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Venerable Adeniums

Pagan
11 years ago

Brian is right, this should be a separate thread---for starters it will be easier to search for when you cant sleep and want to look at cool adeniums.

Here is mine, the first adenium I have ever owned:

{{gwi:339977}}

It's been in the house for a looooong time (three months lol). It arrived looking like a strange root of ginger. I have only ever known adeniums and plumerias as some sort of flowery trees and shrubs. Imagine my shock when I found out there is an entirely new dimension to this plant.

I would love to see everyone's oldest adeniums.

Pagan

Comments (25)

  • 54641210d
    11 years ago

    Here it is!

    {{gwi:339978}}

    Haha, technically my "oldest" adenium as it was the first to sprout. Not very venerable though.

    Josette

  • rcharles_gw (Canada)
    11 years ago

    This is one of my first Adeniums. Labeled 'Somalense',
    but the verdict is still out until we see a bloom.
    Either way I really like this plant.
    Took a photo of it this afternoon as I have just pruned it and thought it might be more appealing prior.
    The other older ones have been pruned and do not want to post at this time.

    {{gwi:339979}}

    Rick

  • MRI_Guy
    11 years ago

    Good looking plant Rick! I pruned one of mine yesterday...

    Scott

  • rcharles_gw (Canada)
    11 years ago

    Scott, it is going to take me some time to get used to this pruning. I hate cutting them, but between this forum, group and one I pruned one branch back earlier on. It is getting a tad bit easier.
    Marie's and Brian's look pretty darn nice. So, here is hoping.
    Rick

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Hi folks, here are my 3 best efforts so far. They are seed grown as are all my Adeniums and these oldest ones of mine were planted in February '08. The first one shown has been slow to break and was the only one to have lost all it's leaves in the 'unmentionable incident' in Nov. I'm pleased to say that it has now developed several growth points again, so should now be OK. the other two are also pushing out lots of new growth but it's slow....I can cope with that though.
    Gill from the UK.

    {{gwi:339980}}

    {{gwi:339981}}

    {{gwi:339982}}

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Why do some posts go right over to the far right hand side of the page I wonder? I find it very annoying!
    Gill from the UK.

  • Pagan
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Whoa, Gill. Various superlatives come to mind. The branching on that second one is awesome. Rick's example has a similar concept going. Was that a coaxed habit or do they normally do that?

    Thanks for adding the pen for scale, too, Gill. I, for one, needed that because I have no sense of how big they get. The only adenium I've seen in person is the first one I bought online.

    Josette, my seedlings are probably only a few days older than yours lol Venerable-to-be!

    Pagan

  • rcharles_gw (Canada)
    11 years ago

    Gill,
    Those are absolutely wonderful and I wanted to start and say my favorite is,
    but I can't. They all have real character and what a marvelous job growing these from seed.
    I hope that I can show some of mine at this age.
    I agree with Pagan, that the use of an object really gives one more of a sense actual size.
    I wonder if the size or where the written/photo's appear has something to do with the size in which the photo's are sent?
    Thanks for sharing Gill.

    Not meaning to be nosy, but I have not seen Karyn on lately. Hope all is well with she and family. Maybe in Florida.
    Rick

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Hello again, the multi-branched one has only had its leader pinched back just the once, as have the other 2 as I prefer them to look that way rather than tall and thin. It causes me a few problems to be honest as it has so many branches and laterals, it's hard to make sure there are no bugs on the leaves when its in full foliage mode!! There are even more new buds pushing out this season by the looks of it. I guess that because they have been grown relatively hard, they are more compact?? They have all lost a round 1/2 cm off several branches this time as the tips dried out and just snapped off cleanly. These 3 plants are all from the same batch of seed, it was just plain old pink Ad.obesum seed from ebay. Hopefully I will get a flower one day! They will soon be ready for their annual re-pot and lift-up, and looking back at last years pics it's surprising how they have expanded their caudexes, you don't realise till you look back and compare.
    Thanks for your kind comments!
    Gill from the UK.

