Cute stone flowers, though inconspicuous.

Raising stone flowers is relatively easy, generally speaking, succulent plants are easier to feed, because their stems and leaves can store a lot of water, almost all of them are a group of little guys who can survive without special watering.

Habits: this genus belongs to the genus caryophyllum of the family Amygdaceae, with 70 to 80 species and many horticultural varieties. It is a typical succulent plant, which is pebble-shaped as a whole, like an unstretched mushroom, with the characteristics of changing plant color according to the color of the soil. There are 2 thick leaves in the upper part; flowers emerge from the middle of the two leaves, single or 2-3, yellow or white. The changes of plant shape, leaf color and flowers often vary from species to species. Stone flowers are native to South Africa and Southwest Africa. Need sandy soil for pot planting, good drainage; like warm, dry and sufficient sunlight; suitable temperature for growth is 20-24 ℃, overwintering temperature is above 13 ℃; pay attention to keep the pot soil dry. Summer high temperature dormancy, should control irrigation and shade. The growth law of the raw stone flower is that it begins to grow from March to April, pauses in the high temperature season, enters the summer dormancy period, continues to grow and blossom after the autumn is cool, and enters the overwintering period after the flower blossoms.

Reproduction: sowing and reproduction. Because the stone flower seeds are small, they can be sown with sand in a small basin without covering the soil, and do not sow only a few seeds in a large basin. The stone flowers are sown and placed in a warm and humid environment. Strong light, pay attention to shade. Stone flowers in the growth process by molting to complete reproduction, a plant can split into a cluster in only three or four years. Stone flowers are colorful, cute and cute, and are called living stones.

Soil: loose, breathable, good drainage, low content of humus, high content of sand and gravel, which is a simulated soil of origin. It is suggested that the basic ratio of soil: plain sandy soil 30%, ordinary peat or general flower soil 20%, slag 20%, coarse-grained vermiculite 30%. The culture soil is fully mixed before use. it is recommended to fumigate in boiling water for 10 minutes. Or put it into a heat-resistant microwave oven container and sterilize it twice for 3 minutes each time.

Flowerpots: sowing pots can use mud pots, brick pots or plastic pots. It is recommended to choose a shallow one, the height should not exceed 5-10 cm, and the bottom hole should be more and larger. The sowing pot is washed before use, and the clay and pottery pots are recommended to be sterilized together with the cultivated soil.

Lighting: like strong light, not resistant to shade (sufficient light).

Moisture: growing in arid areas, with high drought tolerance. After 3-5 days after the basin can not be watered, can only spray, otherwise the sphere is easy to rot. Stone flowers must not be watered when molting, because stone flowers are prone to some lacerations when molting. Watering at this time may speed up the shrinkage of the old body of stone flowers, which is disadvantageous to the new leaves.

Fertilization: fertilize once a month, and suspend fertilization after flowering in autumn.

Temperature: slightly cold-resistant, able to withstand-5: 0 ℃ low temperature. Stone flower seedlings should pay attention to the prevention and control of mildew, can be properly ventilated, watering with dripping water on the line. The overwintering temperature remains above 15 degrees.

Humidity: like to dry, relative humidity is less than 50%, often below 40%.

The ornamental value of stone flowers is quite peculiar. It does not have bright green leaves, nor does it often produce beautiful flowers that raise eyes. It looks no different from the small stones on the side of the road, but maybe it is because of its dull appearance. It is always easy to give people a sense of intimacy. If you breed such small stones on your office desk, it must be able to help you relax.