How much to fertilize, when to and what type of adenium fertilizer should you use? There has been plenty written about how to fertilize your desert rose plants and what mixture. There is no one correct single answer. Some people say to use 20-20-20 or miracle grow with good ok results. However, the answer is a question: What is your current desert rose plant growth cycle and what is the age? Is it a mature plant 5yrs plus? Seedlings? or a young 2..4 year old plant? Depending upon the stage of development and the amount of water the plant received will determine what you should use to growing your adenium plant.
Presently, we use a 7-7-7 time released fertilizer for our desert rose plants that are 3+ years old. This gives them enough fertilizer to promote growth and enough nitrogen (not a lot) for strong flowers buds. The only liquid we use is to supply micro-nutrients once a month during growing season for the adenium hybrids. Adeniums are desert plants. Yes, they are succulents, however, they like frequent water! They are more tropical in their growing patterns.
We do not fertilize seedlings at all until the desert rose plants are 6 months year old with a caudex of 1/2″ or more. At that time we use a 8-9 month time released fertilizer to help prevent elongation of the adenium plant trunk and grow fatter roots. In addition we use Dyna-Gro Grow liquid fertilizer to make sure they get the micro nutrients they need. Yes, we do others things to make the adenium roots fatter (cropping, plenty or water,etc.)
Why do we use time released for the desert roses? Time released fertilizer does not shock the plants, it gives us more relief from frequent adenium care and out plants get tons of water here in south Florida so liquid fertilizer gets wasted out too fast!
One more thing , we do dip our plants roots in a Dyna-Gro K-L-N for 30 minutes when re-potting. The nutrients and micro-minerals in Dyna-Gro K-L-N really give the plant a boos. On adenium plants received from Thailand (95% leafless bare root plants) the growth hormone to makes the plants burst out with leaves fast. We sue to use Superthrive but Dyna-Gro have more complete micro-minerals needed and the adeniums just do better.
Sir, please tell me correct way to crop and make my adeniums canopy dense. I am from India and its the start of summer here.
Please watch my adenium from this link: https://s.yimg.com/hd/answers/i/8b47b40ba697450c8e34073a40f77abe_A.jpeg?a=answers&mr=0&x=1429545385&s=7565615a51b46063484e53290fbb1464
Please help me sir i’m totally perplexed about its care.
the link says unauthorized.
Hi! I am new to growing adeniums and am a bit confused on which fertilizer to use. I used a slow release fertilizer on my adenium for the first time last week. The ratio is 14-14-14. I don’t know how old the plant is but it seems the fertilizer is having a good effect on the plant. I wanted to know if I can also use a liquid fertilizer at certain times in combination with the slow release fertilizer. I also soaked the roots in superthrive before repotting. Can I continue to use superthrive when I water the adenium? Hope you can help me!
Yes – we use time released 7-7-7 and Dyan-Grow and Dyna-Bloom. The time release does not have all the micro nutrients the plants need. On the search on top of this blog put in fertilizer and hit enter. Many articles on it.
Hi. Please I need opinion, lots of people say that young Adenium plants, seedlings needs 11-50-11 fertilizer, and when it starts making flowers than it should be 15-14-12 or similar, what do you think about that?
Please help
We use 7-7-10 time released (growing out doors) and Dyna-Gro grow and Dyan-Gro tekt. on all our seedlings and they grow great. 15-14-12 is way to high for adeniums. I would concentrate on plant strength Dyna-Gro Tekt (one a month) and then use Dyna-Gro-Grow 7-9-5
I live in India. Can you please make a table showing adenium age and with this the ratio of fertiliser? This will be a good help.
Fertilizer ratios are not based on age. Its based on size of plant, your growing environment, your watering and the soil. It would take hundreds of hours of research to compile the information needed to product a chart and the chart would be huge which is beyond the scope of this blog.
how often you apply 13-13-13 time released fertilizer on desert rose plants that are 3+ years old? How many times per month and when?
We do not use 13-13-13. We use 7-7-7 13-13-13 is too strong for adeniums. I would use it spareling
Can i use a 30-10-10 fertilizer its a fast release foliar fertilizer
Its not the right balance for a bloom formulation. The First number is way too high. The 2nd number should be higher. We use 3-12-6 (Dyna-Gro Bloom)
What about a 15-30-15 ?
Maybe if you dilute it to 1/2 strength but then it will need more phosphorus.
i only have 14-14-14 ,15-30-15,and 30-10-10 fertilizers availble for me to use ,15-30-15 and 30-10-10 are fast release liquid fertilizers.I am not sure about the 14-14-14 but it is the ramgo plant nutrition complete fertilizer, It does not say if its a fast release or not . I am also not sure on how much and how to apply it.
All liquid is fast release. None of the ones you have are bloom formulas. If anything dilute the 14-14-14 to 1/2 strength as a general fertilizer but it will not promote blooms. Also, the brand you are using is missing key micro nutrients.
How do i dilute the 14 14 14?
It its time released you can not dilute it. Otherwise add water.
I have a large number seedlings less 2 weeks old. They are growing inside under grow lights for about 14 hours a day and are almost too tall for their (plastic) greenhouse. Im in South Florida but I intend to grow them inside until they are much larger. At what age should I start using Dyna-gro-tekt & Dyna-gro-grow?
We wait until 6 weeks only before adding more nutrients or when transplanted.
Hello, I see in this tread, above says you don’t fertilize until 6 months, but right above says wait until 6 weeks to add more nutrients? I have seedlings that are 11 weeks old. They look healthy, but are tall and skinny. I have them inside my house in a greenhouse like rack, in a window in Louisiana. In 35% Cactus soil & 65% Perlite. I wanted to see if I can give them anything soon (fertilizer, etc) to get them fatter or do I need to start bringing them outside? I’m not sure what my next move should be and when. Please help and thank you so much for such great information!
On seedlings 6 months and then every 6 week is what we do on adeniums.
where can i purchase 7-7-7 time released fertilizer? ilove in florida. thanks
We offer it on our site http://www.adeniumrose.com – time released fertilizer
Is there a regimen that you can recommend for shifting between dyna-grow and dyna-grow bloom? I have three young plants (probably <2 years). After I received them from the nursery, they all budded out, then dropped their buds. I want to get them back on track with good foundational growth to prepare them to bloom again, but am not sure of the best fertilizer approach for doing this. Thanks!
We only use bloom before the growing season starts until see see flower buds. Then we switch to dyna-gro Grow diluted until after flowering then regular strength.