What Kind of Soil is used for Desert Roses?: With an Easy DIY Adenium Soil Guide

Desert roses or Adenium plants are best for plant lovers who want a unique plant that is easy to work with. Desert rose is perfect for amateur or improved gardeners. Desert roses need a desert environment to grow well. Thus, today we will answer what kind of soil is used for Desert Roses. So, replicating it will help the plant to bloom these colorful roses.

We will walk you through a complete guide on selecting the right soil for this plant along with tips on growing them. You will also get the perfect DIY recipe for your Desert rose plant in this read.

Desert Roses

Desert rose or adenium obesum is a type of succulent plant that can grow up to 6 feet tall. They are native to the Arabian peninsula and bloom in summer. Desert rose is often used as a bonsai plant because of its thick trunk and luscious colorful flowers.  Adenium is used as both indoor and outdoor plants. In a warm area, it can be used outdoors. This mini tree is slow-growing yet long living. 

Can I use any soil for Desert Roses?

No, you can’t use any soil for Desert roses. Desert rose works well in well-drained and aerated soil. Avoid garden soil in any situation as it does not have the right drainage for Adenium. Also, avoid clay soil as they make the soil filled with water. Potting soil which is used for other plants also can’t be directly used for Desert roses. Special potting mix or cactus mix can be used for Desert roses. Using soil that gives the right drainage, gritty and well-aerated place is the best soil for Desert roses.

What is the soil pH for Desert Roses?

The Best soil pH for Desert rose should be around 6.0 and can range from 6.0 to 7.0. Desert roses like to grow best in slightly acidic soil. If the soil is too alkaline, it may affect the plant. To make your Desert rose soil acidic, add peat moss to it. 

pH is tested to find the potential of hydrogen and uses a chemical scale to identify the nature of the soil. Testing for soil pH is the first step in getting to know the soil. Ph can range from 0 to 14. Any soil with a pH higher than 7 is alkaline and less than 7 is acidic. Do a pH test to find the soil pH level. 

What Kind of soil is used for Desert Roses?

The best kind of soil for Desert roses is sandy soil. Cactus or succulent soil is also best for Desert rose plants. But making soil for your adenium is easy and is all organic soil. Desert rose wants the right soil to survive as they depend mostly on the soil.

In the case of indoor plants, Select a soil that does have all the below-mentioned components for Desert roses soil. Buying potting soil or potting mix and making amendments could also do the work.

In the case of outdoor plants, buying organic sandy soil does do the work. With the required amendments it will be made for the Desert roses.

Components of the Best soil for Desert Roses

These are some of the components of the perfect Desert rose soil, 

Proper Drainage

A well-draining soil is essential for plants. If grown in a pot, it needs a drainage hole for proper drainage. Water sitting in the pot may lead to fungal disease and destroy the root. Adding pebbles to the pot with soil will help solve the problem. Add coco coir to improve the drainage in the mix of the soil.

Good Aeration

Desert Rose is like light soil that should have good aeration. As they love dry and porous soil to get the proper aeration, giving that will help them grow. Providing extra aeration to the soil will boost the growth of the plant.

Texture

The texture of the soil for the Desert rose should be light. The Desert rose soil prefers very light and loose soil which also holds enough moisture which helps in root growth. The texture of indoor and outdoor soil can vary as one will be in a pot and the other in the land. 

What kind of Potting soil is good for Desert Roses?

Desert roses need a well-draining potting mix that is coarse and provides aeration to the plant root. A Cactus or succulent mix with sand is perfect for the Desert rose soil. This will help to grow the mini tree in your pot. Desert rose grows best in indoor potting mix. To make the soil more porous add coconut husk, pumice, and perlite. You can also add more sand which adds better texture and pH to the soil. Keep a check on the acidity level of the soil and don’t miss out on any change in soil which may affect the plant.

How to prepare Potting soil for Desert Roses?

To prepare the potting soil for the Desert rose plant, add three parts of minerals such as peat moss, perlite, coconut coir, and barks to three parts of the potting soil. Depending on the clay in potting soil, add one or two parts of coarse sand to it. This sand will help to make better aeration. The next part is adding perlite (volcanic rock) and peat moss or gravel or marbles to increase the drainage of the soil. Coconut coir and barks from wook are also added to improve drainage and aeration in the soil.

