Elegant decorative adenium - decoration of the garden or home flower garden. Unpretentious in care, this representative of the flora needs a high-quality substrate, rich in all necessary minerals. But it is important initially to choose the right soil for adenium, only in this case the plant will be strong, healthy and attractive.
What soil does adenium like
Despite the fact that the flower came from the tropics, it can not be attributed to finicky and moody. The main land on which it grows in the wild is rocky, poor soil. That is why in mid-garden gardens and indoor pots it can grow without problems.
Adenium - a very beautiful plant with lush flowering, unpretentious in care
But you must fulfill the following requirements:
- The soil for adenium should be loose.
- To provide the roots with a continuous supply of oxygen, a baking powder is added to the ground, the recommended ratio with the soil mixture is 1: 1.
- Acidity is neutral. The pH is in the range of 5.8 to 7.
Note! Mandatory is the preliminary sterilization of all components of the collected soil.
Component composition
For good growth, correctly selected earth for adenium is very important: its composition includes coconut soil, charcoal, perlite, vermiculite.
In its homeland, this plant is accustomed to poor soils, so do not abuse organic elements, they will cause a root burn.
Soil for adenium is not just earth, but a specially prepared composition
The value of the components
In order for the adenium to feel comfortable, it is important that the soil mixture for it includes three groups of components:
- For nutrition, coconut substrate, leafy soil.
- Perlite, sand or vermiculite act as disintegrants.
- Neutral components are: pumice, charcoal, zeolite.
Perlite baking powder is environmentally friendly, available. It will well protect the roots of adenium from the negative effects of temperature changes. Vermiculite retains moisture well, which reduces the amount of irrigation, is rich in minerals (iron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium).
Coarse sand perfectly mimics the soil that succulent is used to in the wild. However, before adding to the container to the adenium must undergo mandatory disinfection.
Charcoal helps protect the plant from bacteria and fungus, reduces the acidity of the soil, but gradually leads to its alkalization.
Soil selection rules
It is necessary to understand what land is needed for adenium.
Existing soil options
Stores offer several suitable options.
The simplest is a purchased mixture for flowering plants. You can buy it in all stores specializing in products for gardeners. However, the use of such a composition in finished form should not be. As a rule, it is dense, does not pass air well enough and is not suitable for succulents. It is improved by the addition of baking powder.
The second option is a soil mixture for succulents. The components and pH level are optimal, however, before the adenium transplant, the composition needs to be sterilized. The disadvantage of this soil is its expensive price and rarity, you can not find it in every store, you may have to make an order.
Coconut substrate, pre-enriched, can also be used as a base of soil for adenium for transplantation. Coca-soil is already disinfected, perfectly breathable, has a suitable pH level.
Adenium feels great in a coconut substrate
Finally, it is permissible to transplant succulent into deciduous-humus soil. They buy it or mix it with their own hands, introducing baking powder and coconut substrate. Before you "populate" the succulent, the mixture must be sterilized.
Note! For adenium, loosening of the soil is very important, so the introduction of baking powder is mandatory. It can be perlite, small pebbles, zeolite, crushed pumice.
Land for adenium for planting on the street can be poor in mineral components, but necessarily loose. Therefore, before planting a seedling, the soil in the selected area must be improved by adding sand or perlite to it.
You can prepare the soil for adenium at home on your own. There are such composition options:
- Ready-made soil mixture for cacti, baking powder and river sand (proportion 5: 4: 1).
- Peat, garden soil, baking powder (5: 3: 2).
Best succulent suitable land, accumulated under a linden or birch.
Preparation specifics
The specific soil composition for adenium depends on the climatic conditions in which succulent will grow. If succulent is planted to grow it in an apartment where it is always warm and light, then it is worth choosing a nutritious ready-made mixture, into which it is necessary to add a baking powder (1: 1 ratio).
Growing at a temperature of + 22 ... +25 degrees involves the use of such a composition: a soil mixture for succulents with a coconut substrate and a baking powder (ratio 1: 1: 1). Charcoal must be added to such a soil.
If after transplanting the plant will be at a temperature of up to +20 degrees and lack of light, then the choice is best made in favor of poor soil, which, nevertheless, should pass air well.
Properly composed mixture is the key to beautiful flowering succulent
How to sterilize the earth
There are several ways to disinfect the earth before transplanting adenium into it. The easiest is calcining in the oven. Soil (without baking powder) is spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet, placed in an oven (mode - 15 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees). Then you need to wait for the cooling of the soil and transplant an adenium into it.
Calcination in a water bath is another easy way to implement. A pot of water is placed on the gas, a baking sheet with soil distributed over it is placed on top. The exposure duration is 60 minutes.
Using a microwave is a modern method. The earth is distributed in "portions", each placed in baking bags. You need to select the "Warm-up" mode, set the timer for 4 minutes.
A potassium permanganate solution is also a simple method. A light pink liquid is prepared, after which they abundantly irrigate the entire surface of the soil. You can replace potassium permanganate with special tools like Fundazole.
Note! You can choose any method of sterilization, but experienced growers are advised to use several at once.
Overview of major errors
Many gardeners, even with some experience, are convinced that moisture is the key to the growth of their green pets. This does not apply to adenium. This succulent needs dry soil, which is not enriched with organic complexes. It does not need to be transfused, a guest from the tropics will calmly survive the drought. But it will die when it is in conditions of high humidity.
You can not include sphagnum in the soil mixture.
Other features:
- Diseases of adenium can provoke an increased acidity of the soil.
- Dense soil is the main cause of rotting of the roots and the early death of the plant.
- If the soil is excessively rich in nutrients, the leaves will grow to the detriment of flowering.
If you choose the right soil, the plant will not hurt, but bloom
What to do with the old land
After the transplant, the soil will remain, which cannot be used for indoor plants. Even those gardeners who defended water before irrigation, still could not protect the plant from a minor hit of chlorine and lime. Gradually, they accumulated in the soil, making it unfavorable for green pets. In addition, the old substrate inevitably contains bacteria and fungi, which can be harmful to flowers.
That is why it is recommended to throw away the old soil after transplantation. If it is very a pity to part with him, you can add him to a street flowerbed, but he will not bring much benefit there.
If you choose the right soil, then the succulent adenium will delight its owner with amazing flowering beauty. This unpretentious plant does not require any special knowledge, but it is important that the soil is light and loose.
