Beautiful Adenium with a huge and juicy stem, a small amount of greenery and a spectacular cloud of flowers is more and more capturing the attention of lovers of home plants. With all the exoticism of this flower, it is not at all difficult to grow this plant from seeds and even an outspoken layman can do this. Beige and chocolate grains, similar to microtubules, can turn into charming sprouts in a matter of days, showing an already well-fed stalk to the white light.
Due to their rapid germination and active growth process, these plants can be trusted even by the most restless growers.
What Adenium Seeds Look Like
The seed is usually the length of a grain of rice, namely from 7-9 millimeters to 14-17 millimeters, and this can be seen in the photo. It looks like small, light-colored cylinders, which for some reason wrinkled sharply. Almost all grains have the same diameter and rarely have almost imperceptible deviations.
A home gardener, having received a package of seeds, usually wonders where the seed is at the bottom and where is at the top. What is the end to plant these cylinders? It turns out that everything is much simpler. The seeds are simply placed horizontally on the soil, since it is easier for them to germinate and show leaves from under the ground.
In nature, the grains of Adenium after ripening are carried by the wind from the mother plant. The seeds themselves originate in the horn-shaped pod, and then ripen. With proper care, these seeds give good shoots, the percentage of which can reach up to 90% of the total number of seeds. It is important that the cylinders are recently harvested, since the germination percentage drops sharply after six months of seed idle time. Due to the sexual reproduction of this plant, young sprouts are unlikely to retain all the features of the mother's body, but there are exceptions.
Blooming adenum from seeds. Season 2011
When to expect an adenium seed-grown house to bloom? How much will there be a match with the variety? Perhaps these are the main questions that we ask ourselves when we have adeniums growing. Of course, I want to quickly. And you know, I have two news for you, and both are good. There is a high probability that up to two years many plants will bloom - and if you sowed in autumn-winter, then there is a chance that they will bloom next summer.
With good living conditions and proper care !!! Maybe you have already read a lot on the Internet that adenium at home blooms for the 3-4-5th year. Apparently, this is the case for most indoor adeniums. Nevertheless, I have other facts in Izhevsk (note, this is 57 parallel north latitude). At 7 months old, in 2010, a seedling of my friend bloomed. And in 2011, as many as 2 seedlings at the age of 6.5 and 8.5 months bloomed with me. And plus to this another 13 of mine and 2 of my friends' seedlings bloomed at the age of 1 year 4 months to 1 year 10 months. They say they wait for the promised three years? Or maybe try not to make mistakes in leaving? Eh, if I didn’t make them, then perhaps there would be more flowers from seeds this year! So, it's time to present the adeniums from seeds that delighted me in the conditions of a sunless spring and late summer. I'll start with those who especially distinguished themselves, or rather bloomed at a very early age. In August 2011, at the age of 6.5 months, the first seedling of the variety opened its bud Yellow Earth. As one of their members of the forum put it: "And the priest has not yet grown, but there, bloom!" Yes, with a caudex width of 2.5 cm and a "height" of 14 cm, adenium already has flowers! Flower diameter 6 cm, pale yellow color.To grade, i.e. bright yellow color, he did not hold out, but I think the cub is forgivable. The main thing is that it is not pink, not white, not bordered - it is still yellow! And it bloomed not in a greenhouse, but in the usual conditions of a city apartment. However, this is not all: his own brother, a seedling of the same variety, sown in the same bowl, did not lag far behind. He bloomed the last of the season -. already under the lamps, when no one expected it from him. Age - 8.5 months, a few millimeters thicker than his brother, a 5.5 cm flower with a pink stroke in the middle of the petal. A gimmick, however. But who can say that he is not good? This flower is more yellow than the previous one, and the combination with pink looks great. So, which city is the most southern in Russia? So the adeniums will beguile the whole map for us. After all, in Izhevsk there are already 3 flowers under the age of one year, and this is without any greenhouses. (There is a separate article about the first one.)
And then the firstborn, i.e. adenium, which bloomed for me the very first in April. Joy, of course, there was no limit when I found buds on it. There were no special hopes and expectations for him. I don't know the name of the variety, so I didn't expect anything special. The seeds got by accident, then I still had no idea how much I would be carried away by the crops.
Agree, a very unusual sight when the flower is 3 times larger than the caudex and at the same time a very pleasant aroma! The nameless did not disappoint. A handsome man bloomed at the age of 1 year 10 months. Plant height about 22 cm, flower diameter 8-9 cm.
