I have a few successfully rooted cuttings! This is a side shoot of my grafted desert rose, "Double moon". I let it grow really tall and thick. Then this spring when I pruned double moon, I finally removed it and tried rooting it since the branch is super thick …..and it rooted! I used the rooted cutting to save a graft that had stem rot.



These are other cuttings that successfully rooted. I just repotted these. I think the common theme is these are mature cuttings.



This has smaller root system.


I have a few more that may have rooted! Just have not had the chance to repot them.

Ok, my experiment in cutting propagation is getting a few successfully rooted cuttings. Here is what worked for me.

Cuttings must be thick (thumb size or bigger) and let them callous for a few days. Then I just let them lay on top of the dirt or lean on existing adeniums.

Finally! A successful cutting propagation, my first bloom. I can't recall when I propagated these but I think fall of last year. The bloom is just as beautiful as the "sister" plant!





Now what I learned is the cuttings need to be mature (dark grey) and the thicker the better. The small cuttings just rotted. My 100+ cuttings only a handful survived! Best time to propagate is spring.

This is what it looked like in August 2021 before my severe pruning. So the cutting is one of these 2 leggy branches :

My successful cuttings propagation out of 100s these are the only ones that survived. Thick mature cuttings have higher survival rate. Desert roses grown in spring has a higher likelihood of surviving and blooming same year.

I think there is some root primordia here. I cut this, let it dry for 2 days but it was completely wilted. So I cut the end again and put it in water. 3-4 weeks ago

purpleinopp said: I think there is some root primordia here. I cut this, let it dry for 2 days but it was completely wilted. So I cut the end again and put it in water. 3-4 weeks ago

Great job Tiffany! Just water? I have 3 cuttings I am trying to save right now that are wilted. I never thought about propagating by water.

Me either but my first 3 tries in soil failed so I'm trying something else. Yes, water, up to the bottom of the lowest leaf.

purpleinopp said: Me either but my first 3 tries in soil failed so I'm trying something else. Yes, water, up to the bottom of the lowest leaf.

I will try because it has been over a month and it just keep wilting. I tried the lava rock with water and they rotted. So I will try with just water.

I hope it works. Seemed worth trying to me. The end did try to rot at first, but I trimmed it again and it's been OK since.

purpleinopp said: I hope it works. Seemed worth trying to me. The end did try to rot at first, but I trimmed it again and it's been OK since.

I hope so too. I lost the adenium and just holding on to the cuttings.

To reduce over evaporation, try this method, wrapped it with geafting tape or plastic. I learned it from YouTube, the guy keep it like that for 2 week plus until it is really callused before starting to grow it in soil

Kaktus said: To reduce over evaporation, try this method, wrapped it with geafting tape or plastic. I learned it from YouTube, the guy keep it like that for 2 week plus until it is really callused before starting to grow it in soil

I saw that video too. I tried it and mine didn't work. Hope it works for you.

I have switched to using a peat based potting mix for all of my cuttings, seedlings and really sick plants that need intensive care. It's incredible, but it breaks down rapidly so I repot these plants every 6 months. For some reason this mix enables fast root growth. My seedlings & cuttings grow twice as fast as they did in my traditional (and expensive) "dry mix".

@2ManyPlants, where do you buy this? And do you amend it, like add perlite or coarse sand?

I buy it from a local nursery in Irving TX.
I love the fact that I don't have to amend the mix because it makes repotting so fast.
It's ph balanced, loaded with perlite and has a wetting agent that allows you to re wet the mix after it drys. It is very light weight!

The results with seedlings, cuttings and dehydrated unhappy adeniums is unbelievable. I use it for many cacti seedlings as well. I was advised by the nursery owner that the mix will break down so I only use it on plants that I plan to repot frequently.

I was intrigued by it too, but couldn't find anywhere near me that sold it. The Berger website doesn't have a retailer page either to help with finding where to buy it locally. I'll have to watch for it when I'm in garden centers and nurseries, but I'm not getting my hopes up of actually finding it and being able to try it.

That media is strange, with 2/3 sphagnum moss, still add wetting agent.. I think it is suitable for seedlings and other plants that need a lot of moisture, not suitable for succulents

TJOE,
I agree. I don't want to disturb my mature adeniums every year and this mix could be horrible for a monsoon. It really is effective for seedling which are going to get repotted frequently.

Beautiful roots of my rooted cutting Desert Moon:

Nice roots on a beautiful flowering plant. The larger one looks like it will develop an interesting base over a few years.