Category: Growing desert roses Adenium plants

It’s been a busy summer in the adenium and cactus nursery. We re-arrange the whole growing area and created new growing benches for the desert rose plants.  This past week we received another shipment of adenium plants form Thailand with several new adenium plant flower types.

The majority of the plants in the new shipment are the standard size ones (95%), but we did receive around 35 plants in a much larger size. All except for 12 of them required a 16″ pot due to their jumbo size caudex (several over 11″ across). These adeniums will not be offered until the flower.  The majority of the jumbo desert rose plants have several very thick branches – all multiple grafts on them.  Yes, a few are name plants we had in the past but to make sure we want to see them flowering. We will try to get the adeniums to flower early so they can be offered before Spring.

The standard size adeniums look great for the most part. Some will require cropping in the near future to force branching.  One of the 11 new types we received is already starting to flower so it will be listed very soon – it’s a new flower type called hiphop. It looks like the image we received from Thailand (image on the left)  will be about 85% accurate on this one. The hiphob desert rose plant  has a very distinct stripe on a white petal (it’s not fully open yet). The Thailand image shows more pink on the flower petal of the desert rose plant but with the same distinct stripe. yes, it’s a triple!

Mike,

The desert roses I bought from you just finished blooming. They were beautiful! The mystery plant bloomed a very pretty triple pink! I was so delighted that I took the chance.

I am thinking of pruning them. Should I do it now or wait for spring? I live in Chicago. And they are in a green house – happy and healthy.

How long after pruning can I fertilize?

Thanks!

Soledad

 

Q: I have a Desert Rose plant as a houseplant.  It gets a few leaves at the end of its branches, and before long they develop brownish yellow tips an fall off. Also some of the leaves are misshapen.  They have a curl to them.  I do not see any bugs on it.   I have had it for two years, and it just keeps going through the same cycle.  Sometimes it has no leaves at all, other times it gets leaves, only to drop them.   I have tried less water, more water, everything  to no avail.   Please help, I love this plant and want it to grow.

Thank you,  Janey

A: OK I will need more information to determine the possible cause of the leaves falling from your adenium plants. Since you have tried varying water schedules – when testing a problem you need to make the change for at least a month before you see results because  desert rose plants are slow growers. How much light do you give it? Is it filtered light (through a w window) or is it growing outside.  What’s it the growing temperature of the desert rose plant.  If the nights get into the 40’s then it may be causing the problem. Do you live in the North where you have hot days and cool nights?  Finally what type of cactus fertilizer do you use for your adenium plant. Too much nitrogen can cause problems.  Also, between watering does the adenium plants soil get totally dry?

This will be a short post of adenium plants we received late last week. The plants are going through the final sort and planting in to desert rose pots this week.  We did not receive many that we were expecting. However, we did receive over 240 desert rose plants that required 10″ to 12″ pots. These larger adenium plants have caudexes (circumference) of  16″ to 24″. Some are of know adenium flower types (phatuma pink. pink panter,  hasadee red, amazing, valentine, and others). However, we did get over 31 types that we do not know what the desert rose flower looks like nor did we receive images from Thailand. We are requesting images and we will post them once/if we receive the images. Some of the adenium plant types are single plants (only one of a particular desert rose plant name).

Also, received were standard size adenium plants of dang tealwada, ora bright, jareangtong and others new desert rose plants including yellow crazy which is one we tried to get in January but they were not ready.

New adenium plants in standard size are C. America, Wanda, Bella, and yellow crazy.  if you signed up to our website you will receive a special coupon soon to save on these desert roses and others.  Go to Epic Grower company’s website for new postings starting this weekend (if it stops raining) and if you have any questions please let us know.

This has been a busy week. AdeniumRose Company has received a shipment of adeniums (still being sorted by name).  What was supposed to be an order to 14 different types of adeniums (flower types) turned into an order with over 38 different types.  The growers in Thailand is not like American growers who you can trust to get what you ordered. Thailand adenium plant growers are not the most trust worthy bunch.