The following 4 plants are grown from seeds sent to me by a Russian seller. During the period when I was engaged in the selection of worthy nurseries in order to buy seeds for my growing needs, I could not resist and made an order in Russia in order to plant faster. I don’t know how anyone has it, but in my case the saying was confirmed with this seller - rush is needed when catching fleas. What was sent to me as Adenium Arabikum Desert Night Fork bloomed as a simple off-grade Obesum (Adenium obese). Bloomed at the age of 1 year 5 months. Variety Star of luck showed a beautiful flower, but does not look like the declared variety, it is closer to the Star in Stile variety. Age 1 year 4 months Caudex 3.5 cm, plant height about 22 cm. And then it is quite interesting: what was sown as a semi-double Doxon variety, blossomed according to the variety…. differently: 100% match Love Affairs of Star... Age 1 year 8 months, height is only 14 cm and a very small "ass" - only about 2 cm. I was very much waiting for the variety to bloom Polaris, named on one Russian site as the variety of the year (although what year is not specified, and you can understand it as you like). And now the long-awaited buds appeared. But the flower again turned out to be completely from the wrong opera. There were quite a lot of flowers on one peduncle, they lasted a long time and were pleasing to the eye. You can admire them for a long time, but this is not what I was waiting for. Age 1 year 8 months
| so-called Star of luk | so-called Desert Night Fork | Love Affairs of Star |
And the last variety in this series: expected Super moonlight fairy but bloomed Bosom Jade, or rather, very, very close to this variety. In the photo of the manufacturer, the veins near the throat of the flower are somewhat brighter. This plant, although not expected for him, greatly pleased and even exceeded expectations. In total, more than 40 buds were formed on 2 growths. It was in October, and several buds dried up, and in total 33 flowers opened !!! In the photo: 16 flowers are revealed at the same time. Age 1 year 10 months, height 26 cm, caudex 3.5 cm.
Variety Star studded sky immediately became my favorite. Age 1 year 9 months, height about 28 cm, caudex 7 cm of regular round shape and fragrant flowers with a greenish throat. Flower diameter 8-9cm. Full compliance with the declared variety, as far as can be judged from the manufacturer's photo.
About yellow flowers Yellow earth which bloomed at 6 and 8 months, I wrote above.
And now let us pay attention to those plants that did not bloom according to the variety. Seed varieties Adenium Obesum DOUBLE BLACK TWISTER and Triple love roses were obtained from Thailand. Both are declared double, but in reality the flowers turned out to be quite ordinary, five-petal. The advantage of the first is the unusual shape of the flower petal, and the second is an amazing and so delicious aroma. Both are beautiful. With a small "growth" they have a good caudex - a little more than 4 cm, and the apical inflorescence looks very harmonious on a plant of this size.
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| so-called DOUBLE BLACK TWISTER | so-called Triple love roses |
Variety Cellona decided to show himself in a different variety.In full accordance with the picture of another manufacturer, which in general is not so surprising - everyone has a common foremother. In late autumn, under the lamps, only 2 6 cm flowers opened up.
And the next plant from the seeds of the same Thai producer shocked with its unusual shape and great desire to bloom. Adenium arabic "dwarf white giant" (Thais will come up with a name!) At a height of 13 cm, caudex “worked up” 4 cm and produced 3 flowering in a row, starting from the age of 1 year and 5 months. Young again, but early !!! Theoretically, the "Arabs" should bloom later, only the facts are different. Arabicum flowers, as expected, with a diameter of only 4 cm, but so willingly appear again and again, in almost the same place. And we enjoy almost continuous flowering for several months. It is worth noting that in Izhevsk, adenium houses under the age of 2 years have already bloomed for many. The girl who bought one single seedling from me showed it blooming a year later. (1 year 5 months).
And here is the flower of my friend, who took a seedling from me in 2010. She has northeastern windows, and she loves flowers very much, that's why she suffered from everything “Why don't they bloom? Come see what's wrong? " It was in October, there is nothing much to expect at this time, but I went. It did not come to a detailed analysis, tk. buds were immediately found on one of the plants. So, on the northeast window in October, under the lamps, another adenium bloomed in 1 year 10 months. The label is lost, but it looks like it's a Noble Concubine.
Let's summarize some things:
- The flowering of adenium at home in the 1st and 2nd year is very even achievable for lovers of indoor flowers.
- All plants bloomed with the usual care - no special techniques, stimulants or other dances with tambourines.
