FACTS ABOUT ADENIUM

1. Adenium seeds can be grown with river sand based media round the year except winter (Climatic temperature should not be below 24°C.). During winter, Adenium plants may show dormancy and leaves may shed. Blooming will also be reduced. But in states like- Gujarat, Tamilnadu where winter temperature is not too low, plant may not show any dormancy. As per our opinion, Adenium seeds should not be sown just 1-2 month before onset of winter season. It becomes difficult for tiny seedlings of Adenium to grow during winter. Extreme hot atmosphere (more than 37°C ) will also adversely affect your seed germination rate.

2. Pest Attack: During winter season, the Adenium plants may face temporary problem of pest attack (sucking pest, Oleander Aphids). Sucking pest suck nutrition from the plants’ leaves, flower buds and seed pods (especially newly formed). The oleander aphids (yellow coloured) can be seen with naked eyes on the plants. We can remove them by cutting off the infected part of plant or we can remove them by water spray gun (with use of 1 spoon organic shampoo in 1 Litre water). Additionally, we can add few drops of Neem Oil also. We have to spray such solution on lower sides of leaves every five days. After 3 sprays, these aphids will vanish. These aphids cannot fly. If we have removed them by removing affected leaves in starting itself, we can control them. As soon as summer season starts, these aphids will disappear even without use of any pesticide.

Oleander Aphids (Sucking pest)

3. Protection from Fungal Attack & Root Rot: As we know, that Adenium do not like damp soil. If we have quickly drying soil media (with 40-50% of coarse river sand) during rainy season, we will be able to protect our plants from excessive rainfall even without any shade. Use of wood charcoal in soil media also helps naturally in protection from fungal attack. Fungal attack may happen from upper branches also. If you observe any decaying branch, chop off and remove that infected branch to prevent further spread of the infection. Most commonly, fungal attack in Adenium happens from root zone. You must check hardness of your adenium caudex regularly. If it looks soft, there may be fungal attack. Many times, such softness is accompanied by yellowing of leaves and poor condition of plants which confirms fungal attack. In such cases, we need to cut off the affected caudex and apply fungicide on the cut off roots’ caudex. When rainy season is over, Adenium plants may show softness or squeezed caudex, due to reduced water supply availability.

4. Protection from Scorching Sunlight: (i) Though Adenium is an outdoor plant. If atmospheric temperature is soaring higher than 37°C, we need to protect the Adenium plants from scorching sunlight. If the plant is in arid zone, the scorching sunlight gives harsher treatment to the plant (e.g.-states like - Gujarat, Rajasthan in India). But if Adenium plants are accompanied with humid air, adverse effect of scorching sunlight mitigates upto a great extent. Due to humidity in air, dehydration and sunburning of leaves’ tips is reduced. During such higher temperature, we should remove stones or stone chips as mulching media, otherwise they will increase temperature of surroundings.
(ii) If possible, try to shift your Adenium plants from concrete terrace to any any earthen ground or any greenery surrounded area to protect from surface heat. Due to higher temperature, flowering may reduce and seed pods may fell down. Sunburning of caudex has also been observed occasionally. Sometimes, due to dehydration the stem of Adenium plants bends temporarily and erects again after being shifted in shady area. During higher temperature, watering of Adenium should be enhanced suitably. When the summer season is over, the plant will regain its healthy growth automatically.

5. Shedding of Flower Buds / Splitted Flower Petals: deficiency, flower petals may be splitted or flower buds may fell down much before blooming. To avoid this, we must add steamed or natural bonemeal, Boron powder, Rock Phosphate (upto 2-3% each of these) in the soil.

6. Single Petal Flowers: The advantage of single petal flowers is that they bloom in large number. 1 plants of 1-2 year life can easily show 3-5 flowers blooming simultaneously at same plant. However rosy variety of Adenium blooms less flowers and generally 2-3 flowers can be seen simultaneously at same plant.

7. Variegation in Shades of Flower Colours: Flower colour may show partial variegation in shades due to difference in sunlight, humidity and water of the area.

8. Fungal Attack on Plants: Fungal attack or root rot with Adenium is very common in areas where moisture level is high (coastal areas, North Eastern India etc.). If we have cut leaves, branch or root zone area of such plants, due to any reasons; we should use fungicides to avoid infection.

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