Hi guys
Following instructions on the WWW I left my Adenium to overwinter with no water. The leaves were shed as predicted. A couple of weeks ago new shoots formed and there is now a strong leaf growth. Do I need to water?
Thanks in anticipation

Geoff

Here's the plant photographed a couple of minutes ago

Nice plant. I water once and fert. Once a week , usually this is summer is dry and hot so i watered with just water and misted twice. But I have been 94° 18% humidity. Mine only has a few hours of sun.

I live in Queensland Australia, so mid winter here. Very warm though being sub tropical. I gave the plant a good water yesterday and will repeat in about a weeks time. Thanks for the reply

Hello Geoff, it does seem awake already growing new leaves You can definitely water it, but be very careful, although you say it is already warm indoors, light levels are not optimal yet, so continue doing the watering intervals.

Are you planning to grow your plant later outdoors?

If you grow it outdoors in your summer, start with it in a shady place and gradually move it to full sun. If you are in a hot area, you can put it in full sun and water it daily in summer when it's actively growing and blooming. Do you know if it's planted in a very well draining mix? Most of us mix a lot of pumice or chicken grit into potting soil for Adeniums. They love water, but will rot if it stays too wet too long.

Thanks for all the info guys, sorry for not getting back sooner, but it's been a bad time for the last couple of months. Anyhow, here's my Adenium today, looks very healthy with a lovely gloss to the leaves. First week of spring in Australia, when should I expect some flowers
Tia as always
Geoff

It's looking great! Very healthy and happy. If you can get it outside into full sun, and keep it well watered, you might have flowers in a couple of months. Watch out for mealy bugs. Mine seem to be a magnet for them. Outside in strong sun it can take almost daily watering if you have it planted in a very well draining mix. If it holds water, water much less frequently.

Yes, agree with Karen. Here in my area, I get the blooms at the peak of our summer when it gets very dry and very hot in the 90F to 100F ++ range. (32C to 37C ++)

In Spring here in my area I usually wait till our outdoor overnight temps is at least 50F and higher (10C ++) before I attempt to bring it out. Adeniums are so cold sensitive, so if I can delay to mid to late Spring to reach those ideal overnight temps, so be it, rather than risk cold damage. So if you are planning later on to move it out monitor your overnight temps.

Position it slowly in part shade outdoors later to acclimate and then after about a week, move to more full sun position. As you continue to see it actively growing leaves, you can start watering daily or as needed just depends how dry your area goes. But if your area is a rainy summer area, then you have to just let Mother Nature do the watering but do monitor and protect if if your forecast is torrential downpours. Too wet media is something it does not like either. Summer time is super dry time here, so I end up watering daily.

Good luck on your plant! Keep us posted how it goes!

I'm going to keep it indoors this summer. If I put it out on the deck I WILL forget it's there and probably kill it! I'm getting on a bit and my memory isn't what it used to be

Some grow them indoors, so try to position it by your sunniest window ideally south facing window.
However, you will get better growth outdoors, it truly loves all the full sun and heat it can get plus generous watering once temps goes so hot.

Thanks for that Tarev, although here in Ozz south is away from the sun

Ah, just whichever window that gets the most sun then on your side. It would be really better outdoors. This plant is one that can tolerate as much heat even up to 48C.

I am new to trying desert roses, just bought 30. they are about 11/2 foot tall and about 3 to 4 in across and just starting to have buds, I have them in my little green house, what should I expect next.

I see you are in the northern hemisphere so you are heading into winter when the trees will shed all the leaves and lie dormant until next spring. They should then start to shoot like mine did

Hi Geoff,
Yes we are heading into winter it's fall as all the trees are in the mist a the great fall show. The landscapes are beautiful, filled with mixed colors in jewel tones absolutely breath taking in bright fall sunsets.

Your plant looks so healthy bright shinny leaves. Post a pic when it blooms.
Lucky you in the warm sunshine...we are headed to winter and snow.

Hi Bumplbea
I lived for many years in Europe and remember well the rotten winters with snow, ice, rain and leaden skies. Where I live now a cold winters night is 14 deg C. It has never in living memory snowed or frozen on the Sunshine Coast.
Winter for us is June, July and August, the picture below was taken on 23 August this year.

My Adenium seems to have taken a turn for the worst, yellowing leaves and a general fading of the lovely gloss, any ideas

Hello Geoff, it may just be still asleep, still dormant.

Are you able to re-position this plant outdoors in a part sun area? Your location is in mid Spring heading to Summer, just the perfect time, to gradually awaken the plant. If your outdoor overnight temperature is at least 10C and higher, it is safe to bring it out. I do not know if your area is rainy. Try to protect it from rain at this time, it is not yet awake.

Adenium responds nicely to warm temperatures, lots of direct sun once awake, and gradually takes in the hottest temps it can take when summer is around. As temps go higher it will then appreciate stepped up watering. It just all depends if it is awake already. Sometimes, it will do blooms first, but it does not mean it is awake, got to see new leaves forming.

In the meantime, continue to be patient, it just needs to wake up some more. Feel the caudex, if it is staying firm, no mushy part anywhere, it is okay. You can also decide if you want to lift the base of the plant some more, to expose more of the caudex that has formed below soil line. I like to do this step, while my plant is still sleeping. I do not move it to any bigger container, but I do use this time to check further the condition of the roots, improve the soil mix as needed, so it is ready to do its active growing once ambient conditions warms up further. I do not water yet if I do lift the plant. I just allow it to settle some more, and once new leaves show up, then I can start watering.

Hi Tarev
I'll try the outdoor move, my deck gets sun in the morning then goes into shade after lunch time. Can you give me a guide to a watering regime, how much how often?


Geoff

Hello Geoff, they way I handle my Adeniums here, once it is awake, I start to water, doing it early in the day, so it has time to fully drain out the rest of the day. On the onset, I do it in intervals, since the plant is still waking up slowly and then I reposition them to more full sun since it likes that more.

If forecast temperature is expected to be very high like 85F to 100F ++ (29C to 37C++) I step up watering, doing it everyday. I do not know of your humidity levels there during summer time nor if you have summer rains. In my area we go very dry ( 0 to 30% humidity), no rain, for about 6 to 7 months, so it is imperative for me to water my Adeniums often, by then our temperatures area also soaring high into the triple digits. Adenium is one plant that can take in the most heat and direct sun it can get, so it is my least worry during the peak of summer, but it needs to get watered everyday when it gets into that onerous dry and hot conditions. That is why my Adeniums are in shallow but wide containers, so it helps as well in faster dryout time at root level.

Make sure your soil/media is very gritty and well draining. Although it enjoys frequent watering during high temp days, that media needs to be well draining, so the roots are not sitting in a water logged container.