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ADENIUM - LANDING AND CARE - THE SPECIALIST ADVISES

Andrei Lvovich Tkachenko from Labinsk, Krasnodar Territory, is an amazing person.

For him to grow 1500-2000 adeniums per season is a common thing. The master works masterly, and the seedlings are obtained as a selection: plump, strong, with a shock of impeccably green leaves on the crown.

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The flower grower does not hide the secrets of growing, he talks about everything on his YouTube channel, eagerly answers questions and agreed to share his experience with readers.

SEEDING ADENIUMS IN PERLITE

Andrey Lvovich, you have an original way of sowing seeds. Please tell about this.

- Pour dry perlite into the basin with a layer of 3-4 cm. I spread the seeds on it at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and sprinkle with the same perlite layer 0,5-1 cm. Many flower growers do not deepen the seeds. But I consider this a mistake. Then I put the container in a greenhouse with a temperature of + 30-35 degrees, (permissible from + 25 to + 40 degrees). The use of peat mixtures or coconut flakes is considered inexpedient, because fungi quickly multiply in them, and seed germination is reduced several times.

Do I need to make holes in the containers for water drainage?

- Yes, sure.

When do you water?

- Immediately after sowing. The problem is that perlite is a lightweight material, and if watered from above, it will float. Therefore, I put a container with crops in the water, and perlite is gradually moistened below. After that I let the excess water drain.

Greenhouse effect needed?

- Yes, but I close the greenhouse loosely - for ventilation, otherwise the seeds will mate.

How to understand that crops need moisture, what temperature should water be?

- I water on 3-4 the day after sowing. By this time, perlite dries, becomes loose and does not stick to the fingers. I use small-drop watering from above (can be replaced by spraying). Water - tap water from a well, temperature - + 7-8 deg. Short-term cooling of the seedlings is not a hindrance, it is a little hardening. But it is better to use warm water.

How long to wait for seedlings of adenium seeds?

- Seedlings begin to germinate on 3 day, but mass shoots appear within a crescent. In perlite, adeniums "sit" 3-4 weeks. Fertilizing them at this time is not necessary, but possible. Then dive.

Perlite reuse?

- For sowing seeds - no, there remains husks, and this is a good environment for the development of fungi. Used perlite is useful when transplanting seedlings.

Is it possible to germinate adenium seeds in the sand?

- Not worth it; sand does not hold moisture well.

TRANSFER OF ADENIUM

What to look for when picking adenium?

- First, I reject: I remove chlorophyll-free specimens with white leaves, as well as plants with one leaf without a growth point and all spoiled ones. I dig up the rest, wielding my palm, like a bucket. I grab seedlings at once in a few pieces, while perlite from the roots crumbles itself. Attention: before transplanting, it must dry.

To compile the substrate, you will need dung humus, crumb brick and perlite in equal shares. The mixture should be dry and loose. I pour it into a container, pit it and plant seedlings, deepening a little for stability. The distance between the plants is 4-5 cm.

Most important: after the transplant, the adeniums should spend 2-3 days in dry soil. This is necessary in order to heal microscopic lesions on the roots. If you water immediately, then bacteria will get into the wounds, and the adenium will rot.

In what capacity are plants transplanted?

- I have construction basins on 20 l. Someone will say that they are too voluminous. Yes, I used to dive seedlings in small plastic containers, but the plants in them felt much worse. The soil quickly dried up, and the roots did not develop properly.

How do you water?

- Moisturize so that the entire soil is wet, excess glass water. I do not use pallets to avoid stagnation of water.

How much time do seedlings spend in the new "hostel"?

- I spend the next transplant when the plants turn 3 of the month (end of May when sowing in February). By this time, some specimens reach 15 cm, while others are still quite small. I’m preparing separate dishes for everyone, otherwise large ones will drown the kids.

Again I remove the adeniums from the ground, shake off the substrate of the roots. If I find that the soil and roots have not dried out, I postpone the landing for 2-3 days.

I burn holes in the 200-, 500-gram cups with an electrode. Fresh soil moisturize a little. I’m planting to the same depth. I direct the roots down. The volume of the glass depends on the size of the root system. After transplanting 4-5 days I do not water.

Prepare the soil of the previous composition or add other components?

- I leave the soil standard. But if necessary, humus can be replaced with vermicompost, brick chips with cat litter, lava chips, small expanded clay. I do not advise taking ready-made soils, bark and vermiculite in the mixture should also not be.

Adeniums are growing fast?

- In the summer, when the greenhouse has + 40-50 degrees, they give an increase of 5 cm per week, that is, they can grow by 15-20 per month. Much depends on food, temperature and watering. In normal room conditions, there is not enough heat, and therefore they grow more slowly.

You are probably often asked the question at what age do adenium seedlings bloom?

- On average - through 2-3 years. But some bloom in 7-8 months. What does it depend on? From the adeniums themselves, from the quality of the seeds.

It happens that adeniums do not bloom for many years.

—There are several reasons. First: plants are often planted in peat, but this cannot be done, since it has high acidity, and adeniums not only do not bloom, but do not even grow in it. Second: in summer, plants should be watered quite often, but as the substrate dries. Third: Adeniums definitely need heat and 3-5 hours of sunlight per day. And, finally, top dressing: I introduce complex fertilizers for flowering plants with each watering in the dosage specified in the instructions.

When to start feeding?

- It is possible in 2 weeks after transplantation.

Adenium transplant elevates the caudex.

ADENIUM CROWN FORMATION

Do I need to pinch the adeniums? At what age is it best to do?

- It needs to be cut. Many lovers remove the tops of 2-3-monthly plants. Such adeniums still have a too small root system, and they do not tolerate pruning. It is better to wait at least 6-7 months for the seedlings to grow stronger, in which case they will be able to give more lateral shoots.

The tool for every plant is sanitized. In specimens with a large number of branches, I cut off the main shoot, allowing small lateral to develop.

I noticed that the more sunlight the kids get, the more actively new branches grow. But direct sun is permissible for them only in the evening or in the morning - 2-3 hours are enough. If you keep the seedlings in direct sunlight all day, then for 2-3 of the day they will burn.

In 2-3-summer plants, I leave 2-3 buds on the shoots, and I delete the entire annual growth above.

When to prune adenium?

- I try to do this in late autumn, so that by spring the adeniums will pick up the buds.

Do I need to remove the central root?

- Removing it easily, rooting the plant again is very difficult, so I do not advise taking risks.

And how do you process slices?

- I do not process slices. The main thing is that during the week water during irrigation does not fall on them.