- The southern orientation of the windows, regular watering and feeding are sufficient conditions for the mass flowering of adeniums.
In fairness, it should be noted that not all adeniums from seeds of this age bloomed. For some reason, the largest specimens refused to bloom. Plants, which had some problems at an early age, were also not among the leaders. But they branch well, and the hope for flowering is now, of course, next summer.
So, they bloom, bloom willingly and in different ways! And even often by grade! And sometimes even together!
But for the sake of this, you need to plant a lot and take care of it correctly, and then you will be provided with a decent collection of adeniums.
How to prepare seeds for sowing
You can plant the seeds of this plant at any time of the year, but experienced florists consider the off-season to be the most favorable time for sowing. If you start growing Adenium at this time, the sprouts will have time to get stronger by winter. Indeed, it is in the winter period of the day that it decreases, therefore, the sunlight becomes less. But you will have to be more sensitive to the temperature so as not to freeze the heat-loving plant.
Preparation for planting seeds of Adenium differs little from the same process, but with other types of plants. Its essence is that the grains are soaked in water at room temperature and higher for 2-5 hours before planting. It is advisable to add a growth stimulant to the seeds, no matter which one, they all fit. If it is not possible to immerse the seeds in water, then they can be wrapped in a wet cloth, which it is advisable to cover with a plastic bag. This is to prevent the water from evaporating from the fabric. For growing adenium seeds in winter, it is desirable that the seed be treated with fungidid. Otherwise, the embryo may rot. To avoid this, the seeds must be treated from disease-causing spores and viruses. Also, this procedure will help stimulate the growth of the embryo.
Attention! Lukewarm distilled water is best for soaking. You need to soak the seeds in it for two to three hours.You can also soak them for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or in suspension with the addition of crushed coal.
After all this, it is necessary to treat the seeds with phytosporin or other similar substances. It is advisable to soak the grains in a growth stimulator (any) or zircon for two to three hours.
The advantages and disadvantages of this method
The advantage of reproduction of adenium by germination from seeds is the rapid growth of caudex - a thickened stem of a plant that is formed from the root system and, depending on the imagination of the owner, can take on a wide variety of forms. Adenium grown from seed immediately begins to branch extensively and grows rapidly..
In addition, by showing imagination, from the first months of life, you can simulate the amazing shape of a pet.
But, unfortunately, getting fresh seeds is very difficult! But it is the shelf life of the planting material that affects the germination of the plant.
Therefore, buying in an online store is unsafe: you can not only purchase a variety and color different from the desired one, but also generally not get any result from your subsequent work.
It is better not to take packages on which the shelf life of seeds is several years.... Collected no earlier than a year in advance - this is the only suitable option.
We also suggest learning how to propagate adenium by cuttings from this article.
How to properly prepare the soil for sowing seeds
When growing Adenium at home, you can use peat or coconut substrates. For greater lightness of the soil, they must be well loosened. The soil for germination has its own whims, so it should consist of at most half of the prepared soil for succulents or ordinary soil. The second part should be occupied by various kinds of loosening substances, for example, perlite, vermiculite, river sand with large grains of sand, crushed coal, crushed expanded clay, foam balls. The latter can be obtained by crushing the packaging of various electronics.
Any pot is suitable for planting. It is important that the bottom of this pot is lined with holes for excess water to seep into the pan. It is very good if the planting container is not a pot, but a container with a lid. If you close it with a lid, you can create a pleasant ecosphere for the sprouts, as the water will practically not evaporate and the temperature will be under control due to the greenhouse effect.
A small amount of expanded clay chips, coal, foam balls or crushed bricks for drainage should be placed at the bottom of the tank. On top of all this, a coconut or peat substrate is poured, which will moisten the soil. But now the seeds themselves are only being poured.
Substrates should be neutral or almost neutral, and even better if they are able to pass water and air.
If you have a little free time, it is advisable to mix a similar substrate yourself.
To do this, you need to mix one to one sand, perlite and some of the crushed coal.
Another option: mix two to two perlite, two parts of peat, 1 river sand and 1 activated or charcoal.
Important! Before planting, sprinkle the soil with water and wait for it to be completely absorbed. The soil must not be dry or wet. Everything is good in moderation. After all, excess moisture can lead to rotting of the embryo in the seed.
The soil
Before starting to grow adenium at home, you should carefully study the history of the plant, what kind of soil and pot it needs, and how to properly care for it.
