Happy holidays and have a great New Year! We have received several questions concerning adenium plant growing recently concerning problems and growing adenium seedlings. This past month we received questions about growing adenium seedlings now verses the proper time in the Spring. Unless you have a controlled environment (amount of day light, temperature, etc) now is not the best time to grow adenium seedlings.
In North America, most adeniums are in dormancy or very slow grow period. We start growing adenium plants from seeds in late February or early March.
Watering during the winter period
Adenium plants, even when they are dormant, need water and nutrients. In their natural environment adeniums go in to a semi-dormant period (slow grow the period) but not true dormancy as you may encounter. Water the plants once to twice a month depending upon your growing environment. Make sure all the excess water drains 100% and the soil is 100% dry between watering. If your pot does not have drainage holes – replace the pot. Putting a layer of rocks in a pot’s bottom with no drainage will not prevent root rot even if its a terracotta pot.
We use time released fertilizer during the winter months and once a month we use Dyna-Gro tekt to help the adenium plants to stay strong and have the ability to absorb nutrients. Desert rose plant start their new growth cycle in late February or March depending upon your location and amount of light the plant receives. As you water your desert rose plants the minerals in the soil are depleted so it’s important to replenish the nutrients.
I have 30 year old Desert Rose, can’t say that I have taken care of my plant perfectly but it has thrived. But now I noticed a soft spot with a yellow center cleaned it out with alcohol didn’t know what else to do. it is on the trunk of the desert rose. the desert Rose is about 2 feet tall and 10 inches around, I have it in a pot of soil that I hate to say it needs changing I won’t say how long that soil is been in there. It’s in what I might call a Japanese bonsai pot,15 Inch pot. it is my pride and joy it’s giving me many years of happiness I would hate to lose it. it has beautiful fuchsia flowers in the spring and summer. please help give me some advice of how to save her. Yes I called her a her?
I would check the roots for any rot. All rot must be removed. Monitor the area if any areas are soft remove the soft areas.
I have a adenium that’s pods have recently started splitting the first two pods I got 32 seeds I I planted them in varistle and watered from below I have a fluorescent light in them and nothing else I planted these Sunday December 21 and they have started germinating from the seed ( this is a good sign right )? Now my other four pods are splitting. I’m wondering should I try something different or keep doing what I’m doing the first two pods I did cut them after they split and let them finish drying for 24 hours but the others I was just going to let dry on the plant. Now I’m in Kansas City and my plant is inside…any advise would be great this is my first adenium and I have a pink one
Keep on during what works. Keep them warm and give them plenty of like.
I live in Kansas and last summer most of my desert roses bloomed great outside., but had very few leaves. The plants are very large 3ft or taller. They are currently inside in a very sunny room, and they are blooming again already, but hardly any leaves. What can I do to get the nice big full leaves back?
I would use Dyna-gro grow. it sounds like you are missing micro nutrients including silica which helps the plants adsorb the nutrients.
thank, I looked on line and there are several different kinds of Dyno Grow. What mixture do you recommend to get both leaves and flowers?
Dyan-Grow Bloom in early spring before you see flower buds and then Grow rest of year.
My Adium plant just moved across Canada and froze on the way. The branches are hollowed but the roots seem fine. I’m wondering the best way to revive it?
You will need to remove all frozen damaged branches because they will cause rot. If the roots are good then it should survive.
hi there – I live in South Florida. I have a desert rose in a pot. I’m getting lots of green leaves now. How often should I fertilize? Does it bloom for most of the year once it starts? I haven’t seen any flowers yet. Thank you!
They do not bloom all year. They are spring and early summer blooming plants in South Florida unless you force blooms using fertilizers. On this blog put in the search word fertilizer in the search area and you will see many articles on when and what to use. At the present time you should have time released fertilizer 7-7-10 or 7-7-7 and once a month use Dyna-Gro Grow on the adeniums to get the nutrients they need.
I have two adenium arabicum plants that I started from seed. The first couple of years they did well and one of them bloomed three years ago, but then I repotted them and they have been going downhill ever since. Now that I’ve found your website and all the good advice (there’s so much contradictory information out there) I’m going to amend the soil, use the Dyna Gro products, hopefully get them back on track. I have two specific questions. One, I cut back some of the branches and small sprouts came out of the nodes below the cuts, but the cuts themselves are hard and black. The sprouts are small and spindly. Should I recut or wait and see if the plants start growing again on the new regimen? Two, the poor plants keep trying to sprout leaves but the leaves never get longer than about an inch and then the ends turn brown and the leaf eventually dies. Is this a nutrient problem or a pest problem? I’ve tried spraying with insecticidal soap but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. I really want to save these plants!
Let them grow. You can cut off the branch tip once the small branches are established. It sounds like a nutrient problem or watering/nutrient problem.
Thanks!
After letting my adeniums dry out for a week, soaking in KLN, repotting in your soil recipe, feeding with Grow, the plants almost immediately started looking better and sprouted small leaves! But after almost three weeks the leaves have gotten no bigger. They are only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Some are turning brown at the ends. They are getting plenty of sun but the weather hasn’t been very hot here in the Mid-Atlantic and the nighttime temps are in the 60s. Is that the problem, or should I go back to KLN to help the roots? Try Pro-Tekt? The caudexes of both plants are nice and firm, no sign of rot.
The temps (where we grow the plants) in Southeast Florida at night is around 80 degrees and during the day 90-95 degrees with 100% humidity. Since your temps are way lower I believe that the desert rose plant may go into a semi-dormant (leaf drop) period until it adjust to your environment. I would water once a week for a couple weeks and then give it the Dyan-Gro or Bloom. Use the Tetk once a month during the growing season to give the plant silica which gives the plant the ability to absorb nutrients better and strengthen the overall plant.
The roots of the 2 adeniums suffered from being in soil that retained too much water. Once I had removed all the mushy roots, there wasn’t much left. I recently tried unpotting the smaller plant, removing more mush, then drying for a week, soaking in KLN and repotting in dry soil ( I will wait a week before using Grow). I had been alternating KLN and Grow to help the roots, letting the soil dry out quite a bit in between. I will order some Pro-Tekt. The Mid-Atlantic is expecting much hotter weather in the coming week-today the high temp is only 70 with rain. Not a very happy 4th of July. I hope my adeniums will feel better soon. Thanks for your help.
Many times root rot, no mater what you do, will continue to destroy the whole plant. I would use the Tekt once a month and Dyna-Gro grow every other week during the growing season. K-L-N is good for root development when you pot the plant and up-to 3 more weeks after re potting. However, once the plant is in soil over a couple weeks you need a more general mix with more nutrients for general overall health – Dyna-Gro Grow.
Please help. I am in Melbourne and my adenium has a soft trunk and yellow leaves. At first i thought it might be the seasonal leaf drop but now that i have notice the soft trunk i am very concerned. I have had it about 6 months. Was living fine outdoors in summer. Brought it indoors in May when temps dropped to 15 degree celcius over night. Only gets filtered window sunlight. Not sure how many hours per day.
What are the steps i need to do to save it?
Dont know how to attach a picture.
sounds like root or trunk rot. You will need to unpot the plant and check.
Hi there! I live in Los Angeles I have a desert rose plant that i was pretty much doing everything wrong with. After finally solving the mealy bug issue, giving it better drainage, more light and repotting It’s actually coming back to life but the new growth is only at the ends of the stem. The rest of the stem is bare. Do I need to just be patient and the rest of the stalk will fill in or should I have pruned it back?
growth with adeniums mostly happens at the end of the branches which is way you need to crop them but now is the wrong time of year to crop branches.