Here’s a little visual guide to caring for Pleiospilos nelii ‘Split Rock’ (NOT a Lithops!) It’s potted in a mix of about 30% topsoil and the rest is a combo of Turface, pumice, and expanded shale, and it’s top dressed with pumice.
I’m in Houston and it’s hot and humid here so I have to be extra careful about drainage and not letting the leaves stack more than 2 pairs. In drier climates you can get away w/ less drainage materials and 3 stacks should be fine. Otherwise, if it has 3 or more stacked leaf pairs it’s at a higher risk for rot since the plant will have too much water in its body to process.
This guy didn’t flower for me last summer but there’s a good chance it will this year!
#1: July 2019 – one set of leaves, very firm to the touch. Water when they have felt soft for 3 days or more… it can take a month or more after giving them a drink before they start to get soft again.
#2: August 2019- New leaves coming in! Still following the water rules as above for #1
#3: November 2019 – New leaves are coming in nicely! Still follow water rules from #1
#4: March 2020- Another new leaf pair is emerging. At this point I want to let the oldest pair dry out so no more water until they’re withered and the 2nd pair feels soft.
#5: April 2020- Left leaf is almost finished; right leaf is soft; 2nd and 3rd pairs are firm – still no water!
#6: May 2020- The oldest leaves are now withered and almost crispy. Due to the high humidity here in Houston, I may need to trim them if they don’t dry out enough to pull away cleanly. The remaining leaves are still very firm so I’ll wait to water until the outer leaves feel soft. By mid-summer I may need to bring it indoors (under grow lights) as these can go heat dormant and watering them if they are ‘resting’ can kill them. Hopefully there’s a flower getting ready to pop out in the next few months!
#7: May 14, 2020- Now the older leaves are dry I’ll just wait until the outer leaves get soft and start over from #1 again! It’s even starting to split and I can see some new growth inside. Hoping for a flower!
