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angiepangie_gw

Desert Rose won't grow, won't flower

angiepangie
10 years ago

Hello,

I have had a desert rose for two years. I have been treating it as a jade plant this whole time, as that is what his tag said he was. I only recently found out on the other forum he isn't a jade.

I have had him for two years. He was really pot bound when I got him so repotted him. I water only when dry and dirt is shrinking from pot. I feed him. He repays my efforts by dropping leaves and them growing new ones to replace them, but never growing more leaves than he originally had when I bought him. I think he is a bit taller.He is planted in miracle grow potting soil. Perhaps he would be happier in cactus or citrus mix?

He has spent last summer, outdoors in the full sun. This summer he has been in a sunny window.

All he does is drop leaves and regrow them. He doesn't branch and I was shocked to see this is a flowering plant!

I am probably slowly killing this plant.

I want to put him back outdoors where he might be happier- but even last summer outdoors he did nothing.

Any advice?

Here is two links to pictures of said plant.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151534129773364&set=a.10151313659868364.1073741825.674588363&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151534129388364&set=a.10151313659868364.1073741825.674588363&type=1&theater

Comments (20)

  • angiepangie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Should I prune him and repot him in cactus mix, mixed with gravel, and stick him outside? Or repot him in cactus mix alone?

    The thought of pruning him scares me- it will cut off all his leaves.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    10 years ago

    There is an andenium forum, I bet there will be more help from lots of knowledgable people there. Some here too. Not me though.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Adenium forum

  • pirate_girl
    10 years ago

    Oh Hi Wanton,

    Thanks for that info.

    I didn't know that, I don't grow them. But it was me who referred Angie here from Houseplants, once I saw what it was.

    Oh well, sorry one more change of forum, but I think they've been discussed here as well. You'll get there ;>)

  • angiepangie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    What do i do with the parts I cut off? Can I root them?

  • angiepangie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    LOL! Another forum! I can't find that forum, does any one have a link?

    My plan right now is to repot him into a smaller pot, with cactus mix, and then set him outside. He can stay there until about October.

    At which point I will bring him in- but when do I prune him?

    Also, he has never flowered. Any way to encourage that?

  • xerophyte NYC
    10 years ago

    Adenium are true tropical plants. They need as much heat, sun and water as you can give them - they grow like weeds in Thailand! Heat, heat, and more heat + humidity.

    They can comfortably be outdoors all summer long, but they need to be watered regularly when it is hot. Once the weather cools down, they need much less water or else they are prone to rot. They need a typical succulent potting mix: coarse, airy and well draining. This permits frequent watering.

    They don't need to be crammed into a tiny pot unless you are intentionally trying to slow down growth.

    A "sunny" window indoors will likely never have adequate light, and the temperature indoors will definitely never be warm enough to get Adenium to grow well or bloom profusely.

    When I say warm, I mean temperatures in the 80's, preferably mid or upper 80's, for Adenium to be at their best during the growing season.

    x

  • xerophyte NYC
    10 years ago

    As for pruning, each Adenium variety (obesum, arabicum, etc.) has different timing preferences. Most seem to look their best when pruning is done right before new growth begins in the spring.

    Again, I repeat, these are tropical plants. Unless you can give them artificial heat and light at least in the spring to get them going, they won't look anywhere near the pictures you see on the internet. You would be better off growing a member of the 'arabicum' clan for their caudex and branching, not for the flowers.

    x

  • laura1
    10 years ago

    No expert here but 2 years ago I bought a tiny pot full of seedlings. Some died, some attracted spidermites in the extreme so I pitched them. Anyway I managed to raise some to flower. However I have one that has never bloomed. They all have the same general care. Some want to go straight up with little branching and others branch. It really is a pig and a poke! It has been a "fun" little experiment but next time I get a DR it will be in bloom! I'm about ready to pitch the one that hasn't bloomed but it has the best form ;-(
    Last year I got a miniature and it has never bloomed either.

    I guess my point is that IMO they are not all created equally.

  • linda_denman_island
    10 years ago

    I've been growing them for quite a few years here and they even push out flowers by a sunny window, but look much better outdoors during the summer. They flower every year. The most important thing is to treat like tropical thirsty plants in the summer, and like desert plants in the winter. I suspect you aren't watering enough in the summer. I would bring them in when the temp dips below 50 F at night. You have to be careful about over watering when it gets cooler.

    This is one of the best articles I've read on how to grow them:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Adeniums

  • angiepangie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    well if it is heat and humidity you want, we got it. I got a serious chuckle about, " I mean heat, as in above 80". Will 100+ do? Our lows are in the 80's. He was outside last summer and he didn't do a thing. He was in 115+ heat maybe it was too hot ?

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    10 years ago

    Angie,

    No, it's not - where many of these come from (Africa, Arabian Peninsula) it gets that warm. You may not have been feeding it enough / soil wrong, etc.

  • linda_denman_island
    10 years ago

    There may be other issues too - like not enough fertilizer or poor drainage, but in my opinion, in that heat, if you're only watering when dry, then you're not watering enough.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Angie, you still can't find the Adenium Forum?
    Guess my instructions didn't work. lol

    Scroll up this thread.

    Wantonamara posted a link that will take you to GW's Adenium Forum. Click or double-click on the link. It's underlined.

    Angie..I have 9 or 10 Adeniums. Three large, remainders, young.

    Members on the Adenium Forum explained: In summer, Adeniums/Desert Rose should be cared for as semi-tropicals. During winter, as succulent. NO winter fertilizing.

    If your Adenium was mine, I would not cut back.
    I can't recall if your DR is grafted or a seedling.
    If it's grafted, and you cut back too much, it will die.

    If possible, place outside. Start off in semi-shade, then as times goes by, place in full sun.
    Fertilize until Aug/Sept. Halt fertilizing until spring or once it produces baby sprouts.

    If you can't set plants outdoors, place Adenium in a very bright/direct sun window. South or west. Or SW.

    Good luck,, Toni

  • Pots_Alot
    10 years ago

    115 temp to hot ? It's no place for plastic and could proberly crack a cheapo Terra cotta. the cactus soil mix which usually collapse at 90 Yeah 115 is to hot but not for the DR It got so hungry it ate the cactus soil and stopped growing LOL

    Easy mix is anything grainy porous like pumice course sifted sands to remove the finer pot clogging stuff and perlite just to allow some movement for the root and caude to swell

    I also agree wouldn't cut back until next season when it starts to break out of rest period of colder months

    This post was edited by Pots_Alot on Sat, Jul 20, 13 at 13:16

  • angiepangie
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi guys thanks for all your help-

    I am not going to repost in the other forum at this time b/c I think I got some very good information here.

    I went to walmart today and they were out of cactus mix. Sigh. They did have a bag of perlite tho- but I wanted to check with you guys first if this is the correct thing to buy, and if so- what do I do with it. I have a bag of miracle grow potting soil- I am assuming I need to mix these two together. I also have some small gravel- about bean sized.

    I plan to put him in a terra cotta pot since plastic holds the water and doesn't breath.

    I could use some instructions on the dirt mix tho- and as an aside- I purchased a succulent that needs to be repotted- do I use the same type of soil for him? I also have two lemon trees I grew from seed that I wanted to put into citrus mix, however they didn't even carry that this year. No they don't ever grow lemons, sometimes they flower but that's ok- the leaves smell really nice.

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    10 years ago

    I've had the same issue...leaves dropping and no flowering.

    This Summer, however, I've watered and fertilized the heck out of my plant. It has regrown its leaves and is about to open a bloom for the first time. Maybe it knew that I've been talking about giving it away or composting it....

    Xero and Cactus both advise water and nutrients, and I agree. Don't water it like a Jade.

    As for the soil-mix, I won't recommend MG at all. Add 70% perlite and it'll work...for a time.

    For the Citrus, you'd be better off with a bark-based mix. If you can't source the ingredients to make your own, you could use a quality "Orchid Mix" cut with additional Perlite. Citrus love drainage, particularly when indoors during the Winter.

    Josh

  • Pots_Alot
    10 years ago

    Would encourage solid and porous material substrates like pumice and sifted gravel chips with perlit for the Adenium

    The perlite you got from wally world : wear a mask and sift the dust out then soak it to swell it, after it damp dries mix it well in to a porous mix then sift again to get more dust out . When final potting mix is ready continue to mix all grit materials as you pot in as well.

    Reminder: Your still going to need to transition the Adenium for the out side sunlight as well as others you mentioned.

  • JoeCaudex
    10 years ago

    The mix for my Adenium consists off cactus mix, horticultural grit, perlite and pelletised chicken poo. Make sure it's in a shallow pot too. No more than 3" deep.

  • Oceangirl13
    9 years ago

    I have had the same desert rose for 14 years. Aside from the blooms it had when I brought it home, it has NEVER bloomed. I live in Miami, FL. I thought perhaps there wasn't enough sun at my previous homes, but it even spent a year in my mom's yard in full sun and nothing. (Her desert roses bloom all the time in the same space). It has been out in our new home's yard for a year now in full sun and still nothing. I pruned it about 2 years ago. I bought succulent type mix and bloom food and tried that about a year ago and still nothing. It is healthy, with no signs of root rot. I like to think I have a somewhat green thumb but this plant is an enigma. Everyone else I know in the area has beautiful DRs that bloom with no attention, and yes I've tried that too! 14 years is too long, please help!

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