Frank this is an interesting question that you have posed. One that I have pondered myself a few times. I can't answer your question, but can contribute to the discussion that blooming cycles are heavily dependent upon a dormant season. I am curious if an Adenium would respond in the same manner bloom wise to an off season of hanging as opposed to resting in media un-watered.

Tracy

Tracy-

Thanks for the interest.

Just some speculations, to add a little more to the confusion...

I'd like to know what's the difference if the plant is unpotted after dormancy and then stored dry and cool, or if it's left in a pot and kept dry and cool. Both options will lead to desiccated set-back, plants, and the thin feeder roots will become non-functional after drying out. It's certainly easier to hang plants for winter storage. But it's probably better for the plants if they are not allowed to become completely, and deeply, dormant.

In another thread regarding overwintering, I learned that there is a big difference between plants in full dormancy, and plants that are just resting, or quiescent. Storing cool and dry will really stress and set back the plants. I will try to keep my Adenium in the resting phase. I keep them warm, slightly hydrated, and keep in full sun. If they continue to grow, I'll just water the plants sparingly until better growing conditions return.

It's a big learning curve for me, especially since NYC has such a short growing season, followed by dark, crappy, winters.

Frank

The link made for some very interesting reading. Thanks for the added information.

Frank

I believe one would have to consider where these plants are being grown. In their native soils. The weather, temperatures, amount of rainfall, etc., would all play a big factor with the condition or healthiness of feeder roots.

When you consider trees which grow in native soils, they do have a dormancy period and the soils still have moisture. They would rot if kept very wet and saturated for extended periods of time, because the roots would not be taking up this water. Bone dry soils or excessively wet soils would be damaging to roots if extreme cold was experienced. I realize we are not talking freezing cold weather for Adeniums.

We speak of most of our Adeniums going dry, but I often think we forget that these plants grown in their native soils (in the ground) experience different factors than us keeping ours in pots. Most soils stay cool beneath the surface, they may not be wet, but cool. The canopy of leaves or if leafless, the caudex and branches would shade the soils beneath them. Keeping it cooler.

The fine feeder roots many die back and regrow with more moisture available, but I really think the question as to where they are growing, in a pot or in Native soils are different.

Not an expert, just my thoughts at the moment.

Good question, Frank.

Rick

Rick-

I am always considering the native habitats in which Adenium and other caudex forming plants/trees live. My growing conditions are vastly different. Even with all of my best efforts to try duplicating the deserts of Namibia, or the Bajas of Mexico/California, my Bronx/NYC climate never allows any of my plants to reach their full potential. I do have some triumphs, but also, many failures. My current batch of Adeniums will mark my third effort at trying to keep these plants alive and thriving. To be honest, I am convinced that I will have to use some kind of a light set-up and a heat mat to keep my Adeniums growing throughout my winters....or at the very least, to start them up after a brief resting period. Realistically, my growing season lasts from June, through early-September. Nighttime temps are too low in the other months, too low to leave my plants outside, even when the day temps are still high. NYC winters can be dark and dreary for months.

These "fat plants", when containerized, sometimes grow so slowly it's like watching paint dry! For my money, they are always stressed. Too much heat around the roots, sometimes there's not enough water, too cool, too wet, to dark, short season, blasted flowers, insects....the list goes on and on. Still, I try....

My thoughts about Adenium....when cultural conditions are met, they grow, thrive and flower. That's what all plants are programmed to do...i.e reproduce. I think Adenium, and other caudex-producing plants just take longer to kill, unless you really have a "black-thumb". I also think that these desert plants probably lose most of their small, thin, feeder roots when the climate/containers dries out, and regrows a new root system when climatic conditions improve. In habitat, most of the feeder roots live within the top eighteen inch layer of soil. But again, our growing methods are totally different from natural conditions. We either give the plants what they need or, they die. Adeniums when the raised out of the medium to expose the caudex, and plugged into smaller pots, have very little room for fine roots to form, yet they seem to do just fine. Maybe. Strange, but I see very few forum members posting photos of plants that they have kept alive, and trained for decades. Oh, it's true that there are a few older plants pictured, but most vast majority of the plants shown on this forum have been either imported, grown from seed, or are still very young.

Anyway, I will try my best to keep my plants alive, and hopefully in a few years, I'll have a nice crop of flowers to look at while I sip my morning coffee. : )))

Frank

What you say Frank is all true and we all do what we can to achieve the best of these Adeniums.

I relate the Adeniums to the Dahlia's and other perennials here that have tuberous or rhizomatrous root systems. Although in completely different climates. Their root system or storage capabilities are somewhat similar.. They also have fine feeder roots and these will die back in winter and tuber sits dormant. New roots regrow in Spring.

The Adeniums definitely do grow slower here, but I had seen very good growth on my seedlings and older plants. The difference for me or many of us, is that our growing period is interrupted by Fall/Winter. They lose this time of growing and have to restart growth again each Spring. Even with all of this, they still do quite well and show an increase in size.

I have purchased larger plants so that I can enjoy them at a larger size and which would take me many years to accomplish this, but it does not take away my desire to grow my seedlings and see what I can accomplish with them. They are quite remarkable and I am very pleased.

There are many growers of Adeniums especially in the U.S. that have been growing these for decades. You just never see them posted here to view.

Rick

Rick-

I agree with you, and love the Dahlia analogy.

I have come to the conclusion that if