How to grow Adromischus
How to grow Adromischus
Adromischus (Adromischus Lem., 1852) is a genus of plants from the Crassulaceae family originating from South Africa.
They are dwarf succulent plants that grow in clumps with very fleshy leaves that can take on a round, cuneate or flat shape.
If exposed to the sun, these plants take on a mottled color. The flowers sprout in the center of the plant in the form of an ear.
Among the most known varieties of this plant we find:
– Adromischus cooperi – Presents leaves with wavy edge and purple spots. It has green flowers with a red central part;
– Adromischus maculatus – It has thick and fleshy leaves arranged in a rosette, dark green with reddish spots;
– Adromischus cristatus – Presents square green leaves with wavy edges. The flowers are showy and red and white.
In this card we will see how to grow Adromischus considering that it is a plant that lends itself well to cultivation in small pots as they are generally small plants that do not reach great heights (at most 10-15 cm).
The Adromischus are plants that propagate by cuttings, removing a robust and healthy leaf that needs healing for a couple of days.
Subsequently this cutting should be buried in a substratum suitable for succulent plants, placing everything at a temperature of 20 ° C.
To then do the repotting it is necessary to wait for the plants to have emitted and developed the root system, starting to grow.
Due to their characteristics and their origin, these plants adapt better to peat and sand substrates. Furthermore, whether it is grown outdoors (but in climatically warm areas) or in pots, the substrate must be highly draining to prevent root rot.
In the pots a layer must be prepared on the bottom composed of expanded clay or very large gravel that will allow the rapid removal of excess water.
Another layer of gravel will be placed on the surface of the substrate both to give an optimal aesthetic appearance to these plants and to reduce the transpiration of the upper layer of soil in order to further reduce irrigation interventions.
For the exposition it is necessary to choose bright and sunny environments, as long as the direct sun does not reach the plant for too many hours a day. The optimal temperature for the growth of the Adromischus is between 20 and 25 ° C. instead we must be careful at low temperatures as it does not tolerate those below 5 ° C.
For irrigation remember to water these succulent plants very carefully to prevent water stagnation. It is also advisable to repair it from the rain to avoid excessive amounts of water.
Fertilization must be done with a well-humified organic substance in the vegetation period.
For pruning remember that it is not necessary but it is good practice to remove dry and diseased leaves.
Among the adversities of these plants are the root rots that create the most concern; for this reason it is good practice to prevent the soil from being kept too wet.
In addition, flowers can be attacked by aphids, especially when nitric nitrogen fertilizers are mistakenly used; for aphids you can comfortably use Marseille soap.