6 Easy Steps How to Plant Desert Rose Seeds

Adenium obesum or desert rose as it is commonly known, is a hardy flowering plant native to Africa. They are well known for their funnel-shaped flowers and glossy leaves.

Desert rose seeds grow quite easily. Here’s how to plant desert rose seeds:

How to Plant Desert Rose Seeds

If you live in a wet, humid region, desert rose seeds will thrive in your home, given you care for them properly. Follow these steps to grow a desert rose plant from seeds:

Step 1: Prepare the Pot

It is best to grow the seeds in a wide container like a tray. When the plant starts growing, you can transplant them to small pots.

Prepare a potting mix for the seeds by mixing coco peat and sand in equal measures. Pour in enough water to make the substrate damp, but not so much that it becomes soggy. Lay the substrate in the tray.

Pat it down until it is at least 1 inch below the lip of the tray, do not fill it to the brim.

Step 2: Spread the Seeds

Now, it is time to lay down the desert rose seeds. Space them at least 2 inches to 3 inches apart. Press them down lightly to ensure complete contact with the substrate.

Step 3: Add Fungicide

You can skip this step if you want, but it is best to be prepared. Fungi can be very hard to get rid of if not dealt with in time.

Get some seedling fungicide and read all the warnings and instructions on the label carefully. Put on a pair of gloves and lightly sprinkle the fungicide onto the seeds. You can also use a small brush to dust them on the seeds.

Step 4: Lay Down Substrate

Now, lay down a ½ inch thick layer of the same substrate on top of the desert rose seeds. Make sure all the seeds are covered completely.

Finally, spray some water on the soil. You can also cover the tray with a plastic sheet.

Step 5: Aftercare

It is quite easy to take care of desert rose seedlings. Place the tray in an area that gets indirect sunlight 6-8 hours a day. Whenever the top inch of the substrate dries, spray some water to moisten it. The soil should stay moist, but take care not to soak it.

If you have covered the tray with plastic, you’ll need to remove it once a day to wipe off condensation.

 In about a week, you will see seedlings emerge above the ground. Once the sprouts emerge, you can remove the plastic cover.

You can start watering the seedlings once a day. Do not water if the substrate is still damp. The seedlings are quite delicate at this stage, so make sure you don’t splash water on the baby leaves.

You can also apply fertilizer to the seedlings. A 10-10-10 fertilizer works well for desert rose seedlings. You can use a water-soluble fertilizer and spray it in place of watering.

Step 6: Transplant Desert Rose Seedlings

The desert rose seedlings should be ready for transplantation about one month after planting. If they have 6-8 healthy leaves, you can transplant the seedlings.

Take a small pot with a drainage hole and fill it with a potting mix. The pot should be about 70% full, as we will be adding more soil later.

Dig around the seedling and extract the plant with its roots intact. Place the plant in the pot. Now, add more soil until the roots are covered with soil. Water the plant so that the soil is moist.

FAQs

Do you soak desert rose seeds before planting?

With desert rose plants, fresh seeds work best for propagation. Soaking the seeds in water helps compensate for the moisture that the seed loses over time.

If your seeds are quite fresh, soaking them for about 2-4 hours in clean, room temperature water could help in the germination process. If the seeds are not fresh, you can soak them for up to 24 hours depending on how old they are.

How long does it take for desert rose seeds to sprout?

Desert rose seeds usually germinate very quickly. In the right conditions, you can expect to see a desert rose sprout emerge within 3-7 days of planting the seed.

However, seeing a sprout emerge does not mean that it is ready for transplantation! The sprouts need to develop a healthy system of roots in order to be viable plants. This process can take up to a month.

If you can see 6-8 leaves on the sapling, it has a healthy root system and is ready to be transplanted.

How long does it take for desert rose to flower from seed?

Once you plant the seed, it takes about a month to have seedlings ready for transplantation. It is hard to say how long it will be before the seedlings start to flower.

It can take months or even years for the plant to reach maturity and start flowering. Desert rose plants propagated from seeds are generally more vigorous than those propagated from cuttings.

Under the right conditions, a desert rose plant could flower within a year of transplantation.

How long does it take for desert rose seed pod to mature?

Desert rose pods have a slow rate of growth. Timing is very important while harvesting the seed pods. You need them to be mature in order to have viable seeds.

If you wait too long, the seed pods will dry out and burst, dispersing the seeds. It can take about 6 months for the seeds to mature and be ready for harvesting.