The Desert Flower and Useful Steps for Planting
The desert plant, also known as adelenium, is a delicate flower with a strange appearance and sensitive flowering. The desert rose is a rare herb that can please all lovers of original plants. The rose flower is used indoors for its beautiful flowering. Moreover, the plant is very decorative and ornamental. It can resist drought and heat. Additionally, it resembles a small baobab that covers itself with flowers in summer.
Today, in this article, we are going to learn more about the beautiful desert flower
* Description
* Planting
* Cultivation
* How to cultivate desert flower in pot indoor ?
* Propagation
* Care and maintenance
* Pests and diseases
Description
The desert Rose (adenium obesum) is a succulent perennial plant belonging to the apocynaceae family. Native to the arid regions of Africa, adenium is both an ornamental and atypical plant. However, be careful as the plant is not rustic.
The plant has a swollen, bottle-shaped base from which emerge short clusters with shiny green terminal leaves: this original silhouette has earned the nickname of “baobab jackal.”
In summer, when the conditions are favorable, the plant covers itself with flat cup-shaped flowers resembling those of the oleander. With a wide range of pink, red, or more rarely white, they offer an astonishing spectacle. Some cultivars even have various and double flowers, such as the ‘Blackbird’ or ‘Leb Meu Nang’ varieties.
Planting
Adenium is not a hardy plant, so it should be grown in a greenhouse, conservatory, or veranda where the temperature must not fall below 10°C.
Adenium does not stand excessive humidity, which can quickly lead to its demise. Plant it in a terracotta pot that helps water drainage and allows gas exchange. At the bottom of the container, leave a thick layer of clay balls equivalent to about 20% of the total volume of the pot.
Make a substrate of loam, lightly calcareous earth, and medium-grained perlite or sand. Place your adenium for several hours in full sunlight. Watering should be moderate under all circumstances, and the mixture should dry completely between two operations.
In winter, stop watering unless the plant is grown in a greenhouse.
Remember never to leave water in the cup. A lack of watering is always better than too much on this type of plant.
Cultivation
During the growing season, apply fertilizer every 10 days to support flowering. It is possible to try growing desert rose in full sun in very well-drained soil. If possible, on a mound in poor, stony or sandy soil that should not retain water under any circumstances.
Adenium is a succulent plant, so its tissues are sensitive to frost. Therefore, you should protect it in winter, especially in cases of cold weather. Beware of mulching, which could retain water at the base of the plant and cause it to rot. It would be best if you preferably circled it with a wintering veil.
How to Cultivate the Desert Flower in Pot Indoors?
Adenium should be grown indoors, in a lightly heated room in winter so that the temperature never drops below 12°C. A greenhouse, a veranda, or a very bright apartment can fit the bill.
Plant your desert rose in a clay pot with a hole in the bottom. Remember to leave a thick layer of clay balls or gravel at the bottom of the container to ensure proper water drainage.
Place your plant as close as possible to a light source, ensuring a few hours of full sunshine per day. In summer, you can gradually take your adenium out in full sun so that it can enjoy the outdoors. It should look magnificent.
Be careful. If the summer is rainy at home, it should be better to shelter it because it does not stand excess moisture. Tuck your plant in as soon as the temperature drops below 15°C.
Propagation
Seeding is the safest method of propagation. You should apply it in spring in a mini greenhouse heated to 21 C minimum in a very light substrate and full light.
Transplanting the seedlings in individual cups takes place when they have reached a size of 5 cm. Stem cutting is also possible but more random. Additionally, you can apply it in summer after drying the wound on the stem, directly in a bucket containing a very light substrate.
Care and Maintenance
The desert rose requires very little maintenance. Indoors, in an apartment, you have to choose a bright place that is ideally sunny for a good part of the day.
You should be able to place it outside during the summer by avoiding areas that get too hot because that could dry out the plant, and a sudden change could stress it.
As to prevent the plant from rot, watering must be well managed. In January and February, do not water, the plant must be on a dry regime. From March to September, water every 10 to 15 days. From October to December, one watering per month is more than enough. Never let water stagnate in the saucer. The leaves must not be wet.
The desert rose appreciates being winterized in a room with a temperature between 12 and 15 C. No pruning is necessary. Do not forget to remove faded flowers as they appear.
Pests and Diseases
If you see a white cottony mass, it is undoubtedly the cochineal. This parasite settles when the room environment is too dry, and the temperature is high. Additionally, the desert rose can rot when the soil is too wet.
Only water when the land is arid and make sure that your pot does not let water stagnate near the roots, it must be well-drained and perforated at the bottom. A regular supply of fertilizer limits the risk of plant disease.
The desert rose is also called “False Baobab” or “Lily of the Bulb.” It is native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It looks like a small miniature tree with a kind of bulge at its foot. It is a very unique plant, bringing a small exotic note, which deserves to be more known. The desert rose is also cultivated in the form of bonsai. The flowers, which can be solitary or gathered in bouquets, appear before the foliage. They resemble those of the oleander. Be careful, the sap is poisonous and can cause skin irritation. It is recommended that gloves be worn to maintain it. Do not leave it within reach of young children and pets.
