If you’re brand new to growing Lithops, then you may not even know about splitting or maybe you have just stumbled upon this term and want to find out what this is or why it happens.
Thankfully I’ve got you covered on everything you should know about splitting Lithops so you can learn about it and enjoy the process.
What Does Splitting Lithops Mean?
Splitting Lithops means that normally you will have 2 leaves side by side across from each other.
Over time if grown properly, you will notice at least 2 more leaves form in between the 2 original leaves, effectively separating the original 2, or splitting them apart.
Hence the term Lithops splitting.
Usually it’s just 2 new leaves being formed, but if you’re lucky it can be up to 4 new leaves in the center with 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom.
It’s a pretty cool sight to see.
These new leaves will effectively replace the old ones as Lithops grow new leaves in annual cycles.
So don’t worry about your Lithops losing it’s original leaves as this is how it’s naturally done.
What Causes Lithops To Split?
There are 2 main reasons why Lithops will split, time and overwatering.
Lithops will naturally split when the time is right, but they can also split when there has been overwatering or too much water present.
Ideally you don’t want to be overwatering though as this can damage your Lithops as they require very little water compared to most plants and even other succulents.
The reason why they can split from overwatering is due to the plant thinking it has plenty of resources for new growth.
Whether that’s a good or bad thing is really up to whoever is the one growing I suppose.
I say as long as your Lithops stay healthy, then keep up the good work and keep doing what you’re doing.
When Do Lithops Split?
As mentioned, Lithops will naturally split as long as proper care is provided.
This generally happens in the active growing season during the Fall during the first growing year.
If your Lithops haven’t started splitting during the other seasons then you have nothing to worry about.
Just be patient and wait for Autumn to come around when you can expect this process to start.
How Long Does The Process Take?
Usually your Lithops will have started to split during it’s first year of the growing cycle, but this isn’t always the case as you may have to wait until the following year if you just started growing recently before the Fall or if your care hasn’t been on point.
Other than that you can expect splitting to occur after at least 6 months have passed since the plant has been germinated.
Overall the splitting can be noticed by new leaves forming after about 2 weeks since the start of the process and can take several months to complete and become the new leaves fully.
Conclusion
So there you have it, everything you need to know about Lithops splitting made easy!
Keep in mind that if you notice the leaves looking stretched out but there isn’t new growth then you should check out this article as that’s a different thing going on.
Other than that, keep up the good work and enjoy the process!