adenium newbie

11 years ago

I have recently been landscaping my yard, and going to the nurseries and looking at and buying new plants, reawakened my interest in indoor succulents and bonsai. I started with the succulents and bonsai during the eight years I lived in Tucson, Arizona, and would like to get involved again here in New York state.

Somewhere on the internet yesterday, I came across some adenium obesum, adenium arabicum and thai socotranum, which immediately caught my eye and piqued my interest in trying some of these fantastic plants. I've been researching the net all day, and found this forum among other sites. Needless to say, I'm finding all sorts of information, and now I'm trying to sort it all out.

I have just started to read the old posts here, so some of my questions may be answered there, but I've decided to ask the users of this Forum anyway.

I'm already seeing from some posts here that online sellers are a mixed bag, and satisfaction is not always guaranteed, so I'd like to ask you all for advice on reputable sourses for seeds and seedlings, as well as older plants. Also, I would like to try raising from seed, but is that recommended for someone so new to these plants? Are there any free or swap sourcesfor seeds or seedlings? and can someone recommend a good informational site for a beginner?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I've always liked the desert succulents, and these adeniums really interest me.

Jake

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
11 years ago
Hi Jake amd welcome! I have been 'trying' to grow adeniums (or DR's) in the less than favourable UK since 2005 and have learnt most of my tips from Gweb, so I'm sure you will find our forum and it's members useful...more so the info from folks from your particular area. I'm very pleased with my plants, but just need them to hold a bud and flower for the first time.
Growing from seed is certainly possible for ppl with no previous knowlege of DR's, if I can do it, you will too!!! You just have to know a few special 'secrets' of germinating DR seeds...try a search using the search facility towards the bottom of the main forum page. If you don't get the answers from the posts is suggests, then by all means do a new post to hopefully get the answer you seek. There's nothing magical to sprouting them, believe me!
Seed grown specimens usually have large caudexes, but are obviously a slow way to get a big plant...in my case especially as we have a shorter/far cooler growing season than most. Sorry but I cant advise you on the other points you raised due to my location. I hope you enjoy the forum and your new hobby.
Gill from the UK.
bronxfigs: New York City/7b
11 years ago
Jake....

Welcome to the Adenium Forum. There is also a Cactus and Succulent Forum, and there is even more information posted there too.

Here's what I know about Adenium.

Seeds:
Easy to germinate...and FORGET the photos of flowers! Adenium doesn't bloom to make flowers like photos show. Selected, superior varieties are always grafted onto an under-stock. 99% of all seed-grown plants will produce common, pink flowers of varying merit. NO seed seller can guaranty/predict flower colors, or shape. If they claim that their seeds are superior, and will breed true...they are full of crap! Plenty do, and they are crooks.

mgonline...sucks!
Top Tropical...questionable reputation.
eBay...a crap-shoot, and YOU take the risk.

Try:
Durham Botanicals/Bonsai-style Adenium
Lucky Sumo Adeniums
Living Stones Nursery
Miles2Go
Cactus King/cuttings
Bonsai Collectables/succulents/caudiciforms/Adenium...etc. (Very nice plants, and owners)
Desert Theater
Ted's Exotic Cactus and Succulents
Arid Lands Nursery
Tropiflora Nursery
Shoal Creek Succulents

Keep in touch. This is the place for good information.

I live in NYC, and it ain't Arizona. Adenium are no more difficult to grow than any other juicy succulent. If you can grow a tender succulent, you will do fine with Adenium. Winter culture will be the problem, if any. Keep, cool, bright, dryish, and take cues from plant. Start to gradually water when new buds show.

Hope this will help.

