Hello!
Just joined this forum. See my user name? I grow, rather, attempt to grow, caudex-forming plants, "fat plants".... Love reading thru the 4 pages of the comments and reading about the growing experiences of other growers.
I live in NYC. I grow my small collection of fat-plants, weather permitting, on my back deck, in full sun, broiling heat, thru rainy summers...until mid September. When night temps dip into the 50s it's time to play the plant shuffle....plants out in full sunny days, and back into my warm kitchen at night. In, out, in out. My neighbors think I'm insane. They might be right.
So, for about the last ten years, or so...I discovered that it takes me a lot longer to kill water storing caudex forming, fat-plants. So far, most have survived, but can't manage to keep most Adeniums alive for more than a few years. It's their long dormant period that ruins my efforts. This year my caudex plants will go under high intensity CFL lights, in an effort to prevent plants from shutting down completely. The chlorophyll loaded stems, branches, and caudex sections will hopefully continue to synthesize food and keep plants nourished thru my long winters, until they can be returned to my back deck, next spring. I hope the light set-up does the job. I just bought a very expensive Adenium socotranum specimen, and I'd like to keep it alive for a while. I am insane.
Interesting to read thru all the postings. In addition to trying to grow Adeniums, I also grow Uncarina peltata, Bursera fagaroides, Operculicarya pachypus, and Pachycormus discolor. The Bursera, Uncarina, and Operc. are doing very well. The Operc was bought as a wire-thin seedling, and within 5-6 years it now has a a trunk that's almost 2" in diameter. I trained it to look like a bonsai- Baobab. All the branches were wired to form a broom-like rack above a 12" trunk. In a few years, this "tree"... mini-Baobab ...will be quite a show specimen.
Bursera f. is also a winner in my growing conditions. Planty of new growth throughout the summer months, leaves turn yellow in cooler, Sept, then completely drop off, leaving the plant bare and quiescent thru the long winter. I mist the bare plant and mist the growing medium thru the winter months, but no water at the roots is given until buds start to swell the following April.
Operc p. gets the same treatment as the Bursera f. After onset of dormancy, mistings only, little or no water at the roots.
I strive to keep the dormant plants hydrated to prevent set backs and shriveling, soft caudices. Adeniums are the first to shrivel and last to break dormancy. Terrible plants in my growing conditions....and very easy to rot. I pray the $$$$$$$$$$$ A. socotranum is a little easier to keep alive...but I got my fingers crossed.
Lousy plants: Pachycormus discolor, and Cyphostemma juttae. Both just sit there, don't grow, do nothing. The Cyphostemma lays dormant at least 10 months! it's an ugly plant when not in leaf. The plastic-textured leaves grow to full size with a few week, it flowers, sets seeds, then dormant period starts again. The plant doesn't grow. After the leaves drop off any new growth at the tips id the branches, dries and shrivels, then drops off. The plant stays the same size for years and never gains any new length at the branch tips. Too boring for me. I gave the plant the heave ho years ago. Pachycormus d. looks exactly the same as it did, years ago when I bought it. Very little growth, branches are brittle, stiff, and will crack if wired and bent. Strictly a clip and grow bonsai...but the plant doesn't grow!
Best for last; Uncarina peltata. Quick grower, plenty of beautiful yellow flowers and the black dot in the center of the yellow flowers make the flowers very showy. Easy peasy, the plant gets fat, fast, and rewards the grower with a long-lasting flower show. Bought my Uncarina plant last season and already, in just one summer out on the back deck, the trunk doubled in diameter. Much better and far easier to grow well than any Adenium, and just at showy when in flower.
All my CONTAINERIZED succulent fat plants are growing in the standard, classic, quick-draining, gritty mix....with the addition of some activated bone-charcoal pellets, and a few handful of crushed oyster and egg shells. I buy the crushed oyster shells, but crush my own egg shells when I make an omelette. Do these additions help? Who knows? I also use Espoma Tree-Tone Organic Fertilizer....but, it smells bad. I add a few tablespoons to the growing medium, in early spring. By September the stink is gone when plants are brought back inside for the winter months. I wish I could grow plants in ground, in an ideal climate. But...I do what I can. Plant failures are part of the game.
The plants when growing on my back deck, get very little supplemental water. Rain, waters my plants. Sometimes I do mist the plants, when the sun is broiling hot, just to cool off the containers. Hot root zones are not good for containerized plants. Fat-plants hate cooked roots.
I enjoy growing fatties....but never tried Pachypodiums...yet.
Happy growing!
And I agree, the variation from "normal" that you have noted is kind of interesting.
