Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Collecting Seeds
• Method 2 of 4: Preparing the Seeds
• Method 3 of 4: Transplant
• Method 4 of 4: Grooming
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

The Desert Rose, or Adenium obesum, is a hardy plant that prefers high temperatures and dry soil. It thrives in pots or indoor containers where conditions can be easily maintained, making it a great indoor plant. There are many ways to grow desert rose from seed. The seeds should be handled indoors because they are very small and can fly apart from the slightest breeze.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Collecting Seeds

1. 1 Collect the pods from the growing flower. If you use fresh seeds, you will be more likely to succeed than dry ones.
   • Alternatively, you can purchase fresh seeds from a gardening store or other trusted location.
2. 2 When a pod appears on an adult plant, tie it with wire or rope. If the pod opens, the seeds will fly apart and you will not be able to use them to grow a new plant.
3. 3 Remove the ripe pod from the plant. Allow sufficient time to ripen before removing the pod, otherwise the seeds may not be sufficiently formed to germinate.When the pod begins to open, it is ripe enough to be cut off. Cut it off with a knife or scissors.
4. 4 Spread the pods on a flat surface. Leave them to dry.
5. 5 Remove the septa from the pod and gently break it open with your thumbnail. Each pod will contain many "fluffy" seeds.

Method 2 of 4: Preparing the Seeds

1. 1 Prepare a plastic seedling tray or small pots. If the container you intend to use does not have drainage holes, make one hole at the bottom before planting the seeds. In a plastic tray, holes can be made with a pen or a large needle by poking holes in the bottom of each compartment. The holes do not have to be large.
2. 2 Fill containers with breathable substrate. You can use vermiculite, or a mixture of soil and sand, or sand and perlite.
3. 3 Sow the seeds into a nutrient medium. If you are using seedling trays or containers 4 "(10cm) or less in diameter, place one seed in each compartment. If using a large pot, spread a few seeds evenly on the surface.
4. 4 Dip the seeds into the soil. The soil should only slightly cover the seeds, preventing them from flying away. Don't submerge the seeds too deep.
5. 5 Fill a wide box with rocks and water. The stones should completely cover the bottom of the box, and the water level should not be higher than the stones.
6. 6 Place the seedling tray on top of the rocks. Change the water daily to ensure the seeds have enough water from below.
7. 7 Water the seeds every 3 days. Use a spray bottle until the topsoil is moist.
8. 8 Install the structure over an electric heater set in low mode. Seeds should be germinated at a temperature of 27-29 ° Celsius. Check soil temperature periodically with a thermometer.
9. 9 When the seeds germinate, stop watering them. This should happen within the first two weeks. Continue to water the seedlings from below for the first month.
10. 10 Transplant the seedlings into permanent containers. By the time of transplanting, each of the seedlings should have about six “true leaves”.

Method 3 of 4: Transplant

1. 1 Choose a medium-sized pot or container with one or more drainage holes. The diameter of the pot should be from 15 to 20 cm. It is not scary if the rose outgrows the size of the pot, in fact, it grows even better that way. However, the plant should be repotted when it grows.
   • An unglazed ceramic pot works best as the soil will dry out between waterings.
   • If you are using a clay pot, use a wider pot to provide the plant's roots with more room to grow. Clay pots are fragile and can easily be damaged by growing roots.
2. 2 Fill the pot with a well-permeable substrate. A mixture of equal parts of coarse sand and cactus substrate is perfect for this. Avoid dense soil that does not allow water to pass through as the roots of the desert rose must remain dry or they may rot.
   • Coarse sand, also called quartz or masonry sand, has sharp, jagged edges and is similar to aquarium gravel. It is often used to make concrete and is sold in home improvement stores.
3. 3 Mix a handful of slow-release fertilizer with the substrate. Follow the directions on the fertilizer label for more accurate proportions.
4. 4 Make a hole in the soil. The hole should be the same depth as the container in which the seedling is located.
5. 5 Remove the seedling carefully from the container. If you used a seedling tray, gently squeeze the sides of the compartment until the seedling is free.
6. 6 Dip the seedling into the hole and cover it with soil. The seedling must be securely held in place.

Method 4 of 4: Grooming

1. 1 Place the pot in the sun. South-facing windows are ideal for direct sunlight, and your desert rose should receive at least 8 hours of sunshine per day.
2. 2 If you can't provide adequate lighting, consider artificial lighting. Place a fluorescent lamp above the pot at a height of 15 cm, let your rose receive at least 12 hours of light per day.
3. 3 Water the plant regularly. The soil should be completely dry between waterings. Add water until the top 2.5-5 cm of soil is damp to the touch. Water the plant as needed, moisturizing the soil without flooding it.
4. 4 Keep your plant warm. The ideal daytime temperature fluctuates between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius, while nighttime temperatures can drop as low as 8 °. Don't let the soil temperature drop below 4 ° Celsius. At this temperature, the plant can be severely damaged or killed.
5. 5 Feed the adenium often with liquid fertilizer until it blooms. Use 20-20-20 fertilizer, or any other complex cactus fertilizer, diluted in half. Fertilizer "20-20-20" contains balanced doses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen stimulates foliage growth, phosphorus promotes root development, and potassium is essential for blooming flowers. If the fertilizer contains a higher percentage of one of the elements, your rose may not develop well.
6. 6 Continue feeding your rose with enough fertilizer even after flowering.
   • In the spring, give your rose a water-soluble, liquid fertilizer every week.
   • During the summer, the plant should be fed once, using a special fertilizer suitable for palms.
   • Re-feed the plant with slow-release fertilizer during early fall.
   • During winter, keep giving your plant a dose of liquid fertilizer as long as you manage to keep the soil temperature at 27 ° C.
   • After three years, when your desert rose grows, stop feeding it liquid fertilizers. However, she can still benefit from slow release fertilizers.

Tips

• If you are having difficulty growing adenium from seed, try propagating it using cuttings. Cutting is considered the more popular and simpler way to grow this plant.
• Watch out for pests and diseases. Spider mites and mealybugs can occasionally pose a threat to this plant, but pests usually do not damage adenium. Plant diseases are much more dangerous, including root rot, which is the main threat to your desert rose.

Warnings

• Fat adenium is a poisonous plant. Do not eat parts of the plant and wash your hands thoroughly after touching it, as the plant sap is also poisonous.

What do you need

• Fresh Desert Rose Seeds
• Scissors
• Wire
• Plastic seedling tray
• Spray
• Watering can
• Electric heater
• Shallow drawer
• Stones
• Fluorescent lamp
• Substrate
• Medium pot or other container
• Thermometer
• Fertilizer