The Preparation of Potting soil for Desert rose plants is simple and easy. Succulent soils for Desert rose plants are quite opposite to potting soil. Potting soil loves to hold moisture but having that for succulents might be a wrong idea. Adding potting soil directly for succulents makes the root of succulents rot. But adding the minerals and mending the soil to improve drainage and aeration will make the potting soil doable. 

DIY Tips to make soil for Desert Roses At Home (Complete guide)

The satisfaction of making DIY soil will make you feel so connected with the plant. Making your own mix takes time and involvement but it gives the plant a tint of nature. This all-purpose recipe is used for both indoor and outdoor plants.

Tips to Prepare

• Collecting all the ingredients before making the soil.
• Take time to mix the ingredients.
• Learn other items like reading a pH tester, types of nutrients, and their uses.

Now you can start making the DIY with the below-given ingredients and follow up,

Tools

• Gear up with gloves to avoid the dirt from the soil.
• Measuring cup or instrument to measure the ingredients.
• Bucket or vessel to make space to mix the soil.
• A small shovel/ Trowel to mix the soil.
• Dust mark (must).

Ingredients

Organic matters

• Potting soil– The potting mix with the soil makes the potting soil. Potting mix has peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and many others. 
• Perlite– Perlite is formed from volcanic emission. They make the best aeration for the succulent soil.
• Pumice– Formed from volcanoes when they erupted explosively. The liquid explosion is formed to pumice rock making the aeration for the soil.
• Coconut Coir– The coconut fiber is an all-rounder made from coconut husk used for many purposes. They are used in soil to improve soil texture, drainage, and aeration.
• Peat Moss– It is made of decomposed organic matter from peat bogs. For sandy soil, it helps to retain moisture for the plant.

Mineral matters

• Coarse sand– The sand is added to give a loose texture to the soil. The coarse sand is added to reduce the clay content in the soil.
• Volcanic rocks– These are rocks from volcanic lava. The rock contains many minerals which help in plant growth.
• Gravel– Gravel is rock fragments that are formed from the breakdown of rock. They are used in decorative and to provide aeration to the soil.

Recipe

Our recipes for the best Desert Rose soil:

Mix 1

• 1 part Organic matter
• 2 Part mineral matters

Mix 2

• 1 Part Peat moss
• 1 Part Sand

Follow-up

After collecting all the required ingredients and tools add the measured organic matter or potting soil to the bucket with the help of a trowel. Add two parts minerals such as sand first and 1 part peat moss and mix it well so both are mixed. Add one part of organic matter to two parts of mineral matter of your choice to the soil and mix all well to make the best soil for your Desert rose plant.  Add an equal amount of sand to any soil if they have more clay content in the soil. 

Where to Buy Soil for Desert Roses?

Soil for Desert Roses can be bought in a commercial store or online. In stores, you can get opinions from expert people in the field to explain and give soil according to the plant. But the chances are there will be added chemical fertilisers in the soil. Online, you can make your choice based on the review, rating, and the right mix mentioned on the label. With whatever way of buying the soil, adding some soil conditioner will help for the betterment of the plant as well the soil.

Best Commercial Brands to buy soil for Desert Roses

Miracle-gro

The miracle-gro indoor potting mix is best for indoor plants such as cacti and succulents like desert roses. This light and drain fast mix contain coconut coir, fertilisers, and other products. The product is certified by the mulch and soil council for the standard. Adding perlite and decoratives to the pot with this mix is required to grow the succulents. Miracle-gro gives value-for-money products at a reasonable rate with premium quality. They also provide various other types of potting mixes, all-purpose soil, and fertilisers at affordable prices for the garden.

Fox Farm 

The Fox Farm organic potting soil is all natural ready-to-use potting mix with worm casting. This product from Fox farm is mentioned as ideal for seedlings. The pH level in this soil is adjusted to make the most of the soil for the containers or potted plants. The soil is lightweight and well-aerated which makes it also suitable for all naturally mix grown plants. The nutrients in this soil make it perfect for both indoor and outdoor gardening. The soil is mixed to adjust the pH levels of the potted plants which helps in the growth of the Desert roses plant healthier.

