The desert rose, or Adenium obesum, is a hardy plant that prefers warm temperatures and dry soil. They do particularly well in pots and containers indoors as conditions can be monitored more closely, making them good houseplants. There are many ways to plant desert roses, including starting from seed. However, you must work with the seeds indoors, as they are fragile and will blow away with even the slightest of winds.
Obtain fresh seed pods from an active plant. Fresh seeds are likely to produce, but dried seeds have a low success rate.
Alternatively, you can get fresh seeds from a garden store or other reputable retailer.
When seed pods appear on an adult plant, wrap the pods with wire or twine. If the seed pods open, the seeds will disperse, and you won’t be able to use them to grow a new plant.
Remove the pods from the plant as they mature. They must be allowed to ripen before being removed; otherwise, the seeds cannot develop enough to grow. When the seed pods try to open, they are ripe and ready to be removed. Cut them off with a sharp knife or scissors.
Lay out the seed capsules on a flat surface. Let them dry.
Remove the bands from the capsule and gently open it with your thumb nail. Each pod should contain several “feathery” seeds.
Prepare a seedling from plastic or small pots. If the containers you are using do not have drainage holes, you should poke a hole in the bottom of the container before proceeding.[3] In the case of plastic seedlings, this can be done by inserting the tip of a pencil or large needle into the bottom of each compartment. The hole doesn’t have to be big.
Image titled Plant Desert Rose Seeds
Fill your containers with a well-draining growing medium. Vermiculite works well, as does a mixture of soil and sand or soil and perlite.
Scatter the seeds over the growing medium. If using seed trays or containers with a diameter of ten centimeters or less, plant only one seed per tray. If using a larger pot, spread several seeds evenly over the soil.
Cover the seeds with soil. Use just enough soil to barely cover the seeds, preventing them from blowing away. The seeds should not be buried deeply.
Fill a wide tray or container with rocks and water. The stones should completely cover the bottom of the tray, and the water should not rise above the level of the stones.
Place the planting tray on top of the stones. Update the water daily to give the seeds enough water from below
Spray the soil with water from above once every three days. Use a spray bottle until the surface of the soil feels moist to the touch.
Place the entire structure over a heating pad set on low. During germination, the soil and its seeds should be kept at a temperature between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 29 degrees Celsius). Test the soil periodically with a thermometer to monitor the temperature closely.
Stop watering above ground when the seeds germinate into seedlings. This should happen within the first week or two. You should still water the plants from below for the first month.
Transplant the plants into more permanent containers. Each plant should have about six “true leaves” at the time of transplanting.
Choose a medium-sized pot or container with one or more drainage holes. The pot should be between six and eight inches (15 to 20 centimeters) in diameter. Desert roses don’t mind being somewhat rooted; in fact, they often grow better this way. However, you must repot the plant when it grows larger.
Unglazed ceramic pots work best because the soil can dry out between waterings.
If you are using a clay pot, choose one that is slightly wider than necessary to give the roots extra room for expansion. Clay is more likely to crack with the pressure of expanding roots.
Fill the pot with a well-draining potting mix. A mixture made of equal parts quicksand and cactus soil works great. Avoid heavy soils that do not drain well, as desert roses prefer slightly dry roots and can rot quickly if kept saturated.