Q: I purchased nine adeniums Nov 2013. All were in great shape. I planted them up and have had them indoors in front of a window and all have stayed dormant with very little watering. But one Dang Dream has begun to rot from the top down to near the caudex now. I lifted it out of the soil to see if the roots are effected and they are in good shape. Can I save the plant at this stage or will it continue to rot. This is all new to me and certainly may have caused this problem.
Answer: It’s call tip rot and doesn’t happen usually in the winter on adeniums unless they get too cold. I wish you caught it before it progressed down towards the caudex. It can be caused by too much cold and/or too much moisture on the leaves/branches with not enough light. You need to get rid of all the rot. Many times the desert rose plants will survive even if you go down to the caudex area. Did you use superthrive before planting? By any chance do you have a lamp near the plants? Maybe give the adenium plants a boost (more light) – get a growing light on eBay for a few dollars and give them stronger light if you can so they leaf out. What part of the country are you in? If you are in the north where you get freezing temperatures then the window maybe too cold for too long for the adenium plants. Once the adeniums are established in an area (go through one good growing season) they have less problems.