Happy holidays and have a great New Year! We have received several questions concerning adenium plant growing recently concerning problems and growing adenium seedlings. This past month we received questions about growing adenium seedlings now verses the proper time in the Spring. Unless you have a controlled environment (amount of day light, temperature, etc) now is not the best time to grow adenium seedlings.
In North America, most adeniums are in dormancy or very slow grow period. We start growing adenium plants from seeds in late February or early March.
Watering during the winter period
Adenium plants, even when they are dormant, need water and nutrients. In their natural environment adeniums go in to a semi-dormant period (slow grow the period) but not true dormancy as you may encounter. Water the plants once to twice a month depending upon your growing environment. Make sure all the excess water drains 100% and the soil is 100% dry between watering. If your pot does not have drainage holes – replace the pot. Putting a layer of rocks in a pot’s bottom with no drainage will not prevent root rot even if its a terracotta pot.
We use time released fertilizer during the winter months and once a month we use Dyna-Gro tekt to help the adenium plants to stay strong and have the ability to absorb nutrients. Desert rose plant start their new growth cycle in late February or March depending upon your location and amount of light the plant receives. As you water your desert rose plants the minerals in the soil are depleted so it’s important to replenish the nutrients.