AdeniumRose Company has ordered from 4 different major growers in Thailand and they are all the same – order what you see based on images they send and hope what you get is 60% correct in the number of adenium obesum plants received and the flower types.  Anyway. expect several new varieties of flowers and some old favorites to be added to the AdeniumRose Company desert rose plant website. What is great about this order is that among the 600 plants received about 200 to 250 are larger plants with caudex circumferences of 18″ to 26″ in diameter (7″ to 10″ across).

This is were the many varieties come into play.  Instead of sending the ones ordered the growers sent a email saying that (after receiving the money) they can not send the larger adenium plants selected because they made a mistake in the adenium plants available for shipping. We only received a few of the desert rose plants ordered and then the Thailand desert rose growers selected plants random base on size and what they have in stock. Look for Adeniumrose website updates in the near future,

Questions:  I received my 3 pack adeniums desert rose plants and arrived in wonderful shape. I’m so pleased at how large they are already, with healthy leaves. I do have some questions about planting adenium plants:

1) Soil for desert soil plants; I;m mixing my own soil fro he adeniums. I plant to put rocks in the bottom. Do I layer the perlite & other soil, or mix it together first?

2) What’s the biggest size pot you would recommend for the desert rose plants? They are now 12″, 14″, 16″.

3) Is it better to water the desert rose plant from the top or bottom (ie; water tray)??

PS: I live in Michigan, so would I wait at least 1 week before putting outside?

I have had a previous adenium from another shop, but made the mistake of overwatering it. I plan to be more careful with them this time around, as I read your watering tips.

Answer:

I’m glad you like the adenium plants you received.  We do not recommend to use a water retention tray under the adenium pot. It will create humidity and possibly mildew which will cause root rot.  In our adenium plant nursery, we use overhead sprinklers because 1) it’s almost impossible to handle the number of plants any other way 2) South Florida is a tropical climate which means tons of rain and humidity during the summer so the desert rose plants are always getting wet. Over the past 48  day s our are received 4.9″ of rain already which is normal for the summer time – daily thunderstorms. We usually have to empty water out of our pool 1..2 times a week because of rain over flowing it (in ground pool).  However, it’s always better to try to keep the leaves dry to prevent standing water accumulate on the adenium leaves if possible.

Adenium plant pot size:  No more than 2″ beyond the adenium caudex size on each side. Shallow pots are bets fro desert roses . Use a bonsai pot.  Example: 8″ adenium caudex 10..12″ pot no more than 5..6″ deep.  As the caudex gets bigger (it takes time) replant it into a large pot.  No plastic.  All pots must have good drainage holes.

Soil for adeniums:  Perlite and soil mixed together. 70 to 80 percent perlite.  there are several articles on this blog about soil mixtures. Mixtures need to be adjusted bast on climate and rain/watering schedule.

Question: Hi my desert rose lost all of its leaves after I re-potted it.  The Caudex and the trunk are nice and firm/hard so I am not worried (yet).   The “soil” however is now bone dry because I read that watering a leafless desert rose is not a good idea,  if so, when should I water the adenium plant again?  Will the leaves just come back without me watering it?  By the way,  the plant is in a bay window that faces east.  I live in the Chicago area and it is still too cold to bring it outside.  i have only watered it once since I put it in its new pot.  Thank you.

Answer: When we receive desert rose plants from Thailand they are all 100%  leafless and dry. Sometimes the caudex are soft due to not having water for 2 weeks.  Then it take another week to get them all potted. Yes- we water them when they are leafless!

I’m not sure who told you not to water the adeniums when they are leafless -we do all the time so the will sprout new leaves. OK – this winter has been long and many of our adeniums didn’t sprout new leaves until last month. Our climate is always much warmer than   yours during the winter.  We do not get freezing days what-so-ever this year.  So I would recommend watering the desert rose plant twice a week making sure that it dries completely between watering. Also, did you dip the roots of the adenium obesum plant in super-thrive to give them a boost before you re potted it?   If you did not get some super-thrive (a little bottles goes a very very long way) and add some to water (Very little) and water the adenium plant with super-thrive once now and once in mid summer.

