Hi All,
My husband and I picked this up at a local Farmer's Market this weekend. We were told it was a Desert Rose. Never seen anything like it....but it blooms and takes our heat, so I'm happy.
This was fairly expensive.....but it's a large plant with dozens of branches.....are they normally expensive?
I put it outside in full sun, and after not raining here for a month, it promptly rained. Will it be OK?
Thanks.
Beautiful Obesum (im assuming)
Id expect to pay about $150.- for one that size
So maybe we got a deal. We paid $85.
I don't want the rain to kill it the first day here. Can it live outside in the rain? It's still warm.....71 degrees.....so it won't be cold.
Nice Adenium - and congratulations.:-)
71 F is a bit on the low side. The plant should never be allowed to "sit in" saturated/water-logged soil over night (especially if the temperature drops below 70 F). The soil should be only slightly moist over night (not bone dry in the growing season). However, Adeniums take a fair amount of water when the weather is hot and sunny. I water daily when the temperature goes above 80 F, and I always water my Adeniums (and other caudiciform plants) early in the morning to let the plants soak up the water during the day.
You might consider pruning it to promote branching (and therefore flowering). In my opinion, It's a bit on the leggy side (or it will soon be).
Best regards,
Martin
This message was edited Jun 30, 2008 8:51 AM
It's already warmed up to 76 degrees. 71 was when it was raining. Highs this week in the mid to upper 90s.
It is planted in a fast draining cactus mix, and should dry out quite fast come morning. Should I move it to a covered area that would not get rained on? It would have less sun, but still lots of heat.
Pam
They grow in the desert
If its hot and you water them they will drink it up.
Constant Wet feet are a no-no
They like well balanced fert like 10-10-10
I always feed weak
In the winter beware of watering
I let mine go almost dormant for 6 weeks then only a spray of water on the plant if it has leaves
If its naked it gets none
They rot easily if you arent careful
Id set up a winter storage area with lights heat and fans to be safe.
Very nice ;)
Upper 90s? That's hot. I live in a more temperate climate with temperatures almost never going above 85 F. Here I always protect my plants from rain - I am not sure in your case.
Another thing: With 90+ temperaures you could end up "cooking" your rootbound Adenium in direct sunlight. So I guess a little shade wouldn't hurt.
Best regards,
Martin
The grower said to bring it inside for the winter and put it in a bright spot since it will bloom.
Or we have a greenhouse.
This is Texas, Martin, it gets very hot here. This year we bypassed the 80s completely....went from the 70s right to the 90s and have stayed there since May.
I have some pots I have to water twice a day!!
Morganc, geez, I wouldn't survive a single day there!;-)
-- Martin
weve had 2 heat waves in Philadelphia this year already
Temps above 90 degrees for 3+ DAYS each time
The adeniums needed it to 'wake up' and get the boost they seem to desire each year here.
Our season is so short I think without the heat waves they would do poorly here.
That's a really nice plant, a very good deal you got. Unfortunately, you're going to need another one to keep it company....
If it just takes some heat to "wake up" this plant.....then I'm in good shape. We've got heat to spare!
As for plant company...........for now I'll just introduce him around.
So far, the rain did not hurt him, and he's still blooming.
While in the growing phase you wont see damage from watering or rain unless it sits in water too long
Your soil sounds fast draining and I dont think youll have any problems only growth lol!
YEAH!!!!
Thank you everyone.
I agree with Martin --you should trim it back since you'll soon get many more flowers that way. Look for guidance in other posts on how to prune.
Another part of the adenium aesthetic you might want to pursue involves tending a bit to the caudex itself. Yours looks plenty healthy, but compared to many plants I've seen that are closely cared for by experts --I do not include mine or me in this-- it looks rather unkempt with so many roots dropping from various points well above the soil. I perceive a consensus, and feel myself, that the most appealing adenium appearance is a much more trimmed-up look, with few loose outside roots, but instead a simple, smooth curvaceous caudex. I know that those roots of yours, the 1/4" to 1/2" thick cords, dropping down and running atop one another over the main surface can be trimmed back without harming the plant --always use a sterilized and very sharp knife. The scars will heal and cover themselves quite quickly, and to my taste, you'll have a more attractive plant.
