We grow adenium at home: what is needed for a comfortable life for the "desert rose"

Adenium care

Desert rose, star of Sabinia, Impala lily - all these delicate, exquisite names belong to one houseplant - adenium. Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, this decorative handsome man is very popular among flower growers who affectionately call the flower "Adeshka" or "Fat Cat".

Homeland and appearance of adenium

The homeland of adenium is Africa, however, the appearance of the plant does not at all harmonize with the hot climate of the continent. In addition, the flower is found in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, but as an ornamental culture, the plant is bred in India, Malaysia and Thailand.

Under natural conditions, adenium grows in height and width up to several meters, and on the windowsill the flower is a miniature tree no more than half a meter high.

In indoor floriculture, the most popular is the fat adenium - one of the most unpretentious types of flower. As for the shape and color of inflorescences, breeders have bred varieties with white, red and even black petals, and variegated inflorescences are also found. The structure of the inflorescence can be simple, semi-double and double, the petals have an even edge and wavy. The leaves are not inferior to flowers in decorativeness: they are green, yellow, red, variegated, with edging along the edge, with a velvet surface, narrow and wide.

The unusual thick trunk of light or almost black shades gives the plant a special exoticism.

It is not for nothing that adenium is so popular among flower growers. The plant has amazing exoticism combined with unpretentiousness. In the warm season, adenium decorates the room with juicy green leaves and delicate inflorescences, and in winter you will have a kind of bonsai in your house with an original, thick stem, which ends with powerful roots resembling intertwined snakes.

If you want to choose the most unpretentious adenium, pay attention to the variety with oblong, round, monochromatic leaves. Adenium with variegated leaves is more demanding on growing conditions, and may not bloom so abundantly.

Watering mode and humidity

In the matter of watering, adenium is quite unpretentious. In this case, it is necessary to perceive the flower as two completely different plants:

• In summer - water a lot with lukewarm water;
• In winter - almost no watering, like cacti.

It is also important to adjust the watering regime in accordance with changes in the weather: reduce watering on cool days, increase watering on hot days. Instead of watering, you can organize a warm shower for the flower.

For irrigation, clean water is used, without unnecessary impurities, foreign smell, neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

Lighting requirements

Adenium prefers good lighting; a flower needs at least four hours of direct sunlight daily. If adenium grows in the shade, branches stretch out, leaves become pale, few flowers. Best fit for cultivation south windows.

Considering that in winter the flower has a dormant period, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of illumination, but in the spring adenium should be accustomed to normal light gradually.

Temperature regime

Adenium easily tolerates temperatures up to +35 degrees in the warm season, however, drafts should be avoided. In winter, during the rest period, it is necessary to lower the temperature to +15 degrees.

Fertilizer and feeding

Adenium reacts very well to fertilization. It is better to use dressings that dissolve slowly or solutions containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

During the period of active growth, you need to feed the plant twice a month. In early spring, it is better to fertilize the soil with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, this will allow the adenium to grow a lush crown. Then phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are needed, which contribute to abundant flowering. In the autumn, it is better to use micronutrient fertilizers.

The soil

The soil should be loose and nutritious, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Crushed charcoal can be added to the soil; it should be disinfected or sterilized first.

The optimal composition of the earthen mixture for adenium:

• Coconut fiber - 50%;
• Deciduous and humus land - 30%;
• Perlite - 20%;
• Expanded clay - 20%;
• Charcoal.

It is not always possible to find all the necessary components for the preparation of the substrate; special difficulties arise with the purchase of coconut fiber. In this case, you can purchase regular succulent soil from a specialized store. It is enough to add crushed brick or crushed polystyrene foam to the substrate.

Reproduction

For reproduction of adenium, you can use several methods at once. Often this is done with apical cuttings, grafting on oleander or second adenium, as well as seeds. All processes are best carried out in the spring, when the plant is just waking up.

Cuttings

This is a rather painstaking task. First you need to cut off the cuttings, the length of which should be at least 10 centimeters. After that, they should dry out for several days, and then they should be placed in well-moistened soil, which should include as much sand as possible. For rooting, a container with seedlings must be placed in a warm and well-lit place. The temperature should be up to 24 degrees. If all the rules are followed, roots will appear in a month and only after that the soil can be watered.

