I am so excited to get named variety cuttings I cannot stand it. I know you guys/gals will understand this...but when you are purchasing plants or seeds or getting cuttings etc...it is so exciting that I can't think of anything else. So in the excitement I will tell my friends and they look at me for a long time with this glazed stare...act happy for me and change the subject as quickly as possible. Has that happened to you guys?

Even my gardening friends are not into tropicals up here this far north because it is far too much work so they don't understand this terrible mind controlling of this ONE subject for me today.

Not sure the best way to preserve cuttings until you can do your thing with them. Perhaps someone else has ideas.

And yes, I totally relate to the glazed stares and such when I talk about this plant, video games, home made mead or any thing else that's geeky in my life. LOL

Kirk

ha ha...Kirk, I am so glad you responded. I was afraid due to my excitement I would make ANOTHER post before anyone else did and embarrass myself further.

I make home made wine and have made mead as well. Fun! I agree that this too is a conversation I have with myself.

As soon as my DIL get the cutting to me I will graft immediately. So, it is only the time it takes for her to travel home.

I envy you getting a bunch of new cuttings to play with!

My last batch of mead went wrong. It has a really funky taste that I do not like. I have to wait until this summer to get more honey from my brother's bee hives unfortunately. I'm impatient.

So, this is how geeky and obsessed I am with desert roses. I've actually started having dreams about them. Even so much as winning a huge lottery and building a huge glass conservatory just for adeniums. If only that dream would come true! LOL

Kirk

Kirk,

I'm so sorry to hear about the funky smell you have with your mead. I know that perhaps if you leave it ferment for quite awhile that perhaps it will works it way out of that smell. I have had very good luck with my mead but it does get expensive adding all that honey. I've also had a few explosive episodes where I did not let the fermentation appropriately finish (HA HA). Good thing you have a brother with bee hives. I understand the obsessiveness and the impatience while waiting.

I have an obsession for plants in general and even built a greenhouse here. It gets very expensive to heat it but, the time I have to work with plants from the tropics is well worth every penny. I spend all my time outdoors in the summer tending very large gardens and all my time in the winter online (here) and making wine from the fruit from my gardens.

I've gotten into Adeniums about 5 or 6 years ago when I planted a couple hundred seeds (I tend to do everything in mass due to my obsessive nature). But now I want to expand my horizons and own some named varieties. If I get these going Kirk, I will be happy to send you cuttings. I just need to figure this process out first. You just keep dreaming. At least we have healthy hobbies.

Ladylotus, I know that Mark Dimmitt has a section on cuttings, but I am not home to dig it up.
I would think that the cuttings could last for some time as they probably need to calluse up anyhow. If packed in loose newsprint (cuttings dry) if being sent to you. Then if cuttings should need to be dipped into rooting hormone, you could recut and calluse up. Sounds like a lot of fun to me.
When I read your post 'Ladylotus' it seems to ring a bell in my ear.
Your comment about starting so many at one time. I did the same thing and had to give away about 150+ seedlings in 2" pots last year so I had room for the rest.
Hope to see some photo's when you get them going.
What a treat.

If you do not mind me asking both you and Kirk. What is "mead"?

Rick

Mead is a honey wine. The type I typically brew is an Ethiopian honey wine called T'ej. They basically use 3 parts water to 1 part honey. And for a couple of weeks use a particular wood or leaves of a type of buckthorn called gesho. It acts as a bitter agent like hops.

Kirk

Just curious as to how your cuttings are doing.

Kirk

I didn't see this post until now.
I also wonder about the cuttings too.
Ladylotus.....please send of some pictures.
Marie

I had 10 plants of the 17 cuttings I did take. I will try to get photos of them and upload them. I don't have a place to upload them yet other than Shutterfly. But that no longer works on this forum.

I cannot say they look good. Some look a little sloppy but they see to have taken. Since we have had such cold and rainy weather the leaves are still not growing. I do have buds but it is very slow going here. We have had 2 days of sun in the last 4 weeks. This is just absolutely crazy weather.

Thank you for asking. I will get some photos up soon.

Glad most took for you and thanks for response. Looking forward to the pics when you get a chance. Sorry your weather isn't cooperating.

I use imgur. Easy interface and just copy the html code of the pic and past in here.

Kirk