Adenium obesum = Desert Rose

[DirtyCoconuts]

its so funny how where one is located has so much to do with methods...E.S., i find the one thing that is a challenge about these plants is keeping them dry LOL

i supposed these are the benefits of first establishing that the desert and the swamp are having a conversation on the internet LOL

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

its so funny how where one is located has so much to do with methods...E.S., i find the one thing that is a challenge about these plants is keeping them dry LOL

i supposed these are the benefits of first establishing that the desert and the swamp are having a conversation on the internet LOL

Use more open potting mix. Mark Dimmitt uses mostly pumice so he can water/fertilize more often, almost daily,

[DirtyCoconuts]

they are in pumice and perlite with a little peat...the issue is the rain vs sun, they don't want the trouble of all that rain but they really love the sun. I have tried to get most of them under the eaves so they don't get the full deluges but they still get max light


also, the two big ones are all well over 150lbs without any mix so they will just stay where they are LOL

[Fairorchids]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

Word. Does it matter the season or growth period?

I think that anything that is not fully dormant will work.

[WaterWitchin]

Okay, so I got a little one from DCoconuts, and kept it alive this summer, and it's doing well. My son in law admired them (also a plant nut) so I got a few for him from Kim to give as a Christmas present. And of course a couple more for me, so they would have friends.

Several of the ones from Kim were dormant when received, but then started putting out leaves again so I repotted and started watering. All have leaves now except for one.

Now I'm dangerously confident and ready to experiment. I read a bunch on how to prune and/or fatten the caudal, and of course a couple of obligatory YouTube videos. I really want to prune the top of at least one or two of mine to make side branches get thicker, etc. I'm not brave enough yet to prune a root. Do I really just slice off the part I'm pruning above a joint? It seems so.... scary. Only because I've never grown them before. I can prune away a peach tree or hydrangea or even orchid like there's no tomorrow.

From what I read, fall/winter is a good time to do this but spring or summer are also okay. These are definitely not dormant right now. And may not go dormant, because I'm babying them. And shall I just put a cinnamon paste on the wound? Can I keep the part I cut off and root it? Presume just put into a perlite-ish mix and keep watering as long as it doesn't drop leaves? It looks rather like a jade, where you let the cut dry for awhile before sticking it back in?

I'd like some advice from folks I know and trust who actually grow them, instead of following the unknown folks who like to write articles and/or make videos. Thanks in advance!

[estación seca]

You can prune but realize they're slow growers. If humidity is under 50% I wouldn't bother treating the stumps with powdered sulfur (sold as flowers of sulfur) or cinnamon.

They're not easy to root and the nicer hybrids tend to be even harder. That's one reason they're sold grafted; the other is a lot of cuttings won't develop the fat trunk. I know good growers who get about 50% of plainer types to root.

If you're serious about trying, wait to prune until it's hot and humid again. Prune, dip in rooting hormone and let the cut dry for a few days in warm shade. Set in pumice or large gravel so only a centimeter is below the surface. You may need to stake cuttings. Put in bright shade. Water frequently but wait to water until the rooting zone is dry. They may make top growth before they root. The gentle wiggle test lets you know whether they've rooted.