Frank
Bronx, NYC
Related Discussions
Newbie on board with Adenium. Soil???
Q
Comments (26)
I use equal parts Turface (calcine clay), Poultry Grit (crushed granite) and Reptibark (fir bark fines). I'm in Zone 10a, S Florida and it works great. I've had rot in regular soil or even in a dry mix with some soil in in it. All you need for rot is a few cool, wet nights in a row. I fertilize with Dyna Gro products also. Poultry Grit and Reptibark can be bought online at Walmart.com and Chewy.com. I see Turface sold through 3rd party vendors on walmart.com and ebay. I bought it in person. It's comes in a large 50 lb bag and it looks like people are repackaging it into smaller bags and reselling it. I might do that because I bought too much. If you think you'll have a need for the 50 lb bag, the Turface website, turface.com, lists local retailers by zip code. I was able to find it at a local lawn supply store that way. It's an amazing product. My trees get almost all day sun in my south facing yard so I water a few times a week. YMMV.
...See More
Favorite kinds of succulents to plant together?
Q
Comments (14)
What is great about this forum is that people can have an opinion and have good reasons for how they do things and someone else can do the esct opposite and develop a technoque in it. I love to mix em up . I love to play with contrasting colors, forms and I ignore a lot of rule but mitigate differences by TROWEL and error. BUT , If I nursed them one per pot, they would most likely be more show quality and grow larger faster. I like making little rock gardens in the wide low and usually about 16" wide or so. I find that echeverias , graptos, small stapeliads and some of the more tropical opuntias like Joeseph's coat or Road kill make a good tall accent to the lower structures. i have mixed crasula 'campfire' with echeverias and sedums. . I have a cactus , dry cold hardy new mexican opuntias ( grizzly bears , and others in a little rock space that looks like a piece of the desert. Through the years I take one plant out when either it out grows it or I otherwise need to move it . If a plant doesn't work out, I do not cry about it and get another that will work out better. I could just have a better place or want a new color. The rocks add interest when the plants are small. The pot started out like this but ....that was years ago. That became this and then it went even further Things started out like this But became this. Actually it is way past this with large things draping over the edge. I have decapitated the Black Night. He met the guillotine. but he is pupping and his head is in the garden. 'Blue perl' and the lavedar thing is hanging down nicely and I have had to cut it back more than once. This was a beginning that gave me a lot of enjoyment. The Crasula 'Campfire" has gone all over the place and is now history but IT will change snd find another form with time. I will have to change the soil this year . it has been awhile. Here are some others This is my scruffy New Mexican pot. I need more pictures of these . The Opuntia Dark night is now in the garden and the Grizzly bear has taken over. This one feels like the desert.
...See More
Progression - My First Small Group of Seedlings
Q
Comments (81)
Hi Rob, I live in a area where there is very few garden shops unfortunately. There is one I found this year that has beautiful Succulents but only a few small cactus. They did not have any Adeniums at all. I actually had never heard of them until I happened upon these poor ones at Walmart just running thru the garden area one day. So glad I took a chance on them. Only issue I am noticing is one plant has some leaves turning brown on the tips then yellowing. Any idea what is going on and a solution? I just noticed it so I moved that one away from the others. The ones that have had leaves turning yellow before falling off are doing much better but they did not turn brown. It is frustrating living so far away from a area that we can't find everything we need. Can not find any "equal numbered" fertilizer like 20-20-20 except for 1 all purpose 4-4-4 which you sprinkle around the soil anywhere here. What fertilizer do you recommend? I am hoping Amazon has what I need simply because I can get within a day or 2. I am new this year to any type gardening be it inground or container! Sorry for asking what some might think are crazy questions. Your Adeniums are beautiful by the way!
...See More
Newbie question: Adenium leaves yellow
Q
Comments (8)
Hi Rick, I realized I never submitted my response to you. Sorry about that. I keep them on an east facing window sill that gets bright direct light from sunrise to around noon, then bright indirect light for the rest of the day. It is kept indoors as my terrace is quite windy. It's actually gotten a lot better since I posted. I suspect that you are actually right about what had happened with the temperature drop. I also remembered that on a couple of colder days I had left the windows open to air out our place and they were quite close to that window. Thank you for your response! Lily
...See More

adenium newbie

Comments (2)

greenclaws UK, Zone 8a

bronxfigs: New York City/7b

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US