  • MRI_Guy
    11 years ago

    Gill - those are some awesome looking plants! Are they all Arabicums? The 2nd and 3rd I'm sure are, but not sure about the 1st one...

    Scott

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Hello Scott, as mentioned above, they were bought as ordinary pink flowered obesums. Maybe it's because they have been grown hard in less than favourable conditions that gives them the more compact and stubby look more often associated with the arabicums?
    Gill from the UK.

  • Pagan
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi folks. What does "grown hard" mean, exactly? Does that mean less water and feeding but a lot of sun? Or less of everything, including pot size; maybe an occasional harsh word?

    And Gill, what does that mean "pinched back"? I can pinch the top when young and it branches out that way? I want to experiment but I don't want to go squishing too early. My seedlings are less than a month old at this point.

    Pagan

  • kodom087 z9a
    11 years ago

    Great pics, everyone! I'll post my oldest later today. I had recently did a hard pruning and it's just now starting to put out new tiny branch buds. So exciting!

    Pegan, growing hard does mean exactly that. Less water, feeding and tighter pots but still a lot of sun. They grow a bit slower but it also means that the caudex develops more fat over time from what I understand. For my seedlings I'm doing the opposite. I'll start growing them hard next year. Just experimenting any way.

    I have some seedlings that are now about 5 months old. I'm going to do some experiments on a couple of them. One of which I pinched the top off about a week ago to see if that'll help force branching. I'll be posting some updates on my seedlings later today as well. Hope this info helps.

    Kirk

  • kodom087 z9a
    11 years ago

    Pegan, you may find this link useful.

    Kirk

    Here is a link that might be useful: Adenium Culture: Producing Large Specimens Quickly MARK A. DIMMITT

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Hi Pagan, yes 'growing hard' does mean just as Kirk says, but I will add that here in the UK we only have a very short growing season, and we tend to not get a lot of sun unfortunately. My plants do get watered and fed regularly but not as much as if they were in a tropical area and they live in the sunniest windows we have...south facing. Our average summer temps in my area I would say are mid 20'sC, occasionally getting to high 20's, rarely into the 30's. It's more often lower than higher. We can also get a lot of rain so I do not put them outdoors, they just have to look at the sun through the window or from the confines of the greenhouse!

    'Pinched back', mmmh, can best be described as pinching out the soft tip growth point with your thumbnail and forefingernail. I usually let mine grow to around 3-4 inches tall before I do it, or if one seems to be just heading for the sky. Some branch freely without it. It's pruning in its earliest stage really, but without needing a knife or such as the growth is so soft. It will force out new branches from the leaf joint (nodes) below, well that's the aim anyway! Hope this helps.
    Gill from the UK.

  • Pagan
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hey Kirk, that was actually one of the first sites I read at length before I decided to try growing adeniums from seeds. But it was missing the information I wanted about pinching which I had never heard of before. I'd like to see the 5-month old seedlings that you pinched, though!

    From your pictures, Gill, the branches grow out more "naturally" without the abrupt and blunted look of pruning? Sun? What is this "sun" of which you speak? It's been so long since I saw it last, I cant remember what it looks like lol And yesterday, there was hail. It was like rock salt falling from the sky. Very noisy.

    I have 7 obesum seedlings (out of 8 sown) and 3 arabicum (out of 10!) seedlings. I want them all to look like hydra (the animal, not the chthonic water beast or the Marvel group). I think I shall be pinching them all muah-hahaha.

  • kodom087 z9a
    11 years ago

    Here are some shots of my oldest obesum. The first is a picture from last year. Then the other two shots are from about 10 min ago with a tape measure for an idea in size. I've had this adenium about 5-6 years. It's been hard grown for the most part. I'm guessing it was about 1-2 years old when I got it.

