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Perhaps because of the name Aizoaceae, these plants do not sound familiar. But if we employ the name “stone plants” insteadthey certainly start to sound much more to you. First of all, if we say lithops, fenestraria…

Want to learn more about Aizoaceae plants? And about your care? So here we gather all the information you need to know. Can we get started?

What do Aizoaceae plants look like?

The name Aizoaceae refers to stone plants. And that is that it consists of a great variety of succulents, sometimes even with flowers. In total there are about 1100 species, which are divided into 126 different genera. But in general, we can say that there are five enormous subfamilies, which are:

• Aizoideae.
• Animal.
• Tetrahedral.
• Mesembryanthemoideae.
• Ruschioideae.

They are characterized by being herbaceous plants, although they can also be somewhat related to shrubs. Their leaves are entire and will be opposite, and they are almost always fleshy.

Another name for Aizoaceae plants is frost resistant plants. This is due to the special shine that the plants have thanks to the calcium crystals that form in the epidermis of the leaves.

Although most Aizoaceae are native to southern Africa,Here are some of them that can be found in Australia and even the Pacific.

Not all plants in this family flower, but those that do have petalless flowers with many stamens. And from these the fruit comes out as a bursting capsule.

Aizoaceae Plant Care

We can say little more about the Aizoaceae family without going into detail about the typical plants of this family. However, you should know that each of them has an annual cycle, i.e. the plants are not always energetic in spring; some are energetic in winter. It is very crucial to know this because it allows you to personalize your care. and know when you need to water it, give it more sun, fertilize it…

Depending on the plant you have, its growth cycle can be either spring or winter. For example, in the case of lithops, it is from delayed autumn to early spring, in the middle of winter. While, In the case of other plants, growth occurs in spring and summer.

With this in mind, which is the first thing you need to know before reading on, we will now discuss with you the different types of care you should provide them with. Remember that these are general; each one will have its own peculiarities.

location and temperature

Most Aizoaceae plants available in stores are not accustomed to tolerating heat and sun. And that while they don’t care in their natural habitat, the worst thing you can do if you buy one is to leave it in full sun. All you’ll achieve is for it to die.

So, while the best location is outdoors, you should consider that you need to adapt it to your climate. Start with a shady area, but with some indirect delicate. After about two weeks, move it to a semi-shaded spot and leave it in the same place for another two weeks, time when the plant can be exposed to direct sunlight to nourish it.

However, it should be remembered that if the sun is too intense and the plant is diminutive, a few hours of sun exposure can be fatal and kill it within a few days. So try to control the type of sun they receive, not just based on your climatebut also on the age and size of the plant.

When it comes to temperature,

Subsoil

Plants from the Aizoaceae family do not require special soil.although it is true that if you give it a mixture of soil for succulents and cacti with a bit of peat (yes, it is low in nitrogen) and provide drainage so that the plant is oxygenated, it will thank you very much, especially because it will grow much healthier and faster.

These plants usually have long roots, so It is recommended to plant them in pots that are at least 12 centimetres deep so that they can develop without being restricted by space.

A trick to prevent the water from sinking into the plant is to place a layer of stones on the surface (usually they are white, but can also be colored) which lend a hand avoid floods Water also does not cause holes to form in the ground where it could accumulate.

Irrigation

One of the characteristics of the Aizoaceae family is that plants have quite high resistance to water deficiencyThis means they can spend time without having to water them.

This doesn’t mean you forget about them, quite the opposite. But it is necessary to wait a bit between waterings (it’s better than getting them too damp and rotting the roots).

One piece of advice we can give you is that when watering make sure that water does not fall on the plant as this will cause it to rot (becomes tender and eventually dies).

It is better to water the plant with plenty of water and leave it without watering for a long time (this can be from two to eight weeks, depending on the season and the life cycle of the plant).

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Generally, we can say that succulents are not plants that need fertilizer. But they won’t say no either. However everything will depend on when the cycle of each plant can be appliedat least once during the growth period.

Plagues and diseases

One of the most threatening pests that you need to be very careful not to detect in your Aizoaceae plants is the cotton mealybug. This wreaks havoc on these plants. To get rid of it, you have to do it by hand, cleaning the entire plant, including the roots, and put it back in the novel pot.

In the case of diseases, the most threatening thing is overwatering, which causes root rot.

Now, by buying Aizoaceae you will be able to learn a little more about them and, above all, provide them with the care they need to move forward.