Detailed Explanation of Desert Rose Sowing Methods and Management Points
Desert rose can also be called "Silly Girl." If you think that because it is called desert rose it belongs to the rose varieties, then you are wrong. In fact, desert rose is a true succulent plant. There are currently more than 15,000 registered varieties, making it one of the plants with the most varieties in the world. Without further ado, today the editor will briefly explain the sowing methods and management points of desert rose.
I. Characteristics of Desert Rose
1. Appearance features: simple leaves alternate, obovate, 8-10 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, dark green on the upper surface, grayish green on the underside, flowers trumpet-shaped, corolla 5-lobed, with rose red, pink, white and bicolor, etc., seeds have white soft hairs.
2. Propagation methods of desert rose: seed propagation, cutting propagation, layering propagation, grafting, etc. Seed propagation is generally used. During the cultivation period, it forms a small root tuber like a little radish. Later, during the growing season, branches of different varieties and flower colors are grafted onto the same plant by cleft grafting, greatly improving the ornamental value of the flowers.
II. Sowing Methods of Desert Rose
1. Selection of substrate and containers
Substrate: Choose loose and breathable fine sand or coconut coir, or special soil used for planting succulent plants. The substrate needs to be disinfected before sowing. It can be disinfected by high-temperature heating or with potassium permanganate, etc.;
Sowing containers: Use plug trays. If growing at home, ordinary flower pots are sufficient.
2. Seed placement and covering with soil
Place the long seeds horizontally and flat on the substrate, then cover with a thin layer of substrate. The thickness should be just enough to cover the seeds. Too thick a layer will affect the germination rate.
3. Watering and placement of seedling pots
Water thoroughly the first time. Alternatively, place the pot filled with soil into water to soak from the bottom, ensuring that moisture can be felt on the surface of the pot soil;
After sowing, place it in a cool, ventilated place with visible scattered light, avoiding direct strong light.
4. Germination and moisture retention
After the seeds germinate, spray water appropriately. Generally after 3-7 days, the young shoots will successively break through the soil. At this point, spray water once every 2-3 days.
III. Management Points
1. When growing desert rose, ensure sufficient light, ensure ventilation and air exchange, keep the soil dry, pay attention to ventilation and warmth retention, and prevent cold damage.
2. Repot once a year. When repotting, apply an appropriate amount of slow-release base fertilizer, such as decomposed soybean cake, bone meal, etc.
3. When yellow leaves appear on the desert rose, immediately control watering, suspend fertilization, and place it in a place with sufficient light.
4. It should be noted that the entire desert rose plant is toxic, so it must never be consumed, and it should not be placed where children can touch it.
Key Points for Potted Desert Rose
Desert rose prefers a dry, sunny environment. It is drought-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant, and heat-tolerant but not cold-tolerant. The suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C. When cultivating at home, it should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight or scattered light, and it is best to use fertile, loose, well-drained sandy loam rich in calcium. May to December is its flowering period, and the flowers are red, rose red, pink, white, etc. It is easier to set seed when cultivated in greenhouses in the south.To grow desert rose well, pay attention to the following key points:
Sunlight
Do not think that the seemingly delicate desert rose cannot accept strong sunlight. In fact, a good sunlight environment actually helps desert rose bloom. Apart from the vigorous growth period, even during the dormant period, desert rose still needs sufficient sunlight to overwinter.
Temperature
Desert rose likes to grow in a high-temperature, ventilated environment. In the summer in the south, which is also the growing period of desert rose, the average temperature is around 30°C, making it very suitable for growing in the south; in winter, because desert rose has poor cold tolerance, it should be moved indoors for cultivation and kept dry. Only in this way can desert rose bloom those beautiful flowers again in spring and summer.
Watering
The growth of desert rose should avoid a humid environment. Even during the growing period, water should not be excessive. Before each watering, you must confirm that the surface of the pot soil is completely dry. Never water during the plant's dormant period, as this will only make the plant more susceptible to cold damage and withering.
Fertilization
The spring and summer rainy seasons each year are the growing period of desert rose. Therefore, at this time, fertilizer should be added slightly to supplement the nutrients consumed during its growth. However, because the growth rate of desert rose varies, it is best to use slow-release fertilizer, such as decomposed compost, etc. As for autumn and winter, this is the dormant period of desert rose, when its growth is very slow or even stops. Therefore, never fertilize during this period.
Potting soil and repotting
Desert rose, like other succulent plants, likes sandy soil with good drainage. Therefore, when repotting, it is best to add more river sand or small gravel to ordinary soil, which can improve the drainage of the potting soil. Generally, repotting is only needed when the plant has already grown quite lush. However, desert rose at the seedling stage should be repotted every year. The repotting method is very simple. First, stop watering before repotting. Then, after the pot soil is completely dry, take the plant out, remove the old potting soil and prune the root system, then replant it.
During the growing period, it is better to keep it dry than wet. In the high-temperature period in summer, water can be given after the surface soil dries according to the soil condition. Generally, water once every 3 days. There must be no standing water in the pot, otherwise the roots are prone to rot. In the vigorous spring growth season each year, apply nitrogen fertilizer 2-3 times, and before flowering, apply calcium- and phosphorus-containing compound fertilizer 2 times. In the dry winter season, the plant enters the dormant period. If the temperature is below 10°C, it will drop its leaves. At this time, watering should be controlled and the soil kept dry.
Introduction and Care Points of Desert Rose
Desert Rose (Tianbao Flower, Adan Flower)
Scientific name: Adenium obesum
Family and genus: Apocynaceae, Adenium
Origin and distribution: Eastern Africa.
Care points: A succulent, thornless shrub with a fleshy stem. The main stem often swells into a cylindrical shape, and potted plants are 1-1.5 m tall. Flowers are pink or purplish red, funnel-shaped. Easy to cultivate. Grow in pots with well-drained soil, and fill the bottom of the pot with 1/4 granular material for drainage. Fertilize once every 2-3 weeks during the vigorous growth period; water after the potting soil becomes dry. The suitable growth temperature is above 18°C, and the minimum overwintering temperature should be above 10°C. It likes sufficient sunlight and can be moved outdoors in summer for cultivation in sunlight. Strong-growing plants should be repotted once every 2-3 years.
Variety Adenium multiflorum (white flowers) var. multiflorum
Landscape application: The desert rose plant is short, with an ancient and vigorous tree form, and its rootstock is swollen like a wine bottle. It blooms twice a year, from April to May and from September to October. The bright red flowers are beautiful and trumpet-shaped, very unique, and deeply loved by people. When planted in the ground in the south to arrange a small courtyard, it is quaint and dignified, natural and generous. As a potted ornamental, it is unique for decorating interiors and balconies.
Propagation: cuttings, sowing.
Light: likes strong light, not tolerant of shade (sufficient light).
Water: grows in moist soil.
Temperature: not cold-tolerant; frost damage will occur below 0°C.
Humidity: moderate relative humidity, 50%-60%.