Adenium Obesum: description and photo, growing from seeds and cuttings, as well as caring for the plant in a pot at home and in the open ground

Increasingly, you can notice the adenium obesum (Adenium obesum) among flower lovers in the house. This ornamental plant hails from warm countries, more recently flower shops began to fill up.

Although adenium is a new type of plant on the Russian market, but still, it has already managed to win the love and sympathy of many gardeners. In order for a flower to please its beautiful flowering, you need to adhere to the rules of growing and caring for it.

Description of Adenium obesum

Adenium obesum belongs to the kutra family. The flower has a lignified trunk. Adult specimens grow up to 160 centimeters in height and 100 centimeters in width. At the base, the plant thickens. The leaves are large, about 10 centimeters long and 3-4 cm wide.

Inflorescences have a thyroid shape. The first flowering occurs in 1-2 years. It blooms profusely and luxuriantly. The stem of this flower is fleshy, gray-brown. At the top, the flower branches. The branches are short and thickened. The leaves are oblong with a gray tint.

All foliage is on the tops of the branches and grows in a spiral. Adenium flowers come in different shades: pale pink, red, white. From the side, this plant resembles a small tree.

Adenium obesum is the most popular species among gardeners, as it grows rapidly. In winter, when keeping the adenium in cool conditions, the flower can lose its leaves.

Although this species has an unusual form of caudex, the plant is valued most for its exotic flowers. They are very diverse: from plain to colorful, from delicate shades to bright, striking, can be terry or semi-double.

Photo

Next, you can see the photo of the plant:

Home Care

Lighting. Adenium obsesum photophilous plant. In the summer, it is recommended to put a flower under the open sky so that it can properly penetrate the sun's rays. Often adenium can be seen in the winter gardens. In the period of cold weather, when the sun becomes smaller, the plant must be put in the most lit place, for example, to the window. If sunlight is not enough, adenium will have to give extra light with a lamp.
Watering. The watering regime of the flower is the same as that of a cactus. To begin with, the earthen lump must be completely wetted and then dried. That is how it should be watered. But you should be extremely careful, since excessive moisture can adversely affect the root system, up to its decay. A dry soil will stop the growth of adenium obesum. In winter, watering is reduced.
Temperature. This succulent loves heat and tolerates temperatures well from +25 to +30. On hot summer days, the flower is taken out to fresh air. The room temperature in the winter should range from +10 to +15 degrees. These are acceptable indicators for a flower. If the column drops below +10, the roots of the plant will die.
Priming. This species needs the same soil as simple adenium. It is recommended to take porous, loose soil. He should not retain moisture in himself. It is good if the soil contains charcoal. In addition, its composition should include: coke fiber, perlite, very small expanded clay and humus from foliage.
Pot. The pot should not squeeze the roots of the plant, so choose a container slightly larger than the rhizome. It should be flat and wide, and the diameter should be several times the depth. If there is no such pot, then a deep container is taken and expanded clay is poured into it until the middle. And only after that the soil is added.
Top dressing. Adenium obesum has a positive attitude to top dressing. It is allowed to use soluble additives, organic or mineral, with the same proportions of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. Use of fertilizers is recommended at the beginning of the season.
Pruning. If the cut is too low, the flower will grow irregular thin stems. A period of active growth is best suited for this procedure. Already a month after pruning, new processes will begin to appear.

Features of outdoor cultivation

Adenium comes from hot sunny countries. He needs daylight hours for 13-14 hours. This plant does not tolerate cold, therefore, in the harsh conditions of Russia, growing adenium obesum in open ground is impossible. The only thing you can do is take out a flower pot in the summer to the street.

Diseases and Pests

One of the most complex diseases for obesum adenium is rotting of the root system. This species is susceptible to insect attacks. Often a spider mite parasitizes on the plant. This insect is very dangerous because it is poorly affected by pest control drugs.

A root guest, who loves dry and light soil, is also considered a frequent guest. The most common means of controlling parasites are Aktara and Fitoverm.

Breeding methods

Seeds

This is a very easy way to grow, which even a beginner grower will cope with. You can buy seeds in flower shops selling exotic species of plants. Do not delay with planting, as fresh seeds germinate up to 100%.

Before planting, experienced flower growers recommend processing them for early germination. Seeds are placed in warm water or in a damp cloth and placed for several hours in a warm place. In the process of soaking, it is allowed to use various growth stimulants. But soaking the seeds is not a mandatory procedure. Many planted in this way and at the same time get good shoots.

Growing adenium obesum from seeds will allow you to get an exquisite thickened root and compact crown. The only negative is that growing by seeds will not give quick results.

Cuttings

Propagation of the flower by cuttings is a more complex process. First, take the upper shoots of adenium, which reach ten centimeters in length. Then they are dried. Next, the cuttings are planted in a mixture of coal and sand.

In order for the roots to form, it is necessary to observe some rules: the temperature in the room should be at least +25 degrees, and the lighting is bright and saturated. The first roots will appear a month later. The advantage of this method is that the plant will bloom earlier than when growing adenium from seeds. And the main disadvantage is the inhibited formation of thickening of the trunk.

Conclusion

Adeniums have won the hearts of most flower growers around the world. Despite the exotic appearance, the flower perfectly adapts to home conditions, not particularly whimsical to care for. Compliance with the rules for maintaining adenium obesum during the dormant period will reward beautiful flowers.