Desert rose plant safety precautions

One of the most beautiful flowers you can grow in your house is the Desert rose. Having its origins in Africa and Arabia, the Desert rose plant prefers areas with well drained and wet grounds. An unusual feature of the plant is that its stem engorges when absorbing water.

The Desert rose doesn’t thrive when the temperature oscillates too much, that’s why you should keep it inside the house.

Living conditions

Before planting a Desert rose choose a pot that can easily be moved from place to place. Don’t use a plastic pot because it doesn’t provide a good drainage of the water. To make your plant thrive, place it in an area with plenty of sunlight. The proper soil for this plant is a mixture of one part coarse sand and double parts of loam. Be careful not to dampen the soil too much or the roots will die.

Special care

Your Desert rose should get water every day during hot months. The sand in the soil will provide a good drainage of the water, thus avoiding root rot. When the weather gets colder and it rains a lot, water your plant only three or four times a week. During springtime and hot months, fertilize the soil every day with a NPK fertilizer. Read the producer’s instructions using only half of the recommended amount.

Cold months care

When the temperature falls below 40 degrees Fahrenheit get the plant inside the house. Water it only two times per week and use a slow release feeder once per month. You can get your plant outside only when the freezing danger has passed, but bring it back inside during night if the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Notifications

Any damaged area of the Desert rose should be removed because this suggests root rot and can kill your plant. The affected area should heal in a few weeks and the Desert rose will grow up normally.

When it needs water, the stem of the Desert rose changes its texture. This is not a root rot so don’t worry. When root rot appear it spreads slowly to the entire stem.