Flower Living stones - seemingly ordinary pebbles

Flower "living stones", or lithops, is a decorative original plant, in its shape and color a little resembling a plant. It was discovered by the English biologist Burchell, who once in the African desert, Big Carro came across a pile of pebbles. Having sat down to rest next to her, he was amazed: before him were "living" stones - flowers, photos of which are no different from small samples of this rock.

The researcher subsequently accurately described and even placed a sketch of this amazing plant, whose home is the central region of South Africa.

Litope, or flower "living stones" - these are two fused fleshy leaves, separated by a cleft. The color of these small succulents is very diverse. The top part of leaves of light-brown or violet color is covered with spots - original windows. It is through them that a plant, most often covered with sand, absorbs light. When drought, the old leaves shrivel, but after the rain, new ones grow in their place.

The flower "living stones" blooms from the age of three. It usually happens from August to October. From the cleft between the leaves a very chamomile-like flower of white or yellow leaves, opening only in the middle of the day.

As a rule, lithops, planted in a flat pot, form whole "stone" thickets. Some prefer to combine them in one container with other succulents, collecting a kind of a garden from them.

The flower "living stones" should be planted, closing it to the "neck" with earth. Drainage in the pot should be up to two centimeters high. The soil for this plant is prepared from equal parts of the standard soil and coarse sand, and on top the substrate is filled with pebbles or pebbles.

Lithops are transplanted only in the spring, when leaves appear. The lateral root part, which is quickly recovered, must be removed.

Excess water in the pot can become harmful to this plant, although it likes humidity in the air. Therefore, its spraying is useful, however, care should be taken to ensure that the drops do not remain on the leaves.

As soon as the flower "living stones" produces a bud, watering should be sharply reduced. Until very late, moisture in the pot should fall very rarely, until the soil dries completely. And during the wintering period, watering should be completely stopped.

Lithops reproduce only by seeds, which must be soaked for six hours before sowing, and after covering in the ground cover with glass, while daily spraying and airing. Under normal temperature conditions (from twenty to twenty-five degrees of heat), the shoots will last on the seventh day.

The "living stone" is a flower, the care of which is quite simple. The only factors from which he can perish are the excess of moisture in the soil and the worm that damages it during the wintering period. Therefore, many plant growers from early spring, when the growth of the plant begins , is treated with protective compounds. In combating this pest, the yarrow, boiled with boiling water, helps a lot, which during a month needs to be sprayed with lithops. From the chervets well helps and gruel, prepared from soap, water and garlic, which from time to time it is useful to wipe the leaves.

It is believed that the flower "living stones" creates warmth and comfort in the house, brings people together, and also has a beneficial effect on the metabolism in the body.