Conophytum

My favorites but I struggle with them.

The bifid ones in the middle are too cute!

I like the bilobes the best.

I just can't keep them alive. Darn, I do love them!

Glad to see you still here Cheryl

Well thank you.

Any hints on keeping them alive? They really are great.

Follow their cycle... Cooler winters with some water and dry warmer Summer's when they sheath over and go dormant.

I never managed to grow any of them but a few years ago, I got so mad at the once again failing Lithop (I kept buying them!) that I pitched it out the door (luckily, I was still in CA). I found it in the spring and it was one happy plant!

I took that to mean I was giving them too much care. Now, they sit on the back shelf in a hot but mostly shady place and get watered when I remember they are there.

Daisy

I should have a jungle if all my pitched plants stayed a live. Lol But after reading this I think I had their cycles backwards.

Warm winters and cold summers? 8')

"Cooler winters with some water, dry warmer summers"-This sounds like MY HOUSE in Seattle! Oh boy I can do this. I already have some winter growers in the window I am doing OK with.

More water in winter then in summer.

I have been growing different Conophytums in Southern California and now realize that I am watering too much. I should quit watering them after April and start to water them in the autumn. I am going to buy some C. burgeri plants and have been told that these plants should be misted and not watered like normal plants. The plants grow in areas that receive almost no rain, but receive moisture from coastal fog. I received this information from Steven Hammer who authored the Conophytum book.

I am finally listening to plant experts in trying to grow C. burgeri, Sclerocactus, Pediocactus, Psedolithos and other difficult plants. I have never been able to grow Lithops for more than one year and might try to grow them this year.

This message was edited Dec 1, 2015 11:26 PM

Keep them dry in summer but don't keep them in hot sun. I mist them a few times in summer to keep them from completely dehydrating. In fall they can take a good amount of water.
Lithops are the opposite almost.
If you want an easier to grow winter grower than conos., try Cheridopsis.

newtonsthirdlaw: I'm glad you mentioned Cheridopsis. I want to try a Mesemb that is the easiest to grow because I keep killing all I buy. I've never tried Cheridopsis though. Do they like to be dry in summer, no full sun (definitely in Phoenix!), misted in summer, and watered in fall?

I don't put mine outside so I'm not much help with that. I know mesembs can't take full sun in TX so I'm sure they can't in Pheonix either. They like a lot of light and water in fall and through winter. I leave them dry all summer with a rare misting to keep them from dying out right. Most but not all sheath over like conos.

One of my favorites.

It looks like Micky Mouse. Lol