For planting adenium, it is necessary to acquire a loose and nutritious earthen mixture. In such a land, the seeds of adenium will come off perfectly. You should carefully monitor the acidity, first of all, it should be neutral, but in the worst case, slightly acidified. Sterilized crushed charcoal is mixed with previously prepared earth.Any fungicide will work for this purpose.
The composition of the soil must necessarily include:
- 50% coconut fiber;
- 25% deciduous-humus land;
- 20% expanded clay, but it should not exceed 3 ml;
- 5-10% perlite.
You can find coconut fiber at your gardening store. In the absence of it on sale, you can find a replacement, most often they use the soil for succulents. The composition of such soil includes crushed brick, crushed polystyrene foam or its chips.
Attention! Adenium has received many translations, but the most common of these is the "desert rose".
Sowing Adenium seeds at home: step by step
After preparation for sowing, seeds are taken out of water or a damp cloth and dried for about fifteen minutes in a ventilated room.
- The pot is filled with pre-prepared soil or perlite almost completely, leaving only ten millimeters to the edge.
- The pot is thoroughly watered with distilled water at room temperature. Excess liquid is poured from the bottom into the sink.
- Planting material is neatly laid on top of the soil, horizontally at the bottom of the container.
- Then these seeds are covered with a substrate. This substrate should take up almost all the space left in the pot, but not form hills.
- Watering again, but this time from a spray bottle.
Crop care at home
It is necessary to create greenhouse conditions for crops. In the container, you can simply cover the soil with a translucent glass or plastic lid. The pot or small glass can be wrapped with plastic on top, or a suitable size canning jar can be placed above the ground. A cut soda bottle will also work (cut off the top).
Crops are placed in cozy, warm places (not close to the radiator) with a temperature of about 30 Celsius, of course, with a plus value. The maximum temperature fluctuation can only be within 23-34 degrees. Direct sunlight is contraindicated for this plant, especially at the first time after planting.
Seed soaked before sowing is not recommended for watering in the first two to three days. Then they can be watered until sprouts with two leaves appear. Do not overdry the soil.
A small greenhouse needs to breathe from time to time. To do this, you need to remove the lid every day, since mold can form on top of the soil, which will destroy weak sprouts.
Reference! The very first sprouts can be seen in about a week maximum, and at least in a day. The deadline for plants to appear is two weeks. Embryos that have not sprouted by this time are dead and it is pointless to wait for sprouts from them.
Small sprouts give the impression of fat green cylinders without foliage, which stick out lifelessly from under the ground. Over time, Adenium will have two green leaves, therefore, for them, you can gradually increase the lighting level to an adult plant.
During the same period of growth, plants reduce the amount of watering. Now you need to water the sprouts when the (incomplete) soil dries up.
For Adeniums more than one to two months old, fertilize by foliar method. Fertilize with minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal proportions.
Transfer to separate containers
Two-month-old Adeniums are transplanted into separate containers, but more mature plants can also be planted, for example, three or four months after planting. The pots are covered with 50% expanded clay crumbs and the same amount of soil for succulent with the addition of coarse river sand.
The sprouts try to disturb as little as possible, especially their roots. Because of this, it is worth replanting Adenium immediately with the soil in which it grew, without taking this soil away from the root system. Water the transplanted plant as the top layer of the soil dries up.
After a week or two, the sprouts are fertilized with mineral dressing with the above-described composition, but diluting it with water as 1: 4. Further, it is necessary to feed the plants once a week, alternating the horse method with the foliar one.
Adult plants bloom at the age of 2-3 years, but there are exceptions. Thus, you can see the flowers of this plant in just six months. It is important to adhere to all instructions so as not to harm the plant.
When will it bloom?
If adenium is grown from seed, then it will take 24 months to expect it to bloom. Do not be upset if the plant has not bloomed after this period, as some types of adenium begin to bloom after 36 or 48 months.
It is not uncommon to encounter such a situation that the first color of the plant will be unsuccessful. Buds appear on the adenium, which then either wither or dry out. Such a reaction of the plant is not surprising, since it simply did not have the strength to dissolve the flowers.
If you do not adhere to all the recommendations for caring for the plant, then it will not bloom either. Care instructions:
- poor lighting, hypothermia;
- the soil does not meet the requirements;
- the transplant pot does not fit.
Much also depends on the type of adenium. Adenium obesum gives color earlier than other subspecies. It is not recommended to change the location of the plant after it blooms. It is best to increase its watering and stop feeding. In order for the buds to bloom, the plant needs 30 days.
