Greetings dear friends of Hive Garden, welcome to my blog. The cover photo for this post isn’t of my Desert Rose; I took it during one of my visits to the nursery specifically to buy this plant, which is absolutely beautiful and something I’d always wanted to have in my garden. It’s been quite a while now; when I bought it, it didn’t have any buds, and they couldn’t tell me what color the flowers would be, so it was a surprise to me when it finally bloomed.

I’d never had this plant before, so I asked how to care for it, and they told me to water it sparingly and give it plenty of sun. They also confused me by saying, “As soon as you see the soil is dry, water it,” but only a little—almost like a light mist. However, the sun here in my city is so strong that the soil dries out quickly, which meant I’d have to water it every day, and I didn’t like that idea. I watered it every two days and then spaced it out to every four days. With this frequency and the sun it was exposed to, the plant, which had been sprouting new leaves, stopped growing, and the leaves began to turn yellow. I had to start removing them; it was a warning sign. My main concern was, “My Desert Rose is dying.” I immediately started researching and found a logical approach to saving my Adenium plant.

The solution was as simple as moving it into the shade and spacing out the watering cycles. It’s not an easy process; recovery can take a couple of months or more. My Adenium was suffering from sun stress; too much sun had dehydrated it. I began to notice that its caudex (the thick structure between the stem and the root) was soft; I also noticed a color change—it looked somewhat yellowish compared to the stem, which is green. This really scared me, and I even thought the roots might be rotting, which is serious. The first thing I did was move it into the shade—not total shade, though. The plant is still outdoors but under a roof, receiving light, but only indirectly and for a short time, just as long as the sun’s rays pass by. The important thing is that it was no longer getting that intense, extreme dose of sun that was dehydrating it.

As I explained, the caudex becomes wrinkled, takes on a soft texture, and the color can be whitish or slightly yellowish, just like my plant looks. I did another test to check the consistency of the stem, which is green; it’s soft too, but not as much as the caudex. Generally, the firmness of the caudex and stem is typical in this type of plant once they’ve been growing for a while and have matured. In young plants like mine, it’s normal for them to have a less solid consistency, so don’t panic if your Adenium, which is just starting to grow, has this condition. On the other hand, I continued checking the plant’s condition to make an accurate diagnosis. I uncovered its roots and could see healthy tissue—it looks white—which relieved me.

Cases of dehydration are less serious and more easily treated than root rot. After I moved it, the yellowing of the leaves stopped and new ones began to grow. May is coming, my friends; I hope to see it bloom. That’s how my Adenium is doing—it’s recovering, but it’s a slow process and you have to be patient.

As for watering, I started doing it every 15 days. I don’t use just a little water; with Adenium, you have to water it generously, until water starts to drain out of the pot’s drainage holes. A friend taught me this, and I confirmed it through my own research. Make sure there is good drainage: water the plant and then lift the pot so that the water soaks the entire growing medium and the excess drains out through the holes.

One thing I noticed—and which is part of the problem with dehydration—is that the roots of my Adenium are cramped in the pot, which means I need to repot it into a larger container; this will help it recover.

Unlike dehydration, root rot is a much more serious problem in Adenium, and you must act quickly; the good news is that if treated in time, the plant can be saved. Root rot is caused by overwatering, poor drainage in the pots, and unsuitable potting mix. Root rot can be identified by a change in color of the caudex, a soft consistency, skin that peels off when touched, a brown color, and a foul odor.

What should you do if the roots are rotting? Cut away the damaged part with a knife or razor blade—make sure they’re sterilized. Cut until you reach healthy tissue, which should look white or green, then let it dry in the shade for 3 to 4 days. You need to let the wound heal. After cutting, apply ground cinnamon, and once that time has passed, replant it. The soft texture and color change had me worried, as both rot and dehydration look similar, but I’ve cleared up the confusion. Identifying the problem leads us to the right solution.

- If there are yellow leaves, remove them and prevent them from falling into the soil. If these leaves are diseased, they will contaminate the soil. This applies to the care of any plant.

- Keep the plant clean by wiping both sides of the leaves with a damp cloth to remove any dirt, and then wipe them with a dry cloth. This should be done very carefully.

- Avoid cutting the plant when it is healthy, as these wounds can worsen and lead to rot when they come into contact with water.

- Do not water the leaves, buds, or flowers; water only the soil. This helps prevent pests, mites, and fungi.

- The best sunlight for Adenium is in the morning; afternoon sunlight is not beneficial at all and should be avoided, as it is one of the causes of dehydration.

Me había habituado a tener plantas que no requiere mayores cuidados, no obstante, la variedades de estas nos enseñan cosas nuevas. De las plantas también obtenemos valiosas lecciones.