Seeds

It is very difficult to get the seed of this plant, but it is thanks to this method that interesting specimens of adenium can be obtained. To begin with, the seeds must be soaked in warm water, and then you can sow them in a previously prepared container with a special moistened soil. The sowing depth should be no more than 6 millimeters. Capacity needed put in a warm placewhere the temperature will be within 35 degrees. When 4 leaves appear, you can dive the seedlings into separate containers. It will be easy enough to root them after that.

Vaccination

It is best to propagate such a plant by grafting on adenium seedlings. This option allows the succulent to look more natural in the future, since the place where the vaccine was made will not be visible over time.

How to care for adenium

Caring for adenium at home must be carried out according to certain rules. In the process of keeping a flower, timely watering and fertilization, and crown formation are extremely important. Pest and disease control also deserves attention.

Watering mode

The soil moisture regime depends on several factors:

• air temperature;
• season;
• pot size;
• soil characteristics;
• location of the pot;
• vegetation phase.

When active growth begins, watering should be abundant. The higher the temperature, the greater the need for moisture. On hot summer days, you need to ensure that the soil does not dry out. Due to this, it will be possible to prevent the dumping of buds and maintain vital activity.

Top dressing and fertilizers

Adenium is very unpretentious, but still needs feeding and fertilization. These manipulations should be carried out systematically. Due to this, it is possible to achieve the following results:

• accelerate development and growth;
• improve the appearance;
• make the flower resistant to disease.

During the period of active growth and flowering, you need to feed the plant every one and a half weeks. From October to March, it will be sufficient to apply fertilizer once a month. In this case, the following can be used:

• Orton-humate;
• Siliplant;
• Advanced Hydroponics;
• GHE;

Pests and diseases

Sometimes, when growing a flower, gardeners notice that adenium leaves turn yellow and fall off, sticky drops appear and a number of other undesirable changes. Such signs are observed with the development of diseases and damage to the plant by pests.

It is imperative to take action right away to protect him from death.

Even minor deviations can lead to the development of adenium disease. Root decay is a common problem. At the same time, it is noted that the leaves turned yellow and began to fall off. Such changes are observed with an excess of moisture and a decrease in temperature.

Among the pests that can attack a plant, the following are especially dangerous:

• spider mite;
• root and mealybug;
• aphid.

It is necessary to deal with cobwebs and other problems that arise when a succulent is damaged by pests with the help of special biological and chemical preparations. Otherwise, it may dry out.

If the leaves curl, turn black and fall off, then this indicates excessive watering. Brown spots on them are burns caused by excess sunlight. If the tips of the leaves dry out in adenium, it is quite possible that the plant needs additional feeding.

Trimming and shaping

In order to grow a true adenium bonsai, timely pruning is essential. Due to this, the crown becomes branched and thick.

If you pinch the top, then other shoots begin to develop, lateral buds wake up and branching begins. Thus, it is possible to achieve the following results:

• the amount of foliage increases;
• more buds are formed;
• the crown is leveled, it becomes dense and voluminous.

Such manipulations are carried out every couple of years. The shoots are shortened by 5-8 centimeters.

You can read more about pruning adenium in a separate article.

How to make adenium bloom at home

If the plant does not bloom, most likely the proper conditions were not created for it.

It is imperative that in the process of growing it, special attention is paid to the following points:

• peace in the winter;
• the required level of lighting;
• carrying out pruning.

After the desired result has been achieved and opened buds have appeared, seeds are collected for further propagation of the succulent. For this purpose, pollination is carried out. The optimal timing for this procedure is the third or fourth day from the moment the bud opens. Using a pollinator, you need to transfer pollen from one flower to another. When two different species are pollinated, the result is quite unexpected.

