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| Adenium |
WATERING:
Adeniums, like all succulent plants, have the ability to store water. In their
native habitat they live and grow only on the available rainfall, storing water
in wet times to sustain them through drought. In extreme drought, even during
the growing season, they can drop their leaves and become ‘drought dormant’,
only to re-leaf with the first available moisture. These arid conditions do not
adversely affect the plants other than to cause them to grow more slowly. This
is a characteristic to be taken advantage of in cultivation. Adeniums can be
left for long periods (the larger the plant, the longer the time) without the
need to be watered and only suffer a setback in growth, but no adverse effect
on the health of the plant. However, it is extremely important to realize that
a container grown plant has its entire root mass confined to the pot, (unlike a
plant in the ground that can actually grow roots in search of available soil
moisture) and so is dependent on an outside source of water (YOU!) to survive
and grow. On the other extreme is the nurseryman who maintains a watering
schedule to keep the root zone constantly moist during the growing season so as
to not lose any growing time or energy. The plant might be watered as often as
several times a week or even every day, depending on the soil mix used.
Adeniums, like most desert plants, respond to water and can grow many times
faster in cultivation than in the wild, providing temperatures are high.
Somewhere between nature and the nursery is the home growing situation. For
general good growth and overall good appearance it is recommended to water
regularly and to let the soil almost dry out in between waterings. The best way
to decide when to water is to check the soil, with your finger, at about one to
two inches deep. If it is almost dry, water; if it is not, wait until it is.
There are several factors that will influence the timing here. Light plays a
major role in determining how much water a plant uses. The more light a plant
receives, the more water it needs. Related to light is temperature. Up to a
point the higher the temperature, the higher the water use, although in
extremely high temperatures most plants will actually slow down functions in an
effort to conserve water. It is at these times that some containerized
succulents are prone to rot if the soil moisture is too high. Adeniums are
extremely heat tolerant, to at least 120°F, and usually do not have this
problem. Another factor involved in determining water requirements of a plant
is air movement. Most plants do best with good air circulation, but not a
continual wind. The more air movement, the greater the water use. The length of
time a plant has been in a specific pot size can also affect watering. As a
plant grows in a given pot, it displaces soil for root mass. Since water is
held in potting soil, the less soil there is, the less water there is available
to the roots. Once the soil moisture is depleted, succulents begin to use
stored moisture. If this condition persists, the plant will cease active
growth. As a rule of thumb, if an Adenium is potted in a well drained soil mix
and is in a properly sized pot and under proper light conditions, it should be
watered anywhere from three times a week (6 inch pot) to every two weeks (20
inch or larger pot) during the peak of the growing season, tapering at both
ends of the growing season. Unless the plant is to be grown through the winter
(under greenhouse conditions only) it will require a minimum amount of water to
maintain it through its dormancy. This is variable also, but for a dormant
plant it will be from once a month (6 inch pot) to possibly not at all (20 inch
or larger pot), again depending on the ambient conditions. If Adeniums are
overwintered at nighttime temperatures of 50°F or less (either inside or
outside) they should be kept bone dry regardless of the pot size. For all pot
sizes regular watering should not be resumed until temperatures warm and the
plant starts to show signs of growth or flowering. This normally occurs in the beginning
of April (unless kept in a greenhouse in which case the resumption of growth
and flowering will take place earlier depending on greenhouse temperatures).
Any watering of a plant should provide a thorough drenching of the soil, with
some amount of water draining through the pot, so as to wet the entire soil
mass and to prevent salt buildup.
FERTILIZING:
Under natural conditions plants utilize nutrients in the soil they grow in and
to a limited degree will grow roots into ‘fresh’ soil when needed. In a
container a plant can use up the available nutrients in a relatively short
time. When these nutrients are depleted, growth slows and in the extreme will
stop or become distorted. Also, nutrients are leached out of the soil with
watering. Under ideal conditions (usually only achieved in the nursery)
Adeniums can be fertilized with what amounts to a full strength application of
a general purpose fertilizer every two weeks. Under most home conditions, and
only if the plant is healthy, a half strength solution applied once a month
during the growing season (April – October) of any available house plant food
will be adequate.
Reference : Adenium Basic Care
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