How to grow Adenium from seeds - simple instructions
With the popularity of succulents, so does the demand for Adeniums. These plants have dense leaves, unusual shaped trunks and bright buds, which captivates lovers of the original southern flora. Some even try to grow Adenium from seed on their own. But no flower will come up if you don't follow the rules.
How to grow adenium from seeds
Features of seeds
The seeds of Adenium, known as the desert rose, do not look very viable. Their length is 1-1.5 cm, and visually they resemble rough sticks with hooks at the end and a light, gray-brown tone. Despite this, they sprout quickly.
Sprouts from such seeds - especially if they have been pretreated with a liquid to stimulate growth - grow and harden on the surface in literally a week and a half.
At the same time, Adenium has a good germination rate, comparable to the germination rate of the most robust succulents. And you can improve it if you choose the right substrate, planting container and growing algorithms.
Choice of capacity
Gardeners advise using pots of a minimum volume: this will save the plant from an excess of water at first.
But it is important that there are many holes in them - this will allow to remove excess water and exclude root rot.
It is convenient if the planting container comes with a lid - this literally turns it into a small home greenhouse.
At the bottom of the container, you need to lay out a drainage mixture of expanded clay, small pieces of foam plastic, crushed brick or coal. A substrate should be laid on top, which should be moderately moistened.
If you are growing Adenium commercially, it is best not to use pots or containers, but seedling cells with drainage holes, peat tablets or pots. This will not only save you from improper watering, but also simplify the care of flowers. In addition, this will reduce the risks of death of weak plants: they will not reach for strong ones and will calmly develop at their own pace.
Choice of substrate
In nature, Adenium obesum grows in arid soils, and therefore appreciates moisture at all stages of its development.
The substrate should easily conduct moisture and air. It is better to plant the flower in a ready-made substrate based on peat or coconut fibers, especially at home. Loosen it in advance to increase the conductivity.
You can also mix 1: 1 succulent soil with a baking powder of your choice. Among the recommended ones are perlite, coarse river sand, fine expanded clay, vermiculite, crushed charcoal of wood origin. Some even use foam balls, but they can badly affect the acidity of the soil.
In general, the choice of substrate for a particular variety should be highlighted on the back of the package, in the instructions.
A Thai seed producer and numerous nurseries from China - conditional monopolists in the market for such flowers - advise planting them in small individual containers.
Basic landing rules
Choosing the right soil
In order for this plant to take root at home and sprout in a short time, you need to follow some rules.
In addition to the correct choice of capacity and soil, the adenium should be prepared for planting and sequential sowing.
Even seedlings need care, so we'll figure out what to do during and after planting.
Seed soaking
To avoid the death or rotting of the seed, you need to process it even before planting.
To do this, the seeds are soaked in dechlorinated warm water for 120-180 minutes. Instead of water, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate or a suspension mixed with crushed coal. But then the soaking time is reduced to 30-35 minutes.
Then the seeds are treated with a biological or systemic fungicide like Fitosporin. This measure protects the plant from fungus.
You can also soak the Adenium seed in the Rapid Grow Stimulator Energin or Epin for 120-180 minutes.
Some gardeners refuse to soak, but this often reduces the chances of seed germination.
Sowing
Let's figure out the algorithm of actions for sowing Adenium seeds of the Arabicum variety, Multiflorum and any other suitable for growing at home:
- Lay the drainage on the slightly damp bottom of the container, and on top - the substrate prepared in advance;
- The seeds of the plant are laid out flat, the distance between them is 3 cm, this rule should not be violated;
- The seed is sprinkled on top with earth, the maximum thickness of the top layer is 1 cm;
- The container with seeds, where it turned out to plant the future flower, is poorly irrigated with water, covered with a lid or a layer of cling film.
Seeds will germinate quickly only if certain conditions are met. And most importantly, maintaining an even temperature. It must not fall below 30 ° C.
When lowered, the sensitive roots begin to rot, and if this happened to a young plant, it cannot be saved.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep the sown seeds near heating systems. You can also install a special lamp above them. It will give enough light and will heat the surface of the earth, without which the germination of adenium is impossible.
It is necessary to take care of the sowing daily or as it is written in the instructions for the seed material. In the morning and in the evening, the cover is removed for airing for 30 minutes. At this time, it is necessary to protect the plants from drafts and direct sunlight.
If you follow all the steps, the sowing will turn into seedlings in two or three days.
Seedlings
Adenium seedlings emerge quickly, although they bloom and multiply only many months after emergence. They are too weak to survive as adult plants, and therefore need careful maintenance.
- Hatching seeds are illuminated with a special lamp 24 hours a day.
- The backlight is gradually reduced to 18, 16, 14 and 12 hours. But you cannot remove the bottom heating. It can be a conventional battery, heater, shoe dryer, or any other device that generates enough heat.
- Water is regularly poured into the container: a spoon is enough for a young plant.
- Often, small sprouts are covered with a shell - it will prevent the leaves from fully opening, so it must be removed in a timely manner, otherwise germination will be meaningless. They do this either with their hands or with tweezers - in any case, be careful, because the injured flower will not survive.
Transplant and crown formation
The flower needs a lot of space
It is important to transplant adenium in a timely manner.
For the first time - at the stage of cotyledonous leaves opening. This will allow the plant to quickly collect enough juices to form a characteristic crown.
Any large pot can act as a container for transplanting.
To save space, it is permissible to transplant sprouts into a single large bowl. But this will not contribute to their development.
The formation of the crown provokes the growth of new greenery. The procedure must be carried out using neat garden shears.After pruning, the succulent will bloom faster, and the flowering itself will last longer.
Attention! This flower grows with a single stem, and if you cut it too early, you can completely interrupt its development.
If the plant itself begins to branch out, it is better to remove the lateral processes that prevent it from germinating to the size of an adult.
In general, Adenium has special hormones right at the top of the plant called auxins - they suppress the appearance of side shoots. However, not all adeniums activate them on time, so pruning the succulent is as important as possible.