conophytums, ophthalmophillums and tankwans can take longer. Ideally, it is advisable to keep the container closed., until the seedlings from the cotyledons show the first true leaves. But often you have to remove the lid earlier - if mold threatens the life of the seedlings. At first, open seedlings must be closely monitored - as soon as they lose turgor, to water. Top dressing - through watering with the same fertilizer, as with pre-sowing preparation. It is important to remove decayed plants as soon as possible..

FURTHER CARE

Usually, for 6-12 months seedlings dry out cotyledons and develop 1 -2 pairs of real leaves. During the same time, the seed containers manage to become contaminated with cyanobacteria.. Therefore, I carefully clean the seedlings (especially the root collar) from soil and dry remains of cotyledons and transplanted into new containers. Small sucking roots, especially miniature species, can be cleaned less thoroughly. Sprinkle roots with "Fundazol" and "Kornevin". I make the new soil coarser and less moisture-consuming, increasing the proportion of coarse sand and small stones. The first time I water through 1 *2 weeks after transplant.

If the transplant was not urgent due to the dominance of fungi and algae and the plants managed to dry the cotyledons and grow real leaves, then in the future I take care of the seedlings as for adult plants. In particular, increasing lighting, reduce watering, I switch to fertilizing with fertilizers with a low nitrogen content and observe seasonal dormancy and vegetation cycles.

GROUP LANDING

Seedlings, close in size and care, I plant it in a group in plastic pots for square-section seedlings with thick walls. I pour drainage and a layer of soil at the bottom of the pot, separating root tips from drainage. I gently tilt the pot to the side so, so that the layers on the bottom are still held in their original position. I pour a layer of soil on the bottom edge of the pot with a clean spoon, I spread several seedlings on it with tweezers. I sprinkle their roots with another layer of soil, on which I lay out the next seedlings, etc.. I slowly return the pot to an upright position, I level the seedlings with tweezers or a toothpick like this, so that their lower leaves are above the ground. Sprinkle its surface with a layer of small pebbles - for upper drainage and support for seedlings.

Large and wide seedlings are difficult to lay horizontally. When planting in a group, I place them on the tips of toothpicks or blunt peaks vertically inserted into the bottom layer of the soil (3-4 peaks per seedling) So, to let the root hang down, without bending. Gently sprinkle with soil, eg, with a funnel with a thin tube. Then I carefully remove the supports with tweezers, and sprinkle the soil with a layer of small stones.

Photo by Anna GASHNIKOVA

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LITHOPSE GROWING AT HOME CONDITIONS: QUESTION ANSWER

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I bought a huge lithops (in the photo). What to do with it next?
Tatyana (question from email. mail)

Tatyana, you have purchased the Pleiospilos Nelya, a super succulent from the Aizov family, which includes lithops. After the purchase, you need to transplant the plant as soon as possible.

1. Completely clean the roots of the peat-cocoa mixture and white inactive worms (if there's). Small roots will break off - it's not scary.
2. Take a clean pot slightly wider than the plant itself, height in 1,5-2 times the length of its taproot. Drainage holes in the tank - the more, all the better.

WITH. Invest at the bottom 1 -2 cm of pebbles / expanded clay size 5-10 mm. Then the soil of quartz stones (2-5 mm) — 50-70%, as well as a moisture-absorbing mineral component (expanded clay / perlite / lechuza / zeolite, etc.) — 30-50%. Top - 1-2 see pebbles 5-10 mm. It is desirable to disinfect the substrate (in a microwave / oven). No organic, so that fungi do not start, the plant is extremely sensitive to them. 4First watering - after 2-4 weeks after transplant.

HOUSE CONDITIONS

If pleiospilos is acquired in winter, it is better to leave it dry on a well-lit windowsill until spring. To water, when the temperature varies within +20-30 city. In extreme heat in bright sunlight, the plant can get burns in the form of light gray spots on the leaves., therefore, it is better not to put it on the southern windowsill in summer, giving preference to western and eastern. There will be a lack of light on the north or inside, and you will have to illuminate with a powerful phytolamp.

CAUTION with watering

Submerge the bottom of the pot in water so, so that only the bottom layer of soil is saturated. Watering frequency - 3-6 once a year: late spring, in summer and early autumn. It is advisable to use settled boiled or distilled water. Add systemic fungicide to the watering can every second watering (Fundazol, «Previkur») and / or half strength cactus fertilizer.

Pleiospilos is a super succulent and can live in extremely dry conditions (about a year without watering) due to moisture, stored in thick leaves. Excessive soil moisture, especially when combined with cold and poor light, able to kill him.

Tatiana MARGUN, collector of succulents, r. Brest

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LITHOPS IN HOME CONDITIONS – VIDEO

Tatiana MARGUN. collector of succulent plants Photo by (To be continued)