Caudex of adenium shriveled: what needs to be done, as well as actions when the trunk became soft or wilted, how to increase it and the nuances of formation

The beautiful plant, called the Imperial lily, the stars of Sabinia or the desert rose is actually called adenium. Belongs to the kurtov family and has today many varieties.

In this article we will talk in detail about what is the adenium caudex, in what ways it can be built up and formed. We will share the rules for caring for this interesting plant and consider possible problems when growing it. You can also watch a useful video on this topic.

The formation of caudex and how to build

Pinch

Adenium trunk begins to form in the early stages. At the level of the cotyledons, when they appear the first true leaves, the shoot is pinched. All manipulations are done very carefully using tweezers. It is necessary to eliminate the growth point without damage to the cotyledons.

As a result of this procedure, a clean area is formed between the cotyledons. From this place two shoots on an expanded trunk will already grow.

Attention: If the pinching was successful, then additional shoots should form near the central one. The operation of pinching the plant itself makes it more decorative by stimulating growth and branching.

Pruning

Adult adenium can be rejuvenated by cropping. This stimulates the appearance of more young shoots, and also initiates flowering (how to make adenium bloom at home, read here). When a large number of branches appear, they should be thinned out, since they will not be able to fully eat from the common root system, growing weak and thinned.

Thus, the appearance of the plant will not be very attractive.

To form a good decorative crown, it is necessary to eliminate the side shoots and the central shoot. If pruning is not done regularly, there is a chance of losing the attractiveness of the caudex. The procedure should be done after transplantation in the spring with the beginning of growth, although it is allowed throughout the growing season.

The following rules should be followed:

Trimming and clothespin are not performed during the rest period.
The plant needs to be watered several days before the procedure.
The tool should be sharp and very thin, for example, a clerical knife or a medical scalpel.
To work with the plant, you need to use protective gloves (a very poisonous plant).
An incision should be made above a sleeping kidney at a height of 3-4 mm from it.
Wipe the blade with alcohol after each cut.
To soak the juice should use napkins.
Pruning should be done no lower than the right pair of real leaves.
Garden paste or var are necessary for processing slices and their healing, it is necessary to apply after stopping the allocation of juice.
The wound must be protected from water.
Shoots that will replace the cut ones will begin to appear no earlier than 2-3 weeks. If their number is small, then you can re-trim.

We offer you to watch a video about trimming adenium to form a crown:

Read more about pruning adenium at home here.

Splice

Tip: For the splicing procedure, it is necessary to select several caudexes of the same age.

You can make an interesting combination with plants with different colors of flowers:

Connect the seedlings together and wrap them with foil.
Plant in the soil and periodically change the dressing. It should be completely removed after 2 months.
After extracting the plant from the dressing, you need to make several sections in the places of contact of the trunks.
After reconnecting the caudexes and dressing them, they leave it like this for 4 weeks. As a rule, this time is enough for the plants to completely grow together.

Care

Adenium develops and grows in accordance with the season: in winter it is at rest, and the rest of the time it has been actively growing. Leaving consists in the correct watering, top dressing, providing lighting, temperature, humidity and transplantation.

Watering. In winter, adenium is watered no more than once a month. In the transition to the summer period, the plant must first get used to the new conditions, so the first 2-3 weeks should start watering with plenty of water.
Soil composition. For European countries and Russia for adeniums, the best soil composition would be: leaf soil, peat and some other additives. The main thing is that the soil is slightly acidic or normal with good indicators of air and moisture permeability.
Fertilizing and fertilizers. Do not abuse fertilizers, since their excess can adversely affect the condition of the plant. You should also consider the lack of need for adenium in the first month after transplantation. If fertilizers are applied, then this is done from about mid-spring with the beginning of the growing season.
Lighting. To maintain adenium in room conditions, it is necessary to allocate for it the most lighted area of the apartment. This plant came from the desert, where there is a lot of sun and low humidity, so the window sill in the southern part of the housing is best suited.
Temperature. In the warm season, the optimal temperature regime for the plant is considered to be +20 ˚С. At the same time, you should pay attention to the humidity indicators and climatic features of the area. Do not store adenium in summer at temperatures above +30 ˚С.
Humidity. Regular spraying is required only for young plants, all other members of the family such a procedure may be required only in hot periods.
Transfer. It is recommended to perform such manipulations only in the spring or in the warm season to change to a more spacious pot for the roots. Plastic or ceramic low wide pots are best.

Find out more about the care of adenium here.

Possible problems and solutions

If shrunk

This state of caudex is normal for the plant after a slight drought.

Form restoration takes place independently after watering.
If the plant dries up in the winter, then you should take care of moistening the earth. Watering the seedling at this time is dangerous, so you need to place it in a warm place and water it abundantly until it is restored.

Wilt

For an adult plant, the state of leaf wilting is considered normal. Consider the main reasons:

Adenium is independently released from unnecessary leaves during its growth.
Frozen caudexes can lose weight and drop leaves en masse. It is necessary to move it to a bright and warm room.
If the plant undergoes the same changes as during freezing, but it is still warm, consider the option of burns. It is necessary to remove from the previous place and put in a shaded.
The tips of the leaves may dry, indicating a high or low temperature in the room. It should be placed in a warm or cool place, respectively.
When brown spots appear on the leaves, it is necessary to transfer the adenium from its former place. Such traces are a manifestation of burns.
If the leaves are pale, then you need to make up for an ordinary plant, change the place for variegated or dark varieties, gradually accustom young seedlings to the sun.

Became soft

With constant insufficient watering, adenium can begin to dehydrate. It is necessary to check the absence of rotting of the roots and water.
In the case of wet soil, you need to make sure that there is no rot, or if there is any, cut infected areas to live, grease with garden paste and transplant the plant.

More details about the diseases and pests of adenium can be found in this material.

Conclusion

Adenium is a very beautiful, delicate and poisonous plant.. Everyone who decides to grow it at home needs to study the features and care requirements well. Often, even experienced owners cannot achieve a beautiful caudex. With the right care and care, you can grow a truly unique adenium with very interesting variations and colors.