Grafting

Adenium grafting is a technique that makes it possible to increase the decorative effect of a plant. Flowers of several shades begin to bloom on it. It is necessary to plant branches in the spring. The procedure is carried out in several ways:

• into cleavage. At the same time, the base for inoculation is cut vertically in the middle to ten centimeters in depth. The branches are cut in the form of a wedge and placed in an incision, after which they are securely fixed with electrical tape;
• oblique cut. The base and branches are cut at the same angle. They fit tightly together and are wrapped with electrical tape.

After the vaccination, the succulent is kept at a temperature of 30-35 degrees and high humidity

It is imperative that the lighting is complete

Reproduction methods of adenium

Adenium
propagated by seed, vegetative and layering.

Seminal
the method is not so popular, since getting really fresh seeds is very
hard, but they very quickly lose their germination.

If
you managed to get good seeds, sowing must be carried out in the spring. Front
by sowing, the seeds are soaked in a phytosporin solution for 2 hours. Planted in the mixture
sand, perlite and charcoal to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, covering with a film, for
achieving a greenhouse effect.The seed container is placed in a warm place, well
a well-lit place without direct sunlight. Daily crops
it is necessary to ventilate and wipe off condensation. The first shoots appear in
10-14 days. Young adeniums are seated immediately after the appearance of the first adults
leaves in independent containers already in adult soil.

At home
vegetative propagation is popular. This method allows you to save
varietal characteristics and guaranteed to get a flowering tree. The only one
The disadvantage of such reproduction is the dubious chance of caudex formation.
Cuttings with a length of 10-12 cm are suitable for rooting. Before planting, cut
sprinkled with charcoal or activated carbon and kept for 1-2 days, after which
planted in a mixture of sand and perlite. For rooting, the optimum temperature is 24-26
° C.

Most
an effective method is the rooting of air layers. The bark of the shoot is incised along
circle without completely separating the escape. The incision is treated with root and wrapped
sphagnum moss, on top of the moss, a cling film or bag is fixed, forming
greenhouse. Within a month, regularly, the moss under the greenhouse is watered with water. By
the expiration of the term, the greenhouse is removed, the shoot below the roots is cut and processed
activated or charcoal. A new copy of adenium can be immediately
plant in a permanent place in the soil for adult plants.

Adenium obesum. Drsurajfm

Landing on a disk: your own and Thai tricks

The technology for the formation of the caudex adenium in the form of an octopus spread with the filing of Thai specialists. Domestic growers slightly changed it, but the essence remained the same - the root system of a young plant is cut off and planted on top of a thin plate of tin, cut in the shape of a circle.

For these purposes, it is best to use rooted cuttings, they initially have a root system formed along the edge of the cut. However, a seedling with an already plump caudex is quite suitable for such a procedure. Its root is cut off at the point where the caudex begins to decrease in diameter towards the bottom.

Thais dry the cut, immediately put the plant on a disk and sprinkle it with earth mixture. If a constant temperature of 28-30 degrees above zero is maintained during the rooting of the future "octopus", the technology gives the expected result. In temperate latitudes, it is not always possible to maintain such a level of ambient temperature, therefore, pruned succulents often rot.

Domestic growers have made their amendment to Thai technology and root the stalk first in water, perlite, or in a mixture of vermiculite and perlite and plant it on a disk with the roots. Sprinkle soil for adenium with a layer of 1–2 cm and fix the roots with matches or toothpicks so that they grow beautiful, even and do not get confused. "Octopuses" are watered more often than other plants, because their roots are located in the upper layer of the earthy coma, which dries out faster than at depth.

Conditions of detention

Such succulents will feel great both at home and in huge offices. But for this they need to create certain conditions, which consist in observing the temperature regime, the correct selection of the substrate and other conditions.

Lighting

Since hot countries are the homeland of this plant, the sun's rays are not at all scary for it. In summer, it can be planted directly outside, however, first, the succulent needs to be hardened a little. Indeed, in winter, the lighting is not so bright, and therefore in the spring after "hibernation" the leaves may even get burned.

Temperature and humidity

The temperature regime can be completely different. For example, in the summer, the plant can withstand heat up to 36 degrees. In this case, humidity does not matter, since adenium calmly survives in the desert. However, spraying is still possible, but only in order to remove dust.This must be done very carefully so as not to spoil the appearance of the flowers.

But in the fall, when daylight hours are significantly reduced, spraying must be stopped altogether. Otherwise, various fungal diseases can affect the succulent.

Priming

It is best to buy the substrate from specialized stores. It must be both moisture permeable and breathable. At the same time, there should be as little sand in it, it is better if it is larger, since small grains of sand will only slow down the growth of the succulent. If this is not possible, then it can be prepared at home. The composition of the substrate is completely different.

First option:

• one part of deciduous humus;
• 1 part of very fine expanded clay;
• some brick chips.

Second option:

• 5 pieces of substrate from a specialist store;
• 3 parts deciduous humus;
• 2 parts of either vermiculite or perlite;
• 1 part charcoal, preferably charcoal.

Features of growing exotic adenium

For home cultivation, multiple varieties of a hybrid called Adenium obese are used. Its trunk is thickened and looks like a bottle, so the succulent is often called the bottle tree. The flowers of the plant, depending on the hybrid species, have a different color and shape.

Compact Adenium is similar to bonsai, but it is not

Despite its beauty, the plant can be dangerous - its juice is poisonous. When working with adenium, skin and eye protection products are used. If there are small children and animals in the house, then the flower should be kept out of their reach.

Adenium undergoes two periods during the year, when the simultaneous phase of growth and vegetation is replaced by a stage of rest. Indoor specimens retain this developmental feature. The dormant period begins in the last decade of October and lasts until the beginning of March. At this time, the succulent sheds foliage, which will reappear in the spring. Together with the growth of leaves, flower buds are formed in the desert rose. The flowers have a lifespan of 7 to 10 days.

Origin and appearance of adenium

There is an unusual plant in the Kutrovy family - a succulent called adenium. Its distribution area is the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The plant is very original, its stem, profusely curling and branching at the top, has a thick caudex (trunk bearing the characteristics of both stem and root), the shape of which resembles a bottle.

The leaves of the plant are dense, leathery. Their length reaches ten centimeters. The color of the leaf blades is dark green, sometimes they have a gray tint.

The flowers of adenium are quite large, reaching six centimeters in diameter. The color of the buds is from snow-white to bright crimson, there are hybrids with flowers of yellow and cream shades.

Plants can be shaped to your taste, given the desired shape

Is it difficult to grow adenium from seeds, achieve flowering and keep at home?

The easiest and most reliable way to grow adenium is by seed. Such planting material easily tolerates long transportation and has good germination, so it is not difficult to grow an exotic flower from it. The process is very interesting, and seedlings bloom in the second year of life.

Desert rose grows well "in captivity" and well carries dry air apartments. Adhere to a few simple rules in caring for adenium, and an exotic handsome man will delight you with abundant and long flowering.

Adenium flowers, collected in inflorescences, are rather large

Species diversity of the flower

Currently, approximately 50 species of adenium are known. In the natural environment, they grow quite large, reaching several meters in height, and for indoor floriculture, breeders have bred compact varieties and hybrids.

1. Fat adenium (thick, obesum), perhaps, can be called the most common type of plant grown at home.Its flowers have a semi-double or double shape, there are varieties whose petals have wavy edges. Leaves are leathery dark green with light veins.
2. Adenium multiflorum (multiflorum) is a low bush that resembles a miniature baobab in its shape, the height of which in nature varies from 0.5 m to 3 m. Leaves grow in groups in the upper part of the branches. Before budding begins, the plant sheds them, and flowers appear on bare branches, while flowering, usually starting in winter, is very effective.
3. In adenium Arabian, flowers are brightly colored, from bright pink to red. "In captivity" this species is characterized by the most pronounced dormant period, sheds all leaves, and new ones appear several weeks later than in obese adenium.
4. In nature, Somali adenium can be found in the territory from Somalia to Tanzania. This species has a very wide caudex and a conical trunk. Unlike other species, Somali adenium grows quite quickly and can, in natural conditions, reach 1.5 m in just a year and a half. A distinctive feature of the flower is the bright red lines on the petals of a pink hue.
5. One of the subspecies of Somali adenium is crispum. A distinctive feature of this species is the caudex shape, which resembles a turnip. Adenium crispum has flowers with a wider neck and small, narrow petals that have a white-pink color.
6. Among the huge species diversity of adeniums, mini occupies a special place. They are compact and well-branched bushes, flowering profusely and slowly growing. Adenium mini is ideal for breeding on a windowsill. Several dwarf varieties have been bred by breeders:
   • Sunup Star with pink and white buds;
   • Pink with bright pink flowers;
   • Red - with red;
   • White, respectively, with snow-white flowers.
7. Adenium novelties appear annually. Breeders create a huge number of hybrids of this plant. Hybrid adeniums are created by crossing obese adenium with other plant species. The result is shrubs with an unusual caudex shape, great flowering and vibrant foliage.
8. The most unusual varieties and hybrids are Red Flabellate adenium (red fan-shaped) with a wide caudex and a unique flattened trunk shape, reminiscent of a fan, and variegated adeniums with beautiful variegated leaf blades of pure white, reddish brown and light green hues.
9. A very unusual appearance in crested adeniums, unlike other hybrids, they have a comb-shaped trunk.
10. The original Dorset Horn is named after the sheep breed, and as a result of the mutation, the adenium produced leaves that curl up like a ram's horn.
11. Rare hybrids - small-leaved adeniums - look graceful and impressive, they have numerous thin branches with short internodes.

Diseases and pests

Very often you can see that the tips dry on the mini-tree, the leaves turn yellow, and sometimes they completely fall off. All this can happen due to the appearance of certain diseases. Most often this is excess moisture. In this case, fungal lesions appear. Then the root system of the plant suffers, which is very susceptible to this. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to make the drainage layer thicker. In some cases, some of the affected roots are simply cut off and disinfected.

However, this can also occur due to the appearance of viral infections. This will not kill the plant, however, it will begin to "die" very slowly. At first, the flower just looks worse, and then sheds all the leaves. It is almost impossible to deal with such problems, so the only thing that needs to be done is to destroy the infected plants, preferably together with a flowerpot.

If we talk about pests, then most often they can be root worms or spider mites. When the first appear, the entire root system is covered with a bloom of white.For treatment, you can try to treat the soil with an insecticide. With the appearance of a tick, young shoots, as well as the flowers of the plant, are most often affected. Everything is covered with a thin web, and the leaves begin to disappear. To get rid of uninvited guests, you need to treat the entire plant with chemicals that can be purchased in specialized stores.

Summing up, we can say that such a plant should be purchased in your mini-garden. It won't take much time to care for it. But such a succulent will decorate any home.

For more information on adenium, see the next video.

Beautiful examples

Desert flowers or an unknown forest thicket will look very stylish in any interior. It's easy to do - just plant young seedlings in one flat bowl. A few months after the transplant, you need to pinch at the same height. After a year, it is necessary to slightly raise the roots of the succulent above ground level.

Arabian adenium is grown and used as a bonsai due to the characteristics of this plant species, which has a long dormant period. The plant blooms in spring, then drops flowers and plunges into pronounced hibernation;

An interesting form of succulent will cause constant interest and surprise even during the rest period. This look is achieved by clever tricks of connecting several caudexes when landing.

Adenium multiflorous has a lush crown with fleshy dense leaves and bright double inflorescences. The diameter of the flowers usually does not exceed 5 cm, rarely reaches 8 cm.

Adenium flowers come in various colors: white, yellow, red, almost black. Their diversity is surprising and fascinating. The combination of amazing blooms and unusual caudex makes adenium a favorite.

Pruning adenium as a stage crown and caudex formation Plants at home is a fascinating activity, but not all growers know how to do it correctly. At what age is the crown and roots of adenium pruned? How to do it correctly? Plant transplant and simultaneous caudex formation. In this case, the recommendations of specialists will come in handy with a detailed explanation of questions about pruning adenium and how to care for the plant after.

So, a step-by-step photo-instruction for pruning the crown and roots of adenium. Caudex formation and plant transplant.