Help with Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum)

[JScott]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I'm also doing my first go-round growing Desert Rose. Mine still has leaves, and as long as it does I'm going to keep doing just as I've been doing. (Small clay pot, well draining potting soil, drench/drain, then water again in about a week once soil is dry.) And keep it at minimum 68-70F in strong light. If it starts to lose its leaves, I'll let it go dormant for rest of winter. We'll see what happens as the winter progresses... never grown one before, so Winter #1 should provide some answers here.

Yes, WaterWitchin, I agree with you. I keep watering as long as the plant is growing, letting it dry completely between watering. Sometimes they drop their leaves, sometimes not. If the leaves start to drop, I stop watering entirely. Mine are currently still small enough to go under my T5 light fixtures, and with high light, they may continue to grow all winter, I don't know. The great big one I used to have back in the day would lose its leaves when it came inside for the winter and didn't get nearly as much light. Less light may be what triggers leaf loss and semi-dromancy.

---------- Post added at 03:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------

I wish Kim from Fair Orchids would chime in here. He's like an Adenium obesum guru. Maybe even an Adenium obesum god, or at least an Adenium obesum seraph.

The ones I have now, I got from him from his breeding program, and they are growing like mad. They were seedlings barely two inches tall when I got them about three months ago, and they are easily six or eight inches tall now, and getting nice and fat around the base. I bet he would have some good information to share.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Cathytran

Thank you everyone for your great advice!
I just unpotted today and checked the roots and the soil under. No rotten sign and the soil is looking dry.
I see some new tiny leaves growing. So l will not water throughout the next few months per your advice.
Hopefully next time when I post again, the plant will have flowers blooming 😉
Cathy

That's good news. I would repot into fresh medium, but not water yet. Let it stay dry for a few days so any damage to the roots seals over.

If you can keep it good and warm, and brightly lit through the winter, you can water it in a few days. Let it get dry between waterings in the winter. It does better if it doesn't dry completely between waterings in the summer.

If you can't keep it both good and warm, and brightly lit, don't water it. Let the leaves drop off and it will grow when it warms up.

If it's big enough, and kept brightly lit, it might flower this winter. A lot of the ancestor material is winter flowering, so many hybrids will flower in the winter.

These are very late to leaf out when it warms up in the spring. Don't be tempted to try and nudge them by watering early. Wait until you are sure you see leaves forming. It might make flowers first; don't water for flower buds. Wait for new leaves.

[Fuerte Rav]

I hope Cathytran doesn't mind but I've got a Desert Rose Q and thought I'd add it to this post.

I have several large plants, both have plain red flowers. I'm lucky that in my climate they bloom all year outdoors. The only thing that sets them back from time to time is cochineal. They get a good spray of pesticide and soon recover though.

I collect the seed and get about 50% germination, sowing when the seed is very fresh. I'm quite happy with that success rate. All the young plants get given away - I just love the challenge of getting them started.

So, my question:
The latest batch of seeds are just germinating and one seedling is totally white - it was the first to emerge, about a week ago. Will this stand a chance of surviving? Is this something that occurs often?

[JScott]

Come on, Kim! Where are you? Adenium obesum is his jam. I got three tiny-tiny seedlings from him last year, probably right around a year agol. They were maybe two inches tall when I got them, and they're easily ten inches now, if not more. Kim knows Adenium obesum. I would love to hear his thoughts!

[estación seca]

The white seedling lacks chloroplasts and cannot make food. It will die when it uses all the food that was stored in the seed.

If you knew how to graft these you could graft it onto the tip of a normal plant. The normal plant would provide the sugars, and this would grow. They can be grafted. It takes knowledge and skill. You might find information online.

[Fuerte Rav]

The white seedling lasted about 2 more days and then keeled over - as expected.
No more have germinated in that batch but the five seedlings I have left all have 6 leaves apiece so I'm happy with their growth rate.

[WaterWitchin]

I'm pretty sure they're perfect for your environment, but what the heck do I know. A picture?

[Fuerte Rav]

My Adeniums are just starting their second flush of flowers for this year. Lots of seed pods from the first flush developing nicely!





5 of the seedlings from earlier in the year survived and are slowly gaining size - they teach patience, just like orchids:

[estación seca]

You can make money selling seed online. Look around.

[WaterWitchin]

How do you keep them so short Fuerte Rav? Mine just keep getting taller, and taller, and taller...