Adenium with mushy bottom

I have a large adenium, the bottom is about 5 or 6 inches in diameter and I noticed this past weekend it had brown mush around the very bottom of the exposed part. Is it beyond saving? The top is putting out new leaves. I think it got overwatered in the downpour last week.

Don't feel badly....I am sitting near Corpus christi and did the same with mine....it was giant last summer in a 22" clay pot. It is now mush....then, to make matters worse, i sent 3 people smaller ones I had picked up at home depot....I know of 1 who has already contacted me and did the same with hers....2 days in the rain did it in. I also found out from an asian lady friend that I shouldn't have cut mine back last month. She keeps hers out of the rain and inside unless it is a sunny day......she didn't cut back at all and hers has leaves everywhere at the tip of the long branches that looked like they needed trimming....LIVE AND LEARN (lol) I am going to give it until summer before i throw it away...

Take the plant out wash it off. Cut the Mushey part off past the mush to plain white root. Leave the plant out of the dirt until the cut area is calused fully--maybe two weeks or more. You will not hurt this plant this way. If you put it in dirt before the spot covers itself it can rot more get funguses etc. prune any ugly unwanted branches off at this time as well. The leaves most likely fall off but it's ok. replant it and just keep it moist thru the summer months and water only once or so in the dormant time of the year. If you are in the southern states it may take a bit more water in those months depending on your outsid temps. These will rot when kept wet and around 50' or lower. Dryer in the winter and water it accordingly in the summer.
If it's a plant you only look at sometimes and don't care for much put it in a area where it doesn't get to much water by rain. They like part sun and part shade again depending where you live. Don't fear cutting this plant. If you want it to survive it will. Get rid of the mush or it will creep all the way up and well, dead plant, no need for this though. Just do it, you'll see, it will thank you.

Thank you so much Katty1. I will trim it up this evening. We put all of the adeniums on the covered patio for the winter, but since the temps are in the upper 70's to 80's now, we put them outside. Then it rained and they got soaked. I'll move them under the eaves of the house so the rain doesn't get on them.

Katty1, thanks for the good info about trying to save a rotted caudex. I hope I don't have to tackle that, but you never know...and now I won't be quite as intimidated about the prospect of doing so.
Sheri

Your welcome, never be afraid of cutting these plants to save them. They are kind of funny in someways.. So easy to kill with to much water but yet you can cut the heck out of them and they come back by growing new roots. One thing to remember, they do grow slow when making new roots. You look at them from the top and wonder when they are coming back -somethimes it's not until the next year BUT at least you have saved the plant. Just don't over water thinking it will help this plant. Best thing to do is don't forget them. Sometimes you can kill with kindness-this is one of those plants. I now look at these deert roses in two ways 1st for me is developing a real nice caudex 2nd branches and flowering tops. Really the whole picture but I see two different parts of the plant, feed the flowers but relax trying fast growth because of the caudex. Sorry so long, I could talk about these forever! :)

This message was edited Mar 23, 2007 9:26 AM

It is now drying in the shade with some plumeria cuttings. I use the "porch" of the cat condo(my friend, whom I spend a lot of time with, thought my cats needed a multilevel house with porches and it makes a great spot for drying things). He loves the adeniums and felt terrible that we left that one out in the rain. It had a huge caudex and I had to cut most of it off to get to the white part. I'll let you know how it does.

Yikes, I just caught you good advice, Katty1.....going to do what you said right now!!!!!!

I've planted it, it has new growth and is doing great!! Thanks for saving my plant Kathy.