If I were you, I would also lift the plant ever further out of the soil, an inch or so at a time, to expose a more and more "full-figured" caudex --plenty of roots will still extend down into the soil from whatever small part of the caudex is left in contact with, or slight beneath, the soil surface. The most shapely adeniums I've seen are those with a relatively small circumference in contact with the soil (and not very much of the caudex actually below the surface) and a nice, smooth bulbous shape fully exposed, with some prominent "flow" and shapely intersections of component surfaces anad elements.
So much for my own preferences --you have a winner plant in any case.
In the picture attached you can see one of mine that a.) is very much a work in progress, b.) got very leggy at one point, and is probably still suffering from my highly inexpert pruning (I think I should have cut more back --I was too cautious) and c.) is probably about ready to be loosened, lifted another inch up out of the soil and reset onto the surface, to make the "Rubenesque" caudex that much more amusing.
This message was edited Jul 1, 2008 10:52 PM
This message was edited Jul 1, 2008 10:52 PM
This message was edited Jul 2, 2008 6:59 PM
Wow....that is a big plant. Mine looks like a baby compared to yours. How old is it?
Not sure how old --I've had it almost two years. It was given to me loose of any soil with nary a branch. I carried it over from the main island in a plastic grocery bag, along with a huge amount of luggage. THe thing got so beat up on the way, I thought it would surely just die. All I did was set it down into a nice soild mix and leave for two months. Came back and lots of branches and come out and it was rooted solidly. I have since put it in the ground, where it finally bloomed, first time about a year ago. DW does not appreciate the thing at all, but if I can get it to bloom heavily, she will come around.
Well, these plants are definately tougher than I thought if yours could take all that.
I think I'll quit worrying about it, and just enjoy the blooms.
lol Gorgeous both indeed
Very nice
Here's a low quality video I did last year on hard pruning Adenium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INeoGvCkepo
The heat and rain combo in your area shouldn't be a concern as long as it is in full sun for most if not all of the day, and it's in well draining soil, and the pot has good drainage. This is the time of year they can gobble up water, and bulk up quickly.
Don't be concerned about the heat. They're native to Kenya and it's surrounding countries. Texas, even Brownsville, is a break from the heat.
:-)
Do quit worrying about it, until a frost comes. Then bring it in. In the mean time, you can get 2 hard prunes out of it this year, and 3 next year. Once those buds are done, give it a trim, and it will flush again in about 6 weeks in your area. You can do it again at the end of August, and have another nice flush towards the end of October.
Good luck. They're fun and addictive.
Chris
Oh good............another addiction!!!!!!!!!!
:-)
Nice video Chris
I enjoyed many more adenium videos when I got to you tube
The Thailand Adenium contest is to die for man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cCwaft-Nm8&NR=1
Copy and paste the addy if it doesn't link.
and BTW ...
I cant imagine throwing out cuttings lol!!
I root every one of em and give them away as gifts
Or I graft them into my plants.
Well done Chris
A set of instructional videos in English with detail is needed.
Thanks for making the effort and doing it right
You guys are the best
My Euphorbias are exploding man...
Thanks for great Plants and hand selecting my special requests
Ill be in touch for more no doubt lol!!
Im starting around 300 Adeniums seeds this week. Sheeesh!! ^^
New varieties or graft stock lol!!
Keep up the good work my friend.
This message was edited Jul 4, 2008 2:08 AM
I have never pruned my DR. If I understand the video, I can still prune it since I am in a warm climate, yes? I'm a little nervous....
Yes. In your area you can still safely prune until about the 1st of August. On the ones that I try to go really gaudy with, I'll prune 3x per year, with the last one being mid August for a mid to end of October flush.
Chris
I pruned all of mine last summers end and this year all but 2 are flowering now
1 or 2 weeks till they open up
