Adenium obesum, also known as desert rose or mock azalea, is a succulent plant with red, pink and white flowers. Adenium desert rose is an extremely beautiful plant. We find the colors of the shrubs especially appealing. Those, who have never seen any adenium plants’ pictures, will definitely find it hard to imagine shades of white, pink and red flowers that can make any place special.
These bushes have thick stems and fleshy branches. Their foliage is generally oval-shaped and varies in size (2-7 inches). The size generally depends on the maturity of the plant and its location. These plants commonly grow outdoors, however, when they are young, they can be seen within an indoor area.
Best Soil for Adenium plants
Adenium plants are commonly grown in pots and so soil should be carefully selected. Adenium soil mixture must have good water retention, drainage and airing. Casa De Amor Organic Adenium Potting Soil is a prefect soil mixture, thought it is extremely expensive and needs continuous reporting.
Casa De Amor Peat Moss and Casa De Amor Perlite can also be used as a mixture.
Water Requirements for Adenium plant
Soil moisture is an important consideration in adenium culture. Their common name, Desert Rose, speaks to their ability to thrive with less water. Adeniums can tolerate higher moisture levels without harming the plant, as long as the temperatures are warm. As a general rule, be sure to let the soil dry out in between watering sand then thoroughly saturate the potting mix.
A good rule to remember when growing adeniums is that high temperatures and full sun require more water and in cooler temperatures, the plants need less water.
Need Fertilizer
During the growing season, it is a good idea to provide a light feeding of a slow-release fertilizer, or a water-soluble liquid fertilizer from time-to-time. In the springtime when the plant is rousing from its winter rest, you can give a diluted feeding once every couple of weeks. During summer, reduce this to once a month. As the weather cools, stop feeding so that the plant can wind down for the winter.
Temperatures
Because they can tolerate dry conditions, adeniums are well suited for the home environment being able to tolerate quite a bit of neglect. Keep temperatures high, preferably above 23˙C, although they can take it a bit cooler if grown very dry. Really the hotter, the better, so a 24˙C or higher air temperature is best.
Light
In their native habitat, adeniums grow in full sun so they need good light to thrive. Direct sunlight is preferable, especially when they are in their active growth phase during the summer months.
How To Sow Adenium Plant Seeds
To plant seeds, start with a growing medium of
CASA DE AMOR ORGANIC ADENIUM POTTING SOIL. Use a shallow pot or a tray placed in an area with bright indirect light. You may want to use a warming pad to keep the growing medium at a steady temperature of 25 to 35°C.
Evenly sprinkle the seeds over the surface of the growing medium and cover them very lightly with a thin layer of sand. Use a spray bottle to saturate the growing medium evenly with water. Repeat this process on alternate days until the seeds sprout.
What Kind of Container Is Best for Adenium Plants?
Many lovers of Adenium grow their plants or look to repotting the Adenium into terra cotta clay pots instead of plastic to keep them on the dry side.
For better air circulation to the roots, a porous container material is better than a nonporous material. For this reason, many experts recommend using terra-cotta containers instead of plastic ones, plus the shallow terra-cotta bowl makes a nice presentation. Well made wooden planters might also be a good idea.
Adenium plant Pests and Problems
The most pervasive problem for Adenium plant is root rot. The importance of avoiding over watering cannot be overstated. These plants retain water in their thick roots. They do not need or want to stand in water, so it is far better to err on the side of under watering when it comes to watering. Remember to water sparingly and make sure your plant’s drainage system is working properly.
Pruning: Is Regular Pruning Necessary?
During the growing season, pinch back or prune unruly growth. Before bringing the plant indoors for winter, prune back excessive growth as this will make the rest period more effective for the plant. Additionally, it will be easier to keep a smaller, more compact plant indoors during the winter months.
Before putting the plant back outdoors for the growing season, a good trimming is a smart idea. Trim off any dead or damaged vegetation. Cut back straggly branches to improve the plant’s shape. You can use these branches as cuttings to create new plants.
Benefit of keeping Adenium as houseplant
- In general, Adenium is widely developed because it has attractive tree shapes and bonsai shapes. Adenium is a very beautiful plant.
- Adenium has the benefit of being a native that is long-flowering, colourful, drought tolerant, low in its water demand and easy to look after. In fact, the main problem that most gardeners have when they first get one is overwatering. This can be avoided by growing the desert rose as a container plant and by keeping it in full sun. It thrives in both conditions. Desert rose is sometimes planted as a live fence and the wood is sometimes used as fuel.