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The Sulphureas are currently the stars of my lithops collection. Got them more than two years ago and now they've all turned two-headed. The color is pretty intense this time of the year but they do get paler with time. The four-headed one on the last pic regenerated twice this winter and is kinda smallish. In fact they've been doing some untimely things last year but hopefully all goes well for them from now on.    

Among other things I'm currently watching two Stomatium trifarium kids grow from seed. I do have an adult plant but it's gotten huge and weird. Anyway, here are the bunnies. The see-through dots are the best thing!

I was looking for a post to link to Neohenricia sibbettii for my last entry and as I saw an almost a year old picture of my plant I was pretty surprised to see how it has grown. Check this out: Now June 2012 I tried to cut one branch off and implant it separately but it didn't take. Even though the parts hanging over the border have some sort of roots they are rather dry and don't soak in water. Anything I should be aware of when making them take root?

I actually would have loved to grow this species from seed but, given a chance, who could resist. Being so fond of the D. cooperii I've been looking around for a dwarf version to grow on the window sill (even though this hardy D. sphalmantoides would rather grow somewhere outside). I haven't even realized how tiny and cute it would be! You just have to love these little cyan leaves with a marshmellow-like texture (click on pics for xxl) and how it grows low like a carpet (much like a Neohenricia in fact). If you think of a Delosperma you surely imagine something very different.   To draw a comparison, here are the D. cooperii and D. sphalmantoides on one pic! Got these beautiful plants from cono's paradise along with a new pumice order.

My first experience growing non-lithops Mesembs from seed was growing Delosperma and Frithia . I don't have much room here but just couldn't resist sowing some more. Looks like I'll be posting a lot of baby pictures, bear with me. :) Here are the young Titanopsis calcarea seedlings from before (own seeds). It's fun watching them - so tiny and already all the cute warts are visible.  At the moment T. primosii is germinating, more pics soon.

If you remember I bought this plant with some kind of a leaf damage. Now it completely changed its appearance and is "wearing" only the new leaves while the old ones have slowly dried off. It is now all smooth and spotless. :) It seems to grow new leaves explosively: They appear "out of nowhere" and grow very quickly and then the plant takes a pretty long rest before the next growth spurt. 

This was probably the worst case. One day this beautiful plant just decided to die. First it dried off all the new leaves so that the growing points looked like nothing will ever grow out of them again. Then it cast off  some of the old ones. All that remained looked brownish and more like a carcass than a living plant (you can still see it on the picture). A very sad sight. But just like it spontaneously decided to die, it then found the will to live. "Hey I forgot that I don't actually need those old growing points to start growing again!" And there there were three new branches! I think it should recover now. :) Its mate is doing fine, btw.

Continuing my previous post about a Frithia getting in shape I'd like to talk about plants that were struggling through really bad times but are now staring to feel better, probably because it coincides with how I feel.  Last summer my Rabiea was badly bitten by mites and I was too quick using an anti-bug spray instead of just washing it. Awful cold burns and many damaged leaves were the result. You know that damaged leaves on a Rabiea sadly mean scars for a very long time. It took the plant several months to start growing new leaves again and now, almost a year later, it finally looks fresh and healthy. You can still see some scaring here and there but it makes the new green even more beautiful, I think. It's too big for the 5x5 pot (and I'm very curious to see the roots) but I need to save space. Also, it might not be that happy to be disturbed at this point.

I strongly recommend you to check out the November photo if this plant first! Even though it didn't flower it definitely got in shape over the last 6 months. Lots of new leaves, all the same size and shape. I'm really happy with it, although I would even be glad if I hadn't killed it. :)

I've ignored my plants during the last months so I've been making some changes, sorting out, transplanting. Today it was the turn of these lesliei. I've separated the bigger and stronger seedlings from the weaker ones (it was getting too cozy in the pot).  It's curious how only the parts exposed to light get the dark color (I guess, much like optica v. rubra) while the rest stays green. The one pale seedling to the right probably resembles the "regular" ancestors of the cultivar. PS: I've read that valerian flower extract is very good for cacti and other succulents. Anyone tried it? I've ordered it and will report on the possible changes. :)

Just a little update. If you remember the little greenie that germinated among my lesliei v. mariae C141, it's still alive. I actually have two more pots of these but at this point only several plants look like v. mariae as I've imagined them to be. Which means all dotty like the one in the middle of the pic. Also, compared to the bromfieldii seedlings (2,5 years old as well), these leslilei are pretty small. Hoping for a growth spurt this season.

Some time ago I've discovered that my Haworthia limifolia got a baby Haworthia growing on the side. I thought they might get in each other's way with time so now it's removed and transplanted. The mother-plant is currently flowering.  

Recently I've decided to sow own Titanopsis calcarea seeds. The kids are a couple of weeks old now and already show new leaves. I really want to try and grow more Mesembs other than Lithops.  

Prepare to be amazed! Remember the Delosperma seedlings from before ? I've transplanted them into a 7x7x12 pot to give them more room (they were growing in a round 5cm pot). Now I can't even tell them apart. Everywhere you see longer leaves, there are new branches already growing from between those leaves and the stem. I guess they would have "enough" room in a garden but they'll have to be patient for now. No flowers yet. PS: Please check out my previous post for really cheap Lithops plants!! UPD: All plants gone! Thank you very much for your help and all the kind wishes. It means a lot to me!

Hello everyone! It's been a while again. Tough times I'm trying to somehow overcome without slipping into full-blown depression. Taking care of the plants doesn't really help but I'm doing it, just like waking up, eating, working, buying groceries. Things you just do. Recently I bought some plants I wanted to have but had to buy a whoooole lot just to get several I actually wanted. I was wondering if you would be interested in taking some of them of my hands and help me with the costs a little (20 cents for smaller plants, 40 cents for larger). No idea how much the shipping would be at the moment but I'd do it as much "economy" as possible. I also don't think I'll be able to send anything outside Europe... Here they are. Some small L. olivacea. You can choose by numbers if you like. (UPD: ALL GONE!) Some L. salicola (from their looks). Salicola don't grow at my place so there's no reason for me to keep them. (UPD: ALL GONE!) As well as L. j...