Desert roses grow slowly, but sometimes they have to be repotted. But when, how and how often? Find out all about it here.
Sooner or later even the slow-growing desert rose (Adenium obesum) will get too small in the pot and you have to repot the magnificent plant.
But how often does it make sense to move to a plant-based home? When is the best time to do this? And how exactly does repotting work? These are all easy questions to answer.
Repot how often?
The leisurely growth of the desert rose eliminates the need for annual repotting. Wait until the soil is more or less fully rooted. The new vessel should then be a quarter larger than the previously used bucket. After repotting, you can wait an average of three years before the next plant move is due.
When to repot?
Repot your desert rose in the spring before it begins to sprout. Also make sure that the plant has stored enough water. The reason: If the roots are injured when repotting, the desert rose should not be watered for about a week afterwards. You can recognize the filled water reservoir by the consistency of the caudex (thickened root base). If the caudex feels taut and firm, it is bulging and that means: Green light to repot.
How to repot?
❶ Grasp the desert rose by the caudex and pull the plant vertically out of the tub. This may require a little force if the roots are already putting a lot of pressure on the walls of the planter.
❷ Now shake and rub off the clinging substrate from the roots and check for rotting spots. Remove these with a sharp, previously disinfected knife.
❸ Next, put a 1″ thick layer of drainage in the bucket. You can use pumice, potsherds, lava granules or volcanic glass such as perlite.
❹ Mix excess material under ordinary garden soil and you have the right substrate for the desert rose at hand.
❺ Now fill a little of this mixture into the bucket and place the desert rose on top. The roots shouldn'tprotrude over the edge of the vessel, but sit a little lower. Spread the substrate around the root ball and the job is done.
You can find out how to plant a completely new desert rose in our article Planting desert roses: An overview of optimal conditions for the exotic plant.
Tip:
If you have leftover white perlite or white gravel, use the leftover as a decorative layer on the substrate. The color contrast with the pink blossoms of the desert rose will inspire you.