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mandy205

First Desert Rose question

mandy205
11 years ago

Hi my name's Rachel. I just got my first desert rose. I live in northern Alabama and was wondering if I should let it go dormant or not.

Thank you

Comments (10)

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Hello Rachel and a warm welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will get lots of good info from here for your DR. You have a great looking plant there. I do like it's caudex, it's really shapely!
    As I'm from the UK I can't really advise on whether you should keep your DR growing or let it go dormant as I have no idea of your temps/climate etc. My UK conditions I would imagine are very different to yours, so I only know what suits my plants best I guess! That said, I would 'think' that if you are able to give it the conditions it needs to keep growing, that would benefit it in the long term. Hopefully someone from nearer your own area will chime in and help you as the majority of contributors are from the US. Great to see another new poster here.
    Regards, Gill from the UK.

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    Hello Rachel and a warm welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will get lots of good info from here for your DR. You have a great looking plant there. I do like it's caudex, it's really shapely!
    As I'm from the UK I can't really advise on whether you should keep your DR growing or let it go dormant as I have no idea of your temps/climate etc. My UK conditions I would imagine are very different to yours, so I only know what suits my plants best I guess! That said, I would 'think' that if you are able to give it the conditions it needs to keep growing, that would benefit it in the long term. Hopefully someone from nearer your own area will chime in and help you as the majority of contributors are from the US. Great to see another new poster here.
    Regards, Gill from the UK.

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    11 years ago

    ...sorry about the double post, I lost my internet connection and had to re-send it, seems like I shouldn't have bothered!
    Gill from the UK

  • Marie Tran
    11 years ago

    Gill, please continue to post your commend. I very much like to read your commend. It is good to hear from you from time to time.

    Mandy, congrats to your fist adenium. Like Gill said, you do have a good looking plant there. I hope it do well for you. Yes, it will go dormant around December to mid March.

    Marie

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    11 years ago

    Hi Mandy!!

    Welcome to the forum!!

    Great looking DR you have!!

    Congratualtions on a fine looking Caudex!!!

    Gill and Marie have given you the best advise...

    Mine stay active most of the winter and then they decide when they want to go dormant. They always wake and start again in the spring...

    Good luck!!

    Laura

  • sbrow156
    11 years ago

    Is it the cold that causes them to go dormant?

    Sarah

  • rcharles_gw (Canada)
    11 years ago

    Most will go into dormancy when temperatures are consistently below 50degrees and light levels decrease. Different Adenium species do not have the same growth and blooming time or frequency.
    Most genus need a resting period and their dormancy achieves this.

  • sbrow156
    11 years ago

    i googled that and 50 degrees faren is the same as 10 degrees cel? anyway if that is the case i dont think my adeniums will go dormant at all as the temperature here rarely even gets below 13 degrees Cel.

    Sarah

  • rcharles_gw (Canada)
    11 years ago

    You may find that some may still have a dormancy period if you are growing A. Arabicums, Swazicum, Somalense, etc.
    Many will shed all leaves for a period of time.

  • Allan870
    11 years ago

    Hey Mandy. I live nearby in Arkansas, and I am going to allow my plants to go dormant this year. I have brought them inside to my glassed in porch. This is also my first year growing these. But I think while you are allowing them to go dormant, it is important not to water them very much. I believe I have seen as little as a cup or so a month.

    I have many tropical plants inside this area. I am not sure what the magical temperature number will be. I have Jasmine, hibiscus, succulents, and desert roses all in this area. I am hoping to allow the desert roses and hibiscus to go dormant, and keep the jasmine growing.

    I assume your winters are much like ours. There is frost for much of the winter here, so I would for sure bring the plant inside to protect it from that.