Hi,
I got my desert rose plants back in late 2012. I planted them as suggested by the sent info. They are alive, some of the leaves have fallen off as I  was told in the sent info. The trunk or body of plants are green and look well but STILL no leaves after all this time. It is planted in a clay pot with rocks at bottom and in cactus soil. I water once a week and it appears to drain well…. Am I doing something wrong??????? Right now some of the dead leaves are still on the trunk and has not fallen off yet..Trunks are green but no new growth.

Answer:  Where are you growing it?  How much light a day? Temperature?  In south Florida all ours now have new leaves now. Some of the adeniums didn’t get new leaves until a couple weeks ago because of the weather changing from warm to cool back to warm and then back to cool and now arm again.  We water them twice a week .

Reply: It sits in a sun room..windows face south and west. Temp at about 71. I’m living in Atlanta

Answer: OK – your adeniums growing season is about 1 month behind ours here in Miami  where the days are in the 80’s already and a bit longer since we are 700 miles south of you. . How many hours of light doe sit get (sun directly hitting the sun room).  As soon as it does not get below 50 at nite move them outside to get longer sunlight. Sun rooms are still filtered light. Or wait and I suspect that if you keep it in the sun room you can expect leaves and new growth in about 30 days as the room warms up.  Also, watering once a week is not enough in the spring which is desert rose plants growing season.  Did you use super thrive when you planted the adenium plants to give the roots a boost? If yes then you do not need to fertilize desert roses with time release until it gets at least 5 leaves or more.

Question: I am interested in putting desert roses and crown of thorns in a narrow garden with aloe, figs and other drought tolerant plants.  It is between a pool cage and a fence and has filtered to full sun all day.  I live in Palm Harbor Florida) within a mile of the coast.  Is my area too risky for these plants?  I do not want to have them as houseplants, needing to be brought in during winter.  Thanks Megan

A:  If your aloe is doing great so will adeniums plants and crown thorn plants. Your area of Florida very rarely gets freezing weather for  more than a few days (usual just  few hours a couple times a year) . I would place the euphoria (crown of thorns) towards the back because they get taller. They all like sun and dislike cold. I highly recommend that you get the right soil for adeniums, crown of thorns and other succulent plants which means only 10% soil, 10% to 15% coir and the rest perlite/rocks. Make sure the rocks are non-porous to prevent root rot and moisture retention.

When using perlite put a layer of rock on top of the soil to keep the perlite from rising to the top when you water or when it rains. Do not use standard potting soil for the adenium desert rose plants or other succulents especially that close to the ocean! Standard potting soil will retain water and the salt in the air.

Q: Hello, I just took my Desert Rose plant out of a pot that it has been in for 6 years. I know you can imagine what I saw. Anyway, I never knew adeniums plants had to be “lifted. So here I am with all of these roots and they are so pretty. However I am on my way in a little while to get a pot and soil. You read a million soil recipes for adenium soil things so maybe the nursery will be able to help me. But my question is this . I have the plant on its side with it’s newly exposed roots wrapped in wet paper towels. Is that ok? Or what do I do? If I could find an email address for you on this site I would send a picture of these roots!!!!!!!  I will go get ready and maybe by then you will have replied. I hope so. I had talked with a man long years ago and he told me to re-pot this when it broke it’s pot. I live in Baton Rouge and went to a plant show and Nursery was there and I was terribly mistaken about re-potting. Thanks for reading this. Sandra

A: yes, it is wise to expose more  adenium plant roots about once a year in the south parts of the USA where we get plenty of life and good growth.  There are several articles on soil mixture and most nursery who do not specialize in cactus or succulent plants give the wrong advice about adenium plants. The main thing to remember when selecting or mixing your soil is it has to have excellent drainage for adenium plants to grow without problems.  Please search this site fro several articles on soil fro adenium plants.