Repotting Lithops without breaking the dormancy cycle

There are two times of year when a Lithops can be lifted with no real setback: just before active growth resumes in early autumn (in the northern hemisphere, late August into September) and at the tail end of spring as the old pair finishes drying back. Both windows share the same property — the plant is between major water-driven events.

Repotting mid-molt or mid-flowering will not usually kill the plant but it will pause progress for weeks and increase the risk of the new pair emerging crooked or undersized.

Let the substrate dry for a week before you start. A dry root ball comes out as a single mass; a damp one shears and tears.

Tease the old mix off by hand, not with a tool. The taproot is brittle at the join with the body — that is the one piece you must not snap. Trim only blackened or hollow roots with a clean blade; healthy roots, even long ones, stay. Sit the bare-rooted plant in the shade on a dry sheet of newspaper for 3 to 7 days so any small wounds callus before they meet substrate again.

Replant so the cleft is at or very slightly above the top-dressing line — never buried. The contractile roots will adjust over the next season, so erring on the high side is safer than burying too deep.

Do not water for at least 10 to 14 days after repotting. The plant needs that time to push fine root hairs into the fresh mix; watering earlier rots the cut ends. After the wait, give one thorough soak and then return to your normal seasonal schedule.