The Adromischus Cristatus it is a succulent plant species, which belongs to the Crassulaceae family and is endemic to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
It is a perennial plant, that is, that lives more than two years, with branches that grow straight and short about 2 to 5 cm long, covered with fine roots, which grow at ground level.
The leaves are green to gray-green, with a wavy margin, and generally, measure 2 to 4 x 0.5 to 1.3 cm.
During the spring, long, narrow stems grow for their flowers, which are tubular and white with touches of red and you can observe their flowering in the summer months.
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Tips for growing Adromischus Cristatus.
It is an easy plant to grow, so it is perfect for beginners and grows perfectly indoors, making this plant ideal for home or office.
Illumination:
This plant is best developed in very bright places, where you receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight during the day.
Something very important is that, in tropical climates, some light shade should be provided during the warmer hours on summer days.
Temperatures:
It grows better under high temperatures throughout the year.
And where the temperature is cultivated they should never fall below 3ºC because the plant would die quickly.
The ideal temperature for this plant to live a long time is between 19ºC (66.2ºF) – 30ºC (86ºF).
Substratum:
It is essential that the substrate (soil) to be used as an excellent drainage because the roots are very susceptible to rot by the accumulation of water.
Watering:
Water whenever the surface of the substrate (soil) is completely dry and temperatures exceed 18ºC.
In the winter season, you should only water if the leaves of the plants begin to look dehydrated.
Plagues and diseases:
They are mainly attacked by mealybugs and by different pathogenic fungi and can also be affected by mites and mollusks to a lesser extent.
Usually, these diseases come from the excess of water in the substrate and/or a humid atmosphere, poorly ventilated and cold, a lot of shade burns produced by the sun, excess dryness and heat.
Germination:
It spreads very easily by stems of the plant that root at 2-4 weeks.
Leaves:
When taking a leaf for propagation, gently rotate the leaf from the stem, making sure that the leaf you get is a tug, as this will give you a better chance of successful propagation.
Let the leaf rest for one or two days, before placing it in well-drained soil.
Fertilizer:
Crass or succulent, do not show great nutritional needs.
Only those that come in a pot can require fertilization, although always with measure, and especially to stimulate flowering.
It is advisable to use specific fertilizers for cacti and succulents in the months of March to September and always apply them on the moistened substrate (soil), respecting the dose and frequency indicated in the purchased product.
Curiosities:
This plant has a characteristic that is very peculiar, the stems are covered with fine aerial roots of reddish-brown color and appear very dense at the foot of the stem once it runs out of leaves.
This succulent has fairly slow growth.
In conclusion
The Adromischus Cristatus is plant does not need large maintenance, you just have to be careful with the number of times we water it since the succulents do not need a big watering.
You only have to water them a little when the land is completely dry and in winter a couple of times a month.
It is important that although we have this plant inside our house or office, put it in a place where it receives sunlight.
And if they are careful with watering the plant, they will not have to worry about the pests, since they usually appear because of the accumulation of water in the substrate.