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I wanted to write something clever about how Neohenricia sibbetii and Delosperma sphalmantoides are similar in looks and growing pattern when in fact I just wanted to post a couple of pictures I recently took of these two plants. They have finally started growing after their winter rest and show off their beautiful leaf tips in the mild spring sunlight.  Even though they don't grow new leaves in the fall and winter months I've been watering them a little once in a while when I felt they looked too sad. They reacted by getting firmer but never by proper new growth. It's nice to see them happier now that spring has come. Both species dry off patches of leaves in the fall making them look scruffy but it all gets better once they start growing and cover the bald spots. In fact they will grow out of their containers before you know it! Neohenricia goes "overboard" every year and within 3 years since I've had it it went from half a pot to two pots and several cutt...

I think I remember complaining that these Lithops bromfieldii v. glaudinae 'Rubroroseus' (C393A) seedlings weren't red enough back when they first hatched. Now they are 3,5 years old. And, yes, this is how small 3 year old lithops are if you don't push them. Just after leaf change that is. They will double in size after a season of growing. Anyway, about the color. I've made a selection of most magenta plants last year and they really are "rubroroseus" and quite impressively so. The rest of the seedlings bunch from back then is more regular looking, with a couple of magenta kids among them. But they are all individually beautiful of course. Nothing to complain about.

Delosperma harazianum is opening the flowering season again. It has cute little flowers that produce seeds on their own. None of my other Delosperma plants want to flower, except sometimes D. sphalmantoides. But at least the leaves are pretty :)

Conophytums are still relatively new to me and the yearly life cycle a mystery. The thing with growing in winter is confusing and the best way to find out what to do with them as a grower is careful observation. These days I know they are about to go to sleep and I haven't watered them since probably February to indicate to them they should save resources. However, the reaction as it should be is what looks like slowly withering and dying. And so, when I see them do what I actually wanted them to do I have mixed feelings. "Is it getting mushy because it's about to dry off the old leaves or is it because it's rotting?" With some of them, I guess, we'll find out in September. Others kinda let you peek inside or are translucent enough to see the fresh new leaves growing underneath. I've been watching them closely and the whole mushiness is actually welcome. This is how it goes. The plant gets a bit wrinkly (stage 1), then soft to the touch, like there's j...

I bought this "senior" plant two years ago and, not having any experience with Argyroderma in general and senior plants in particular, I've been worried about it ever since. Looks like it was not necessary. The plant is just doing its thing with very little support.  The roots tend to dry off as soon as the substrate is dry. The plant seems to barely cling on to anything. It feels like it sits completely loose in the container. It doesn't ask for water much. And so, every time I actually need to water it, I worry the roots won't "wake up". They always do. Probably because fine roots grow just as quickly as they wither. I was worried the bulk of old leaves would start to rot but being located overground and on top of pumice, there's no sign of it. At one point I thought one of the heads will die off. This was also unfounded. All in all, this plant seemed like a trouble maker but it really isn't. It's a pretty laid back kind of plant as the bel...

Continuing with the regeneration pictures here is the next bunch. L. gesinae v. annae C078 One has less regenerating to do than the other. The left plants is one of my very first plants, bought as adult in 2008, making it at least 10 years old. Age doesn't show on lithops. It looks just as young as back then :) This one is two-headed, bought last year, and the left head grew just slightly long. After ripping it open the new leaves are as short and flat as they should be. Just a small corrective surgery. L. julii ssp. fulleri v. brunnea C179 This one I also have since 2008 and for the last several years it has settled down to this perfect round and short shape. I'm not good with L. julii but this one is being very patient with me. The new leaves have just started showing. Its neighbor will have to be transplanted as it's almost finished and will need water soon. L. bromfieldii var.glaudinae 'Rubroroseus' C393A  These are 2012 seedlings and almost done changing leaves...

I just felt like posting a small regenerating lithops lesliei selection :) L. lesliei v. minor 'Witblom' C006A x L. lesliei 'Fred's Redhead' L. lesliei ssp. lesliei v. venteri C001 L. lesliei ssp. lesliei v. venteri 'Ventergreen' C001A  L. lesliei ssp. lesliei v. lesliei 'Albinica' C036A  L. lesliei ssp. lesliei v. lesliei (grey form) C008  To be continued