care and tips

Super easy to grow spectacular flowering

Desert Rose plants!

 Adeniums, also know as Desert Rose plants, are one of the easiest succulents to grow. They grow fast and create natural bonsai looking plants. When planted in the ground adeniums will grow 4...6 feet tall (some taller) with tons of flowers. If you plant in pots you can control the size of the plant from a small windowsill to a larger decorative centerpiece.

  The adeniums produce spectacular flowers and grow huge caudex (massive exposed roots). The caudex gives the plants a natural bonsai look without all the bonsai growing work! In addition they create great centerpieces when in bloom.

Shipment of Plants

Adenium plants and similar leafy plants: It is common for the leaves (some or all) to fall off during or after shipment. This is normal for plants. These plants are shipped bare root so the natural defense for the plant is to conserve water which means get rid of the leaves. Just like when plants go dormant; the leaves will turn yellow/brown and fall off. This does not hurt the plant. Just replant the plant, place in the proper growing environment, give a little water and the leaves will come back.

Light

You can grow your adenium outside all year long in Southern parts of Florida, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. If you live in areas that the temperatures drop consistently below 40 degrees then protect your plants. Adeniums need 5 to 6 hours of full sunlight a day to produce tons of flowers. If you give it more hours of sunlight they will grow faster and larger! They will grow in areas with less light, however, the frequency of flowering and growth of the adenium caudex will suffer.

If you like to have flowers indoors, then wait until the desert rose plants start flowering and bring them indoors to enjoy. That’s what we do with our favorite adenium plants. Optionally, completely grow adeniums indoors using grow lights.

 AdeniumRose Company grows seeds to seedlings using LED grow lights until they are established enough for outdoors. The seedlings are transfer to the outdoors once they are at least 3 months old and the rainy season is over. Adeniums can take a lot of water - if your soil is correct. But heavy rain (large drops and strong winds) can damage small seedlings so we prefer to keep the adenium desert roses seedlings under LED lights until they are 6 months old.

Pots/Containers

 Yes, adeniums grow great in a variety of pot sizes, shapes and styles. When selecting your pot, make sure they have water DRAIN holes. Select a pot size that leaves 2 to 3 inches of free space around the roots unless you want to keep the plant from growing in size. AdeniumRose Company uses standard nursery plastic pots while growing and repot them 1 to 2 times a year until they reach the desired size. 

 One of our favorite types of pots are bonsai. Bonsai pots are shallow which promotes larger caudex (exposed roots) and provide the width for growth. Adeniums are not normally a deep root plant; however you can grow deep roots if you desire taller growing caudexes.

 Ask AdeniumRose Company how to adjust your plants for best caudex growing and bonsai effect or just let it grow without any shaping help for great looking plants (90% of our plants are not trained bonsai).

Soil

  AdeniumRose Company recommends a good quality, coarse potting mix of 65% perlite, 5% rock, 5% sand and 20% top soil with coir or a small percentage of peat. Do not add fertilizer until the plant has been in the pot for 2...3 months. If you prefer not to mix your own soil then ask AdeniumRose Company for a bag of soil (we mix our own soil).

 Yes, you can just use store bought cacti/succulent potting soil but, if you can, add white sand and small pebbles to make faster drainage. If you live in South Florida you can even plant it in the ground.

 Planting adeniums, desert rose plants, in the ground is a bit different than in pots. Make sure you put 3 inches of rock in the bottom of the hole for drainage and then use the soil as described. Remember using regular potting mixes and top soils will cause root rot!

Watering

 When you water adeniums, you should do so thoroughly.During the spring and summer, water them 2..3 times a week. Yes, you can ignore them and water once ever two weeks but growth will not be as fast. In late fall and winter you should cut back watering the desert rose plants to 1 time a week or less depending upon your climate. If you leave on vacation they will last several weeks without any water!

 The main problem, as with any cacti, is over watering. If you over water the adeniums you can cause root rot. However, if you use the correct soil this is not a problem because it will drain quickly. Adeniums like good watering but they do not like to sit in water! The main thing it to let the desert rose, adenium soil mostly dry out between watering.

Fertilizing

  Established adeniums do not need much care. In fact, many people never fertilize their adeniums and they grow great. However, if you use 13-13-13 or 14-14-14 time released fertilizer you will enjoy longer lasting flowers and more frequent flowering. If you can find a time release with the first number (nitrogen) even lower great!

 AdeniumRose Company uses a time released 13-13-13 with great results in South Florida. We fertilize in February (about 1 month before flowering time). Do not fertilize when flowering because it may cause the flower to drop. Yes, nitrogen of 13 could be lower but we haev not found a time released one with a lower nitrogen yet.

Planting bare root and/or leafless adenium plants  

 Most adenium bare root plants shipped are leafless to help prevent moisture lose and plant shock.

 Adeniums can last 3..4 weeks as a bare root plant if you keep them out of sunlight to prevent too much drying out. If your adeniums has leaves expect them to fall off.

This is how we do it when we receive plants:

1) First do not crop the adenium desert rose branches or the roots at this time. 

2) Dip the adenium roots in Super thrive liquid, root hormone or similar root fertilizer if you have it. You do not have to do this. However, if you do, the leaves will burst out quickly which will greatly help the growing process. Liquid hormone is better than powder for adeniums. A little bit of Super thrive goes a long way. Only leave the desert rose plants roots in the liquid for 3...4 minutes.

3) Get a pot with drain holes and put large rocks over the holes. We do not recommend putting directly in the ground if you lie in the right zone until you second potting.

4) Fill the pot 1/3 with the adenium soil mix. DO NOT USE STANDARD POTTING SOIL! Adeniums do not like water and potting soil has way too much water retaining elements in it. Yes, you can use store bought cactus mix. If you do this add some very small non-porous rocks to the mix (about 10 percent). 

5) Put the adenium plant in the pot and fill in around the roots with the soil mixture.

6) On top of the desert rose soil put some non-porous rocks to keep the soil from floating away when watering. 

7) Do not water the adenium yet! You already dipped it in the hormone so you need to give it time to absorb the nutrients.

8) Plant your desert rose plant in 70% to 80% sunlight for the first week. 

9) After the first week you can place the adeniums in full sunlight

10) Water in 24 hours and test the soil to make sure it drains very quickly. 

The best way to get answers is to post a question on the AdeniumRose company blog.

AdeniumRose Company Hybrid Plants

   Adenium hybrids flowers are specially grown plants that produce unusual flowers and plant forms. Adeniums in nature consist of shades of pink flowers, pink with white and slight variations. Growers cross pollinate different flowers to create new flower colors, shapes and sizes.  Current hybrids come in many different colors, sizes, shapes and with interesting patterns (stripes, dots, etc). You do not see the hybrids in regular stores due to their higher costs as they are not massed produced.

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