Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Naureen's Living Stone (Lithops naureeniae)— schedule & NPK
Also called Naureen's Mimicry Plant, Living Stone.
More about naureen's living stone
About Naureen's Living Stone
Lithops naureeniae · also called Naureen's Mimicry Plant, Living Stone · houseplant
Lithops naureeniae is a relatively recently described South African stone-plant bearing pale brownish-cream lobes with finely detailed surface markings. White flowers are produced in autumn. Non-toxic to pets. A rarer species in cultivation, it shares the same strict seasonal watering requirements as all Lithops — overwatering during summer or winter dormancy is fatal.
Growth habit: Stemless paired-lobe succulent, slowly offsetting to form small clusters
What fertiliser naureen's living stone actually wants — and why
Naureen's Living Stone is a true minimal feeder — it stores its own reserves and is far more often killed by over-feeding than starved.
A weak, balanced or cactus-formula feed (low, even numbers such as a diluted 5-10-5 or a dedicated cactus food). Nothing high-nitrogen — fast lush growth is exactly what you do not want.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for naureen's living stone: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed naureen's living stone, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For naureen's living stone:
Apply a single very dilute (quarter-strength) low-nitrogen cactus fertiliser at the beginning of autumn. No feeding during summer or mid-winter. Excess nutrients disrupt the natural body-split cycle and soften the lobes. In practice that is sparingly through the growing season at most, only between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September) — never in the dormant winter months.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when naureen's living stone is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for naureen's living stone
Quarter strength is the rule for naureen's living stone. A full-strength dose is a fast route to scorched roots; when unsure, skip a feed entirely rather than double up.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water naureen's living stone first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the naureen's living stone watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding naureen's living stone
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for naureen's living stone:
- A white or yellowish salt crust on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Brown, scorched leaf tips or margins despite normal watering.
- Soft, stretched, floppy growth that flops instead of standing firm.
- Roots that look burnt or brown when you next repot.
Signs you are under-feeding naureen's living stone
- Genuinely rare — these plants coast for a long time on very little.
- Very slow or fully stalled growth across a whole season in good light.
- Overall pale, washed-out colour after years in the same exhausted mix.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full naureen's living stone care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Because you feed so rarely, salts still creep up over time. Flush the pot of naureen's living stone with plain water until it runs freely from the base once or twice a year — and always repot into fresh gritty mix every 2-3 years rather than relying on feed.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for naureen's living stone
Organic options
Worm-casting tea or a very dilute seaweed feed once or twice in the growing season is plenty. In the UK an occasional drop of Westland or Levington seaweed feed; in the US a token quarter-strength Espoma Cactus! liquid. Honestly, fresh gritty mix every couple of years does more than any bottle.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A purpose-made cactus and succulent feed at quarter strength — UK: Westland or Baby Bio Cacti & Succulent food; US: Miracle-Gro Succulent or Schultz Cactus Plus. Use the cactus formula precisely because it is low-nitrogen.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising naureen's living stone — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does naureen's living stone need?
A weak, balanced or cactus-formula feed (low, even numbers such as a diluted 5-10-5 or a dedicated cactus food). Nothing high-nitrogen — fast lush growth is exactly what you do not want. Naureen's Living Stone is a true minimal feeder — it stores its own reserves and is far more often killed by over-feeding than starved.
How often should I feed naureen's living stone?
Apply a single very dilute (quarter-strength) low-nitrogen cactus fertiliser at the beginning of autumn. No feeding during summer or mid-winter. Excess nutrients disrupt the natural body-split cycle and soften the lobes. Apply a single very dilute (quarter-strength) low-nitrogen cactus fertiliser at the beginning of autumn. No feeding during summer or mid-winter. Excess nutrients disrupt the natural body-split cycle and soften the lobes. In practice that is sparingly through the growing season at most, only between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September) — never in the dormant winter months.
What strength of feed for naureen's living stone?
Quarter strength is the rule for naureen's living stone. A full-strength dose is a fast route to scorched roots; when unsure, skip a feed entirely rather than double up.
What does over-feeding naureen's living stone look like?
A white or yellowish salt crust on the soil surface or pot rim. Brown, scorched leaf tips or margins despite normal watering. Soft, stretched, floppy growth that flops instead of standing firm. Roots that look burnt or brown when you next repot. Over-feeding is the number-one fertiliser mistake with naureen's living stone. It does not want a lush growth spurt — extra nitrogen makes it weak, etiolated and rot-prone, the opposite of the tough plant you bought.
Should I flush the soil of naureen's living stone?
Because you feed so rarely, salts still creep up over time. Flush the pot of naureen's living stone with plain water until it runs freely from the base once or twice a year — and always repot into fresh gritty mix every 2-3 years rather than relying on feed.
Keep reading
- Naureen's Living Stone care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water naureen's living stone — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise sharp-lobed shield fern
- How to fertilise butterfield holly fern
- How to fertilise imbricate maidenhair fern
- All 11687 fertilising guides in the Growli library