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How to Water Adeniums
There are several methods to determine whether your Adenium needs to be
watered. Here are a few common methods. The method I typical use involves
just picking up a few pots. It takes some experience to develop a sense for the
‘feel’ of a dry Adenium, but it’s a very effective technique once mastered. It’s
amazing how much heavier a pot feels when it has the right amount of water.
Since approximately 25% of the volume of a proper soil mix is water at the
saturation point, a person only needs to pick a pot when it’s wet and then again
when it’s dry soon you will start getting a ‘feel’ for the difference. Naturally,
you can only do this with smaller Adeniums. Another method involves pushing
a chopstick into the potting mix, like using a toothpick when baking a cake. If
you pull the chopstick out and it is nearly dry then it’s time to water. A third
method, and possibly the commonly used, is to dig a couple inches under the
surface of the potting mix with your finger. If it
is dry at that depth, it may be time to water.
This last method requires you to have personal
knowledge of your Adeniums and how they
perform in your mix.
There are several interrelated factors that affect
‘drying time.’ For example, under perfect
conditions some plants can tolerate denser
potting mix because they grow so fast that the
roots soon colonize it. This rapid growth
quickly leaches the soil of moisture.
The following are some of the factors I have found which influence drying time:
Potting Mixture
The main components that retain water are organic and inorganic fines (very
small particles), peat moss, coir, and rice hulls. If you increase the amount of
any of these components you will reduce the drainage (aeration) and increase the
water holding capacity of your mix. Doing so can lengthen the time between
waterings. This can be convenient but it is unadvisable to add so much of these
elements that your potting mix will hold more than 25% of its volume as water.
If the ratio is more than this you may start having problems with root rot due to
poor drainage.
Conversely, if you want to increase the drainage (aeration) and reduce how
much water the plant will hold you can add inorganic and some organic (bark)
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large particles (greater than 1/8 inch). A good example of these large particles
are lava rock, coarse silica sand, turface, perlite, other stable fired clay products.
Plant Size and Pruning
Adeniums that have healthy root colonization in a pot need water more
frequently. As the top grows they need even more water. When an Adenium is
pruned transpiration is decreased so it will need less water, less frequently. It is
very important to pay close attention to this issue.
Adeniums with a lot of leaves tend to grow quickly and colonize very fast which
dries out the soil. This is actually great for the plants provided you can water
often them often enough. Extra water drains from the pot every time you water
as this happens new air comes into the root zone. As the potting mix dries out
fresh air is pulled into the root zone again.
Fertilizing
Since fertilizer generally makes Adeniums grow more quickly, it will also
accelerate drying time. Fertilizer may also increase the decomposition of the
organic portions of the potting mix, causing premature collapse. This will slow
growth and increase drying times. People often forget that this breakdown will
affect plant growth and watering intervals. Composted wood and fiber products,
other than bark, decompose rapidly and aren’t typically the best choice for
potting mixes used for Adeniums. The cypress products commonly used in the
southern states of the USA are an exception to this rule and can be excellent
potting mix components. Garden, or other compost may also cause problems
and are best avoided, especially by beginning Adenium growers. You can avoid
many of the problems caused by potting mix breakdown by using more
inorganic materials and high quality organic materials like coconut chips, pine,
and fir bark.
Disease
Root rot will make it harder for Adeniums to take up water and will slow drying
times. Sometimes it’s hard to accurately diagnose root damage. There are a
number of diseases that lead to the blockage of the plant's vascular system,
preventing it from taking up water. When an Adenium gets one of these diseases
the first signs you are likely to see is welting of the leaves. It’s a natural
response to want to water the plant but this does not help. The problem is that
the roots can’t properly take up the water that’s already present. People often
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overwater when their plants when this happens and it exacerbates the problem.
The best remedy is to let the plant dry out instead of watering it. If your
Adenium’s leaves ever start to wilt it’s important for you to make sure that the
potting mix is actually dry before you water it. If it’s not dry you may have a
problem involving the roots. Appropriate action must be quickly taken to
preserve the plant.
Wind
An increase of wind activity will increase transpiration, prompting the need to
water your Adeniums more frequently. Even in moderate temperatures a strong
wind can dry plants out quickly. Some varieties of Adeniums are quite
vulnerable to this. The first step to correct this involves relocating your
Adeniums to a place that does not frequently gets a lot of wind if you have a
choice.
Sunlight
Everyone knows sunlight will heat your plants and pots increasing both
transpiration and evaporation. This means that you must water your plants more
often. If you’re growing your Adeniums in a hot dry area try to put them where
they will get morning sun and afternoon shade. Adeniums grow best with bright
light and moderate temperatures. You won’t lose much growth if you put them
in some shade during the afternoon heat. Keeping the light levels ideal will
make your plants grow the fastest, increase foliage and decrease drying time.
This may involve mean adding some shade cloth to cover your Adeniums during
summer in some areas.
High Temperature
Even without sunlight when it is hot transpiration will increase and drying time
will decrease. If you are growing your Adeniums in a place with moderate to
low humidity, temperatures over 80F and morning to full sunlight then most
established Adeniums in containers will need to be watered at least twice a week.
High Humidity
Where it’s very humid and relatively hot transpiration decreases and drying time
will increase. If you are growing your Adeniums in a hot dry climate increasing
humidity can be a great way to extend the time between watering. When the
temperatures remain over 100F Adenium plants may benefit from a fine spray of
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water for about two minutes a couple times a day. Adding sprinklers or misters
under your growing tables can also be helpful in dry hot climate areas.
Pot Size
The more mix your pots contain the greater the reservoir of water will be so
drying times will increase. It’s important to remember this and check carefully
before you water Adeniums in large pots. The pots generally do not dry nearly as
quickly as small pots. This is something to give careful consideration to before
attempting to plant Adeniums in larger than ideal size pots.
In Closing
Learning when and how to water your Adeniums are easily mastered skills that
will pay more dividends than any other aspect of their care. Properly watered
Adeniums are incredibly rewarding plants that will give you years of virtually
trouble-free pleasure.
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