    {{gwi:339983}}

    After a hard pruning about a month back.

    {{gwi:339984}}

    {{gwi:339985}}

    Pagan, that link is actually out of that book "Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance" and I just got my copy about 3 weeks ago. Well worth the investment.
    About to post new pics of my seedlings I mentioned this morning. I'll start a new thread for them as the other thread topic is getting rather long. But I'll link the older topic for reference. :)

    Kirk

  • ladylotus
    11 years ago

    Kirk,

    Your adenium is gorgeous. I really like the caudex on it. Very interesting. I also like how you pruned leaving the one side a little longer for a very pleasant look. Very nice.

  • kodom087 z9a
    11 years ago

    Thanks, ladylotus!

    This is my generic pink one. I forgot to post this pic of some of the branching that's starting to happen. Just took pic of one stem but they all are budding.

    {{gwi:339986}}

    And here is a shot with my 2 new ones I was gifted last fall. One is Rak ni ran (far left). A triple layer deep red color with almost black edges. The other is double.Tang Dark Blood (far right) - This is a dark red with almost black edges. Yes, I love red! LOL
    {{gwi:339987}}

    The one in the little black pot is a root cutting off my big one where it had started to get a little rot between that root and the caudex early last year. So I decided to try to save the root as an experiment to see if it'd produce branches. It's still alive and it is sending out some new growth this spring but I can't tell if it's going to branch or not just yet. If not I plan on attempting some grafting on it. Figure why not. Better than nothing, right?

    Kirk

  • longaeva54
    11 years ago

    I will show what I have , no flowers yet.
    From left Adenium Somalense v. Nova and adenium Siam charming
    {{gwi:339988}}

    I bought it as Adeium Obesum?? , maybe Arabicum.
    {{gwi:339989}}

    From left Adenium obesum Purple Rain ,Siam Yellow,Fragrant and bonanza
    {{gwi:339991}}

  • Pagan
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kirk, that adenium is a supermodel, it's unspeakably photogenic--from the wide base to the rising branches. It had the golden ratio all over it. Don't forget to show us what it looks like after growing back some leaves, post-pruning.

    My first ever adenium (pictured on the first post) is a Rik ni Ran as well--now recovering from being depotted by Catzilla here. Considering the trauma of being shipped to me in the middle of winter, moving from pot to pot (it's practically ambulatory, thanks to the aforementioned Catzilla), I'll be apoplectic if it flowered this year. I'm considering bolting it to the window shelf.

    How old are yours, longaeva54?

  • kodom087 z9a
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Pagan! I see your Rik Ni Ran also has the funny heart shaped leaves. Makes it a little more interesting. I've not seen mine bloom as of yet since it was sent to me last fall so I'm super excited to see it bloom this cycle. I plan on doing some grafting from it and the other one since they are the only two I have that are not the generic pink. Eventually I'll want to do some trading when I have enough stock built up. :)

    Here is a picture from last year of my generic pink from the other side I thought you'd like to see. I think someone said it looked like a frog doing yoga in another thread. LOL
    {{gwi:339993}}

    Something chewed into this part of the root 2 years back. I think it was a red wasp as they love chewing woody things to build their paper nests. I have been worried that it'd eventually rot since water can get in there but the water seems to absorb rather fast so it never sits. I really don't know what to do about it.
    {{gwi:339995}}
    Kirk

  • longaeva54
    11 years ago

    fakechuchi, the grafted adeniums were bought on August 2011 and Adenium Somalense v. Nova and Adenium Arabicum are 3 years old.

  • kodom087 z9a
    11 years ago

    LOL Pagan! I can only imagine what you said. ;)

    That hole is just a little over a 1/4 inch deep. At least it has never gotten worse than what it is now.

    When my Rik Ni Ran's leaves are bigger I'll take a pic of how they are often heart shaped. They're just now starting to bud out new growth so I imagine sometime next week I'll have some leaves on it.

    Kirk

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