Adromiscus

Adromischus (Adromischus) is a plant group called succulents and belongs to the Tolstyankovs. His homeland is Africa, more precisely - its western and southwestern regions. The name of the plant reflects its main feature - the presence of fleshy ground parts that retain water in their tissues.

Translated from Greek, adromiscus just means "thick trunk".

As a rule, adromiscus are small shrubs or herbaceous perennials with very short horizontal stems. The dense and succulent leaves of these plants are round or triangular in shape and often resemble plump green pads in appearance. Their surface can be painted in various shades, or it can be pubescent.

Andromiscus inflorescences resemble spikelets in shape and are located on the tops of tall peduncle stems. The flowers consist of five petals fused into a very narrow tube. Their color scheme includes white and pink.

This article will discuss what types of adromiscus exist, as well as the basic rules for caring for them.

Adromiscus plant: home care

Adromiscus flower: plant photo

Despite the fact that in the wild, adromiscus grows in regions with an arid climate, successful cultivation in indoor conditions requires adherence to certain agrotechnical recommendations. Listed below are the most important procedures that affect the growth and development of a given culture.

Lighting mode

Since adromiscus is native to Africa, adequate lighting must be provided for it to grow successfully. Exposure to direct sunlight does not harm this succulent. Therefore, this culture will feel good on that side of the garden or building that faces south or southwest.

Optimum temperature

Adromiscus belongs to thermophilic crops, for this reason, the optimal summer temperature for it is 25-30 degrees. With higher thermometer readings, the frequency of ventilation of the room in which the adromiscus is located should be increased. During winter, it is better to keep containers with plants cool. The temperature should not exceed 15 degrees, but it should not fall below 7 degrees either.

Humidity level

Since adromiscus is a succulent that can accumulate moisture in its tissues, it does not require an increase in the percentage of humidity in the room atmosphere and does not feel the need for such procedures as spraying.

How to water adromiscus

In the spring and summer period, watering adromiscus should not be too often. It is recommended to do this only after the soil is completely dry in a pot or container.

With the arrival of autumn, moderate watering should become even more scarce. In winter, you need to water the adromiscus even less, or even transfer it to dry content, if the temperature allows it. Water for irrigation should be at room temperature, well settled.

Fertilization

In order for adromiscus to feel good in uncharacteristic conditions, it should be fed regularly. Fertilizers should be applied every month for most of the year. The first feeding is carried out in March, the last one in September. For these purposes, you can purchase ready-made complexes in a specialized store designed for fertilizing cacti and succulent plants.

How to transplant adromiscus

Adromiscus flower: plant photo

Adromiscus does not like transplants, so this procedure should be resorted to only when absolutely necessary. The best time for her is spring.

Adromiscus take root well in compact containers filled with potting soil intended for growing crops similar to them. You can buy it at gardening stores.

Since adromiscus grows in the wild in arid areas, drainage must be taken care of to avoid stagnant moisture in the soil. At the bottom of the pot or container, it is necessary to pour a layer of crushed stone or expanded clay.

Adromiscus: flower reproduction

The best way to breed adromiscus is grafting. For this culture, cuttings are leaves, separated from the stem in the spring. Keep them dry and dark for several hours. This will allow the planting material to dry out.

Then the cuttings can be planted in small containers filled with coarse river sand or vermiculite crystals.

Another variant of the mixture for planting cuttings of adromiscus is a combination of sand and ready-made soil for cacti and succulents. As a rule, within a month after planting, the cuttings form an independent root system.

Disease prevention and pest control

Of the harmful insects, the greatest danger to adromiscus is aphids, spider mites and felt insects, also called mealybugs. It is necessary to conduct regular inspection of adromiscus in order to detect signs of pest infestation in time.

It is also recommended to remove dry parts of plants immediately after they are found. You can deal with pests with the help of insecticides, which are sold in specialized stores.

Adromiscus: possible growing problems

There are a number of common problems associated with growing adromiscus. It is important to pay attention to them in a timely manner and determine the cause that caused them in order to take appropriate measures.

• If traces of decay appear on the tissues of the adromiscus, it means that water has accumulated in the leaf outlet, which got there during watering.
• If the tissues of the leaf plates are covered with cracks, it is worth adjusting the watering regime. This symptom signals a lack of moisture in the soil.
• The stretching of the shoots and the loose structure of their tissues indicate a lack of sunlight.
• If the leaf plates turn yellow and dry, you should pay attention to two factors - watering and the lighting mode. The reason for this phenomenon can be both excess moisture in the soil and sunburn of foliage.
• There are also phenomena that are caused by natural processes occurring in the tissues of adromiscus. So, yellowing and necrosis of the lower layer of leaves should not cause concern for the gardener, since it is a consequence of the aging of the plant.

Adromiscus: species with names and photos

There are several varieties of adromiscus that successfully take root at home. Below is a brief description of each of them.

Adromiscus comb

The Latin name is Adromischus Cristatus. The average height of crested adromiscus is only 15 cm. Erect young shoots gradually change shape and become drooping or creeping, numerous orange air roots are formed on them.

The surface of plump and wide (up to 5 cm) leaves is covered with an edging, and they themselves form a leaf rosette. They are characterized by a dark green color and the presence of wavy edges. The flowers are painted in greenish-white tones and have a pink border around the edges of the petals.

Adromiscus Cooper's

Adromiscus Cooper: Photo of the variety

The Latin name for this Adromiscus is Adromischus Cooperi. This type of adromiscus is also compact in size. The presence of a short branching stem is characteristic.

The color of the glossy oval leaves is quite unusual - their green surface is covered with numerous spots of a red-brown hue.The length of the leaves is 5 cm. The edges of the leaf blades are usually wavy.

During the flowering period, Adromiscus Coopers form long inflorescences, shaped like an ear. Their constituent flowers are tube-shaped and greenish-red in color with a border of pink, white or purple. The flowers are about 1.5 cm long.

Adromiscus Pelnitz

Adromiscus Pelnitz: Photo of the variety

The Latin name is Adromischus poellnitzianus. This variety belongs to dwarf succulents - the average height of the bushes is not more than 10 cm. The shoots of a pale green color branch out, forming leaf rosettes.

Plates of adromiscus Pelnitz have a rather unusual shape: narrow and smooth at the base, they gradually expand and flatten. The edges of the leaf plates are usually wavy. Closer to the edge, the surface of the leaves is covered with whitish hairs. Long inflorescences consist of nondescript flowers.

Adromiscus spotted

Adromiscus spotted: Photo of the variety

The Latin name is Adromischus maculatus. Another dwarf variety of adromiscus, reaching a height of about 10 cm. Unlike previous species, it is weakly branching. Dark green rounded leaf plates are covered with red spots. The average length of the leaves is 5 cm, width - 3 cm. The most common shape is round or oval. The flowers are colored red-brown.

Three-pistil adromiscus

The Latin name is Adromischus trigynus. This type of adromiscus belongs to weakly branching and low, since the average height of the bushes is 10 cm.The leaf plates are usually round or oval in shape. The average length of the leaves painted in dark green is 4-5 cm, width - 3-4 cm.

Their surface on the outside and inside is covered with brownish-red spots. The flowers are painted in the same shade as the specks.

Adromiscus three-pistil: Photo of the variety