Features of growing adenium at home and methods of its reproduction
Adenium is an ornamental plant, looking at which, and you will not think that in front of you is a relative of the usual succulents. Its unusual appearance with thick trunks and continuous lush flowering is more and more appealing to our gardeners. In addition, plant care is simple.
This article describes how to propagate adenium and the nuances of growing this indoor exotic flower at home.
Landing "desert roses"
The timing
Adenium is planted throughout the year, but experts recommend doing this from mid-spring and throughout the summer. At this time, it is easier to provide optimal conditions for seedlings.
Soil preparation
Before you plant a plant at home, you need to pick up the soil. It is simple to pick up soil for adenium. Ordinary soil mix suitable for succulents or terrestrial orchids, which is sold in any flower shop.
You can do it yourself by mixing coconut fiber, humus, expanded clay and perlite.
Land for adenium should be nutritious, loose and with moderate acidity. Before sowing, treat the soil from diseases and fungi.
A place
When choosing a place for adenium, remember that this the plant loves direct sunlight and a rather high temperature of 25 ° C. It will feel great on the southern windowsills. Adenium is indifferent to the level of humidity. It easily transfers the dry air of apartments.
Important! Spraying can be done, but avoiding contact with delicate flowers.Flower propagation methods
For the propagation of adenium, two methods are used: sowing by seeds and rooting of cuttings obtained during the formation of the plant.
How to grow from seed?
Before planting, the seeds of adenium can be soaked in a piece of wet gauze until they germinate, or immediately sow one seed in peat pots filled with specially prepared soil.
For active seedlings in the room, a high temperature should be maintained in the region of 30 ° C. After the seedlings rise and get stronger, they are planted in larger pots, removing the central root.
About how to grow adenium from seeds, it is written in our material.
How to plant cuttings?
When forming (pruning) adenium, beautiful and strong cuttings remain, which are dried with crushed charcoal, planted in a pot with slightly moist soil, but not watered. A few days later, slightly moisten the earth with a spray bottle. Watering resumes after the start of growth of new shoots.
Watch the video on the propagation of adeniums by cuttings:
Houseplant Care
Lighting
For active growth and abundant flowering, adenium needs a lot of sunlight. If you placed a pot with a plant on the windowsill, then periodically rotate it around its axis so that the tops of the adenium do not bend in one direction. If it is not possible to place the flower on the south side, arrange artificial light, otherwise the plant may wither.
Watering
Adenium does not like an excess of moisture in the soil. In nature, it grows in arid regions, accumulating water in the tissues of the thickened stem and in the roots. When planting, make sure that there are drainage holes in the pot and moisture does not stagnate at the roots.
Watering is carried out only when the earth dries out a little. In the dormant period, watering is not required at all, and with the onset of spring it resumes and gradually increases.
Temperature
In the spring-summer period, when the plant is actively developing, a high temperature of 25-30 ° C is easily tolerated by the adenium. Dry and hot air also does not produce a detrimental effect on adenium. With the advent of autumn, the plant begins a dormant period. At this time, it calmly tolerates a decrease in temperature to 10-15 ° C.
Capacities
During growth, the adenium root system develops rapidly, occupying the entire space of the pot, so every year, after the end of the dormancy period, it is transplanted into a larger container. If a shallow, wide container is suitable in the first year, then as the size grows, the size and depth of the pot will increase.
Note! The growth and size of the adenium is governed by the size of the pot.Top dressing
To feed adenium, you can purchase a complex fertilizer for succulents in a specialized store. And use it in the spring and summer, when the plant is most actively developing. Feeding is carried out no more than twice a month. When using universal mixtures of mineral fertilizers, use a low concentration of the solution. Otherwise, the adenium will increase the mass of the trunk, but will reduce the abundance and duration of flowering.
Cropping and shaping
Adenium pruning is not necessary, but if you want to form a beautiful compact tree, then this procedure is needed. Cut off the shoots of adenium in the spring, when it is just beginning a period of active growth. In autumn and winter, pruning is not worth doing.
Depending on what kind of appearance you want to bring the adenium to, different trim levels apply:
- if you cut the shoot by one third, then new shoots will go around the cut;
- cauterization of the growth point will lead to the formation of sprouts in the upper part of the trunk;
- deep pruning at the stem will give impetus to the growth of shoots at the base of the caudex (trunk).
From the video you will learn how to trim the adenium and form a crown:
How fast is growing?
Adenium grows quite quickly and, if you do not trim, in the second year already will please the first flowers. During the first season, you will need up to three transplants in pots, a little large in size. Do not use the "pot for growth" option - it slows down the growth of the plant.
On a note. If the goal is a beautiful decorative bonsai tree with a crown strewn with bright flowers, it may take more than a dozen years to achieve this result. The quality of flower care will play its role.Can this be accelerated?
Compliance with periods of rest and active growth will help accelerate the growth and development of adenium. The correct composition of the soil, a competent regime of irrigation and top dressing, protection from diseases and pests - all this will provide a good and fast growth to the plant. Do not neglect the simple rules for caring for adenium and the result should please.
Adenium is unpretentious, like most succulents, which we used to see on our windowsills and in greenhouses. And its unusual shape and amazing flowers attract more and more interest among gardeners. New hybrids with unusual terry flowers of bright colors appear. In specialized stores and breeders you can buy both an adult plant and seeds that anyone can easily grow at home.