Main Highlights
- Adenium plants
- How to grow them
Do you know the plants kept on your balcony can have a huge impact on your mental health?
With the emerging social platforms, indoor gardening is gaining a lot of popularity lately.
Plants-based podcasts, online plant subscriptions and services like Lazy Flora and Grounded came into the picture
When looked at closely there are a lot of factors contributing to it.
However, one such factor that should be kept in mind is mental health and well-being.
The term mental health was first coined in the year 1843. You must be shocked after knowing that right? It was first used by William Sweetzer in 1843 after the civil war.
But the term gained popularity in recent years after the lockdown.
Mental health includes emotional, psychological and social well-being. The fact of how well you are inside and reflect on the outside is very essential for a healthy life. Good mental health determines how well we are making healthy choices in our life. And it comes from different aspects. One such is gardening.
In an experiment conducted it was observed that many people enjoy living and working in cultivated green spaces. The experiment concluded that the presence of plants or some greenery had a huge impact.
Adenium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae and can be one such addition to your balcony. Also known as China Rose, these cute little plants belong to sub-Saharan Africa. There are several species of these plants. Adenium obesum is one of the most frequently picked by masses
It is an evergreen or drought-deciduous succulent shrub. Some of the species also lose their leaves during cold spells. It depends accordingly on the subspecies or cultivar. Adenium can grow up to 1-3 metres in height which is why they are often considered bonsai. The leaves of the plants are spirally arranged and clustered towards the tips of the shoots.
How to Grow: Conditions and tips
1. Temperature
Adenium is well-versed in dry conditions. This makes them a great choice for the home environment. Therefore once in a while if you neglect these species there’s no need to worry. Preferably Adenium requires a high temperature of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
The plant is adjusted well in warm and dry conditions
“The hotter the better” works the best with Adenium.
2. Light
Adenium needs good sunlight to thrive. In their native habitat, these plants grow in full sun. Keep in mind to give them enough sunlight. Direct sunlight is preferable. In its active growth phase, the plant needs a higher air temperature. Summer months show an active growth phase for these plants
3. Water Requirements
For Adenium, one important point to be kept in mind is the soil moisture content. The word ‘Desert Rose’ itself explains the plant’s ability to adapt to very less amount of water. As long as the temperature is warm and dry the plant can bear the high moisture levels.
There’s a general rule for watering these plants. Make sure the soil has dried out in between two consecutive waterings. Thoroughly saturate the potting mix in between.
Do not overwater Adeniums during their inactive growth phase. In winter you must take special care of this tiny tot. If you are not letting the roots dry completely and the moisture persists for a longer duration be ready to face root diseases. It can become a problem.
5. Fertiliser:
It is best to fertilise Adeniums in their active growth phase. During the spring and summer months, a balanced fertiliser is recommended with phosphorus. This assists in the formation of flowers. Please keep in mind that Desert roses are sensitive to high salt levels in the soil.
Whenever watering succulents or arid plants the amount of water supplied should saturate the soil mix.
6. Pesticides:
Spider mites are the greatest challenge as far as insects go. Adenium can tolerate dryness well. Spider Mites find these conditions suitable to grow and expand their population. You should keep a check on your plants. Especially when the plants are subjected to warm, dry conditions.
Check your plants at regular intervals and eliminate the infected plant from the rest of it.
7. Benefits
Adenium is the most beautiful plant of all. Adenium has the benefit of being a native that is long-flowering, colourful, drought tolerant, low in its water demand and easy to look after however
Not only this but as a bonsai plant, Adenium comes with several advantages as it’s a medicinal plant. It can be used to treat the soles of the feet, toothache, and ulcers, relieve pain, treating toothache and wounds.
Adenium is also used to treat exacerbation., conquer torment, normal mitigating, mend bubbles, and dry the scabs, against bacterial skin.
I now bet you have enough reasons to keep one of them.
Also read: https://thehealthcaredaily.com/2022/08/chiropractor-a-physiotherapist
