Adenium - pruning and crown shaping

Adenium is an exotic member of the succulent family. The culture gained popularity due to its beautiful long flowering and extremely unusual appearance. Pruning a plant on time can be a fun process and turn a flower into a decorative design object. The florist decides for himself how to form adeniums by trimming the crown or rhizome. Each method has its own rules and requirements that must be followed.

Adenium - pruning and crown shaping

Basically, all species of this plant branch out without assistance and do not need additional formation. If the lateral shoots do not grow or are inhibited in development, it is necessary to resort to pruning or pinching. Most often, these activities are carried out to give the flower more decorativeness.

Blooming adenium

What is pruning for?

Pruning adenium is used in such cases:

• For the formation of a beautiful crown.
• If you need to stimulate the growth of side shoots.
• For the rejuvenation of an adult flower that has reached the age of 5 years. It is necessary to delete all old branches in a timely manner. This procedure will lead to the laying of new buds and the formation of even more flowers.

Trim time and tool preparation

The procedure should be carried out in the spring, during intensive growth.

Before you cut off adenium at home, you need to prepare the tools for the procedure. Do not transplant and prune the plant at the same time. Adaptation to new conditions takes 2-4 weeks.

For work you will need:

• disposable gloves (plant sap is poisonous, therefore hand protection is required);
• manual pruner (before use, all cutting tools must be disinfected with alcohol);
• blocking drugs;
• soap (after working with a flower, be sure to wash your hands).

How to trim adenium - general rules

In the process of working with a plant, it is extremely important to follow the basic rules:

• At the first formation, the stem is cut to 5-7 cm. During the next treatments, the shoot is cut off by 2/3 of the total height.
• Timely removal of all old or damaged shoots has a beneficial effect on the growth of young and healthy branches.
• To form adenium, it is recommended to cut off all branches growing inside the crown.
• The number of shoots of the second and third order should increase exponentially.
• To thin out the crown of an old plant, the procedure should be carried out close to dormant buds. Slices are made on the outer part of the crown, 5-7 cm higher.

Pruning and shaping the crown of adenium

Preparing for pruning

The preparatory work also consists in deciding on the shape of the future flower. The depth of the cut depends on these factors.

2 days before pruning, the plant is thoroughly moistened. Thanks to abundant watering, plant cells and tissue compounds are maximally saturated with liquid, and the flower will not experience a lack of water.

Preparing the plant for formation

Pruning to rejuvenate the plant

Rejuvenation of an old plant is carried out when the following signs appear:

• shoots are excessively stretched;
• the number of colors has decreased significantly;
• leaves remained only at the very tops of the branches.

Experienced flower growers recommend anti-aging activities once every two years. Thanks to this, the plant will form new shoots, the number of flowers will at least double. The length of the branches should be reduced to 5 cm.

Sanitary pruning

Before carrying out work, it is necessary to assess the external condition of the plant. The cut is made at a distance of 9-10 cm from the bottom of the pot or 1 cm above the caudex.

After each cut, the instrument must be treated with alcohol. This is due to the toxicity of the sap of the culture. The wound after the procedure must be treated with a special garden balsam or paste. This will protect the plant from moisture and prevent rotting.

Sanitary flower pruning

How to form a crown of adenium

Succulents are genetically predisposed to the primary development of the central apical stem. In case of untimely pruning, it stretches, and the side branches stop developing. When forming a crown, first you need to remove the top. This will awaken the dormant lateral buds and will have a beneficial effect on increasing the amount of "green mass", and the flowering will become more abundant. Pruning on time will help form a denser and more voluminous crown.

When forming a crown, you can both remove branches and intertwine them. What form the adenium will get after these procedures depends only on the imagination of the grower.

Adenium - how to form a beautiful tree

For decorative purposes, a caudex is formed at the adenium flower. With the help of some manipulations at the time of planting, you can increase the height and change the shape of the root shoots. Before transplanting, it is necessary to raise the flower above the ground level or place it at an angle. Over time, the caudex will begin to straighten and transform. As a result, the root system will begin to branch out and can take on the most bizarre forms. Transplanting the adenium flower and trimming a small part of the root helps to form a powerful caudex.

Formation of a beautiful crown in adenium

Having understood how to build up caudex in adenium, you can give the plant different forms:

• Splice. It is carried out with the simultaneous planting of several seedlings at once. They are planted in one container, and shallow cuts are made at the points of contact. The resulting bundle is tied with a special tape.
• Interlacing. An interesting result can be obtained by weaving several branches of adenium at once. The shape can be any, but the pigtail is most often used.
• Ring. For this type of formation, a plant with the longest and thinnest caudex is suitable.

In adenium culture, the formation of caudex and the growth of root processes is a long process, but the result is worth it.

Post-pruning activities

After completing all of the above steps, it is necessary to carry out the primary treatment of the plant. The cut is wiped dry with a paper towel and sprinkled with charcoal. It is permissible to use hot paraffin wax or hydrogen peroxide instead.

After pruning, the plant must be placed in the most luminous place. The air temperature should be at least +25 degrees.

When pruning the root system, it is important to observe watering rates. Waterlogging of the soil can lead to decay of the root system.

Correctly formed plant

When trimming the roots and the bottom of the caudex at the same time, the soil must always be moist.This requirement is due to the superficial location of the plant root system.

Important recommendations:

• It is strongly not recommended to carry out pruning in winter, during hibernation. Removing the branches will not give any result, and cutting off part of the root system will lead to the death of the flower.
• If, after the procedure, the plant is not provided with sufficient illumination, then the cut points may rot.
• The use of large quantities of cytokinin paste can not only worsen the appearance of the succulent, but even lead to a complete cessation of flower development.

Proper pruning at home is the main component in growing and caring for adenium. If all procedures are performed in a timely manner, the plant will delight in appearance and flowering for a very long time.