Desert Rose
Zone: 10-11
Bloom: Spring
Light: Full Sun
Water: Well Drained Soil
Growth Rate: Slow
Perennial
Succulent, Tropical Plant
Growing Desert Rose From Seeds
Begin starting adenium seeds by preparing a container with a well-draining growing medium, like a perlite or sand and soil mix. Place the seed in the growing medium, just covering them with the growing medium.
Water from below daily and from above once every three days until the seedlings appear. Place the growing tray or container on a heating pad and keep the temperature of the growing medium at between 80 and 85 F. (27039 C.).
Your desert rose plant seeds should germinate in one week, if the seeds are fresh. If they are not fresh, it may take longer (if at all). Once the seedlings appear, water only from below. In about a month, the seedlings will be large enough to transplant to a permanent container.
Adenium Desert Rose Growing Tips
First, remember that Adenium plants are native to regions with poor, gritty soil and hot, sunny climates. You can’t expect the plant to thrive in overly moist soil, in a site with limited light. They are also not frost tolerant and will succumb to a freeze if exposed. The plant will not survive long if exposed to temperatures below 40 degrees F. (4 C.) but will thrive in temperatures reaching up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C.).
Desert rose succulents like bright light, so a southern window exposure provides enough sun for the plants to flourish and bloom. In the garden, choose a sunny location that has some protection from noonday sun, as this can scorch the foliage.
Soil is very important and should have a mixture of cactus soil with gritty sand or lava rocks for good drainage.
Desert Rose Plant Care
The one thing that will kill these plants quickly is improper watering. They are succulents but are used to rainy periods during which they grow, followed by a dormant, dry period. Match your watering practices to these needs for best success. Keep soil moderately moist in spring and summer, but reduce watering in fall and especially winter when the plant is dormant.
Fertilize with a dilution by half of a 20-20-20 liquid plant food once per month when the plant is actively growing. Do not feed the desert rose during winter.
The most common pests are scale, mealybugs and spider mites. Use cotton balls soaked in alcohol to wipe away these insect rogues.
