marvelous as always
even the pink ones look great. :)

Yes this is a fantastic chronology with the dates and everything.... probably the best and most useful posting of this sort that I've seen. This is often missing from gardening. Typically you see people trying to fix dying plants or you see people with fantastic looking ones but you never see a timeline like this with the results. Too bad there isn't some way to tag this as a sticky for "pruning 101."

I was surprised at the rapid progress between 3/22 - 4/30 and then blooms a month later.

What happened to the plant on the far left in the first picture? It seemed to stay dormant? I guess there is always one that has to "do its own thing", huh? lol.

Brian

Marie they really are exquisite. You and Laura have some of the nicest DR's that I've seen.

Thank you all, ...I just used some sample pictures.
Brian, you are quick. Yes that was the only plant that I was taken care for my brother in law. But it was so stubborn and stayed dormant longer than the rest. I finally gave it back to him.

One nursery in California used my pictures to explain on his website about hard prune. I was searching the net one day and saw these pictures on his website, he was encouraged people to prune.

Back then, I didn't have any double and triple adenium. But soon after 2009 I found out where to buy, and now had plenty of double and triple in my back yard.

Marie

These pictures have encouraged me to do a hard prune on my DR come spring time. I did a slight prune job about 2 months back that has it about ready to open about 12 new blooms within this next week.

Kirk

those are some GREAT! pictures! am currently watching my pruned desert rose branch out and regrow...it is amazing watching how much they go from having branches to being stumps to have leaves and flowers again...just beautiful :)

Sarah

Lovely pics Marie,thanks for letting us see them. Quick question for you. How long have you been growing adeniums and can you remember why you bought the first one you owned?

Averil, in 1994 my brother in law bought his first DR, 2 years later it didn't bloom, so he gave it to me. Another 2 years and didn't bloom either.
I started to read about it and that summer 1998, with full sun and fast drainage soil, it bloomed very heavy for me and since, it did very good every year.(he said, he wanted it back)

I felt in love with it, and each year I got few more and not it get out of hand.

Marie

Hi Marie!!

LOL.. It never gets out of hand!! (That is what i keep saying to myself..) : )

My DH wonders about me and my plants.. LOL.. i call him my "eye roller" some of you will understand. I have many DR's , but tons of Plumeria. Over at the Plumeria forum, we laugh about our DH's and partners about the "eye allergy" LOL..

Your pictures inspire me so much and i can't even begin to express the beauty that i see in each and every tree.

Everyone is simple amazing and they all belong in a botancial garden. They are that gorgeous. You should be so proud of this truly remarkable collection.

I always get excited when i see your trees...

Simply beautiful...

Thanks again for sharing your trees and always for sharing your knowledge to all

I did get my courage to prune from you and a good friend. ;-)

Thank goodness i did. They love to be pruned in the spring and we get so much back from them when we do..
(more branching and fullness in the head of the trees) It's fun to be able to shape them as we like.

Always fun to see your post!!

Take care,

Laura

Hi Marie. What kind of soil do you use?

LocoGuy, I used Miracle Grow potting mix, add perlite. No special ratio.....just mix perlite into potting mix and you done.
Marie

Sounds easy enough. Will try that when I repot. Cant remember, but I think that now I have miracle grow cactus mix.

Ha Ha I bet your brother in law wanted the plant back Marie. You do make a lovely job of growing them

Averil, my brother in law also addicted to desert rose and plumeria. He had a nice collection too, and his collection also do well for him.

Marie

Beautiful pics Marie, your plants are a credit to you and your skill in growing them so well...surely they are an inspiration to us all.
Gill from the UK.

Thank you so much Gill, more to come later today
Marie

Marie,
Just fantastic !!!You do have the magic touch, I see you put your plants out in march, you really get a head start on the growing season, I can never put anything out before the first of May even tho there are many days up in the 80's it is the nights that are tricky in the spring and I always fear a frost.
I am going to try a bit of pruning next spring for sure, thank you as always for the fine examples to go by. Ronda

I only learnt there was a Plumeria forum on here a couple of weeks back...i also have a few with my desert roses. They are very popular here...almost everyone has one of some sort in their garden and you just see them on the side of the road everywhere...I thought it would be fun to bonzai one...see if it worked...anyway this has nothing to do with DR but seeing as a couple people mentioned Plumeria above i thought id just mention that. :)

wow amazing...

Hey Marie, sorry to bother you again. I forgot to ask you, other than the miracle grow potting mix and perlite, do you use any fertilizer?

I used Osmocote twice a year. Once in April and another time in August. Miracle gro liquid mix once every few weeks. Only 3 spoons for bucket of 6 gallons.
Nothing else.
Marie

Marie I am drooling all over looking at your beautiful plants!!!!!

Hi Marie,

I am so inspired and will definitely hard prune next spring. Can't wait!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful collection. I'm with Neysa..drooling too!

I have three DR, but tons of plumeria. I'll also try the hard prune on the DR this spring. Thanks for posting this info.
Lonnie

I thought it would be good to bring this thread forward of Mary's pruning as it is coming this time of year and she has documented it so well and we can learnso much from it.
I wish we could have these forms instruction/knowledge listed in a separate "files" section so that we could go right to it and view. Might make it a good thing for new people also and they could join in to Gardenweb to view.
Rick

Rick, I agree...this is such a wonderful post that documents how hard pruning can really provide a much nicer plant with so many blooms.

Marie, thanks for taking the time to share your experience and the lovely photos. Your plants look gorgeous.

I had forgot about this thread. Glad you refreshed it!

Kirk