Leave it dry and protected from cold and excess water. Once you see some new growth popping out, you can start watering. You can also trim back but you must INCREASE THE LIGHT. If you trim back and grow in the same conditions, it will continue to look the same at the end of next year. These will take full sun every day in So Cal. I've kept one alive through four Winters (see 'don't water while dormant', above by previous posters). A newly purchased plant bloomed this year and I am officially 'hooked'! I've been watching closely a Cactus & Succulent Guru who trims them down to stumps willy nilly and pots up as bonsai! I recently asked him about cutting my lanky bloomer back and his recommendation was to wait until spring and full growing season. I find with mine after winter dormancy is broken, plenty of water and some fertilizer will pop out those blooms! This adenium is four years old and has never been cut. It is in full sun all year, except for Winter (known as Rainy Season in SoCal) when I move it in and water about three times during it's indoor stay. (Still hasn't bloomed, but I only started working on that this year.) I am getting ready to 'raise' the plant so the fat root (caudex)is exposed, part of the allure to C&S growers for this plant. DISCLAIMER: None of the plants shown in the following are MY plants! They are examples of local-to-my-area C&S enthusiasts and their art. This plant, in 2008 took four men to lift up to the table. This pic was taken in 2006. The proud grower and plant in 2007.

Hi Susie - Thanks! I think it is not very common to get a red desert rose from seed. Most seedlings produce pink flowers. The parent plant was had red flowers and was grown from a cutting, so its caudex is not as impressive as those that are grafted or grown from seed. I am so excited to have a red one grown from seed!

I have my desert rose in a clay pot.. I do not water it until it is dry about an inch down. And cut back on water in winter. It is in a south window and gets lots of light in the winter. It goes out on my covered front facing south after all chance of frost is over. It loses some leaves in winter. I have had it for three or four years. I took a cutting alert it dry out on the end put in spot of regular miracle grow potting soil and it has started putting on leaves.. I would love to try planting from seeds.. My cutting even got water logged and started to turn mushy on the end and I cut it off jammed it back in soil and it started leafing out again. I think over watering is what kills most cactus roses.. I also fertilize with mirical grow and alter with blooms fertilizer in summer.

all your plants issues can be corrected through info you've been given on this thread, EXCEPT this this looks live a virus that you cannot fix as there is no cure for it. IF this and any other that showed same symptom, was my plant, I would quarantine it away from other desert rose plants that do not show same symptom, I have had a few virused plants and eventually all wound up in trash or burn pile. It is also important to not use same tools, potting mix and pots from the plants that show these symptoms as the virus is easily spread from infected tools/potting mix/pots. Disposable razor blades are great and cheap. The secret to avoiding virus is a close examination of the plant before any purchase and do not buy any plants that shows any sign of these blotched leaves. That is a reason I do not buy desert roses on line, especially from asian locations and from USA sellers that do not show plant foliage up close. This is a big concern for me when purchasing grafted plants, Plants grown from seed have a much lesser chance of being virus infected as they have not been cut for grafting. However same pre- purchase screening applies to seed grown plants. Avoid any plants with blotched leaves. Note that virus can be spread by insects as well, that is why sick plants should be removed and disposed of. It would seem that the plant's vigor can at times force out clean material even though it remains in the plants system and manifests itself when plant's immune system is reduced by cultural and or environmental factors. A general note on culture, adeniums require fast drainage and yet water retentive media ( an easy test for mixed media is to take a handful and squeeze it like a snowball, it should fall apart when you open your hand, if it stays clumped the mix needs more drainage materials, such as perlite and or pine bark fines. ) when actively growing, feed and water like a tomato plant, when temps are cool, cut watering way back. Grow it in as much sun as you can give them. They do not like cold (temp lower than 50 degree ) and need to be protected from rain when cold. A wet and cold adenium is very likely subject to rot. Here is a couple of good info sites for adenium culture, species and problems https://adenium.tucsoncactus.org/index.html http://www.tropicanursery.com/adenium/problems.htm