Miracle-gro

Miracle-gro Cactus, palm, and citrus potting mix are ideal for your desert roses and they give all the essential nutrients the desert-loving plants will thrive. This fast-draining formula has sand and perlite in it to create the best environment for the plant. This soil is fortified with nutrients to prevent diseases in the plants. This is best with the added plant food which makes it super filled with nutrients.

Can I Use Garden Soil for Desert Roses?

Yes, you can use garden soil for Desert roses after adding the drainage components to the soil. Garden soil will have lots of clay content in it which makes it not suitable for Desert roses. Garden soil will be heavy, damp, and moisture retainded which is quite the opposite of Desert roses soil. But with adding some amendments to garden soil and organic soil it can be used for the desert plant. Make sure to check for the pH and texture of the soil and see if it is suitable before planting.

Can Desert Roses grow in Cactus soil?

Yes, Desert roses plants can grow in cactus soil. Keeping a check on the sand in the soil will only make the difference. Cactus plants need sandy soil like Desert rose plants. Often the term cactus and succulent are used indifferently. You may find labels in soil bags stating cactus and succulent soil. As the characteristics and needs of both cacti and succulents are common, they can be used for one another. Since the desert roses plant is a deserter, cactus soil can be used but for better result cactus mix with no soil will do best. Desert roses need a soil-less mix to grow.

When and how to Repot Desert Roses?

Repotting a Desert rose once a year is just as it can be root bound in containers. Repotting can be done at certain times,

• When the plant has outgrown the container in which it grows. The plant growth will become shun if a large plant is grown in a small pot.
• If the plant is Broken or externally damaged, it needs to be repotted. For such plants to recover it needs more nutrients from the new soil.
• Fungal or bacterial infection can damage the soil too deep to hurt the soil, at that time there is a need to repot the plant.
• Root rot is not a major problem and the plant can recover on its own. But at times, when it gets severe repotting should be done to save the plant and root. Root rot is caused because of over or under-watering.
• When the store-bought plant is in a small pot disregarding its size, repotting is a must. 

To repot Desert rose, selecting a container or pot regarding the size of the plant is the first step. The two factors which determine the pot size are: Water requirement and growth space.

• Loosen the plant from the pot with a shovel and dug it out. 
• Remove the soil rock and remove any debris from the root to add it to the new soil.
• Place the plant in a new pot with a ⅔ new soil and fill in the sides to make the plant straight.
• Add water and potting mix to make up for the lost nutrients.

Pests in Desert Roses

Some of the pests that are found in Desert rose are Mealybugs, Spidemites, and aphids. The Desert roses pest affected leaves will show changes and signs. If they are leaf unnoticed, they may lose strength and die. The immediate remedy is to spray high pressured water in the plant as they wash off and then eliminate the infected leaf. Use an insecticide to remove the pests or natural neem oil. 

Signs that the Desert Rose is in the wrong Soil

Every plant will show certain signs when the soil mix is wrong. Some of the symptoms which Desert rose will show are,

• Yellow leaf– The cause of yellow leaf is too much drainage in the soil. It also indicates the bacterial problem in soil.
• Brown Spot in leaves– This could be a sign of overwatering that too much water is not available in the soil.
• Dry leaves– This sign is for the dehydration of plants. Providing enough water will solve this issue.
•  Dropping leaf– This could be the reason the root is getting too much or little water. Keeping a check on soil texture will help prevent the problem.

Conclusion

Desert rose or adenium is a beautiful plant to grow in a carefree way. Providing the right soil and temperature is enough for desert roses to thrive. So, make your own soil for this mini tree and give them healthy and organic soil with the right soil pH. To make soil for this slow-growing succulent follow the above-mentioned guidelines, to make your own DIY soil for the Desert rose plant. With the right amount of water and minimal care will add the desert rose to your succulent collection. Also, check the soil and plant for pests and prevention at an early stage.

FAQs

Can Desert roses grow in pots?

Yes, desert roses can grow in pots. It is a potted plant with the look of a mini tree.

Does Desert rose need full sun?

Yes, the plant needs full sun for maximum growth.

What soil is best for growing potted Desert roses?

A well-draining potting mix is best for growing Potted desert rose plants.

What is the Best soil mix for Desert plants?

The Best soil mix for your Desert rose is Equal parts of Potting soil and perlite or sand.