Lithops julii x marmorata

Three years ago, on October 25, 2009, I cross-pollinated marmorata and julii (marmorata pollen onto a julii blossom and vice versa).
I took this picture to remember which plants I had pollinated which each other:


Lithops julii and Lithops marmorata after cross pollination on October 25, 2009

To my surprise it worked and the Lithops julii grew a seed capsule.
(The marmorata did as well, but I have not yet opened it. I should be able to find that seed capsule, too, with the help of this pic. I've always wanted to repeat that photo series I took of the julii seed capsule opening... maybe I'll do that with the cross pollinated marmorata capsule and then sow the seeds.)

I opened the julii seed capsule on July 23, 2010, harvested the seeds, let them dry and then put them into a small envelope with the date and the name "julii x marmorata" on it.

I didn't get around to sowing those seeds until this year. But Lihops seeds are known to stay "fresh" for a long time.
On April 29, 2012, I sowed them and lots of them germinated. I am beyond thrilled that this actually worked and I hope and pray that I can keep them alive!!!

Here are my own self-made little miracles:


Lithops julii x marmorata seedlings on May 28, 2012

Lophophora williamsii have grown

I haven't updated you in a while on the status of my Lophophora williamsii. I still have them under the energy saving lamp and to be honest I'm not paying too much attention to them.
So I was quite surprised to see that they have grown a lot and are already looking like real little Lophophora.




Lophophora williamsii peotl on May 28, 2012

Otzeniana in a bad state... or not?

My Lithops otzeniana were not looking their best for this photoshoot. I had watered them before this and still they looked like they were about to die.

But this is again one of those moments where new Lithops parents would panic but the older and wiser ones stay calm because we know what's going on. ;)




Lithops otzeniana looking pale and wrinkly on May 28, 2012

And here we can see what's really happening: they're about to grow new leaves and the old ones are drying up around them.


Lithops otzeniana bursting out of its old pair of leaves on May 28, 2012

Lithops olivacea var. nebrownii update

I have a couple of olivacea without a Cole number and since they're always in the sun on my south facing window sill they tend to get a little red.
But this one has not seen real sunlight yet and it's the only one that's actually supposed to be red: C162B Lithops olivacea var. nebrownii


Lithops olivacea var. nebrownii on May 28, 2012

Lithops mix growing up

This is my Lithops mix and with some of them it's already clear what or who they are. But some still remain unknow.

In the true "same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie" tradition, I'm going to ask you again if you can identify any of these.

These are the only ones I'm sure about.

Lithops olivacea on May 28, 2012 (from a Lithops seed mix)


And about the rest I could only guess...












Lithops from a seed mix on May 28, 2012

My proud little dorotheae

I love them so much and I am so proud of them... my dorotheae.
Some of them already look perfectly like dorotheae, with their red markings and everything.




Lithops dorotheae on May 28, 2012

But some of them still look a little pale. The past few years I thought this would grow out over time, but somehow it doesn't. I'm really curious how these (there is a second one looking like this) will go on and when they'll show their first distinctive markings.


Unusually pale Lithops dorotheae on May 28, 2012

Lithops helmutii times two

My Lithops helmuthii seedlings (C271) must have multiplied over the winter. I didn't notice that until I took these pictures, but it's clearly visible that these two came from the same old plant.
I still have them under my energy saving lamp because I thought they weren't big enough yet to be living the "real" Lithops life on my window sill. But I guess it's time they moved into the sun.

This is what they're supposed to look like when they're older: http://www.lithops.info/de/galerie/lithops_c271.html




Lithops helmutii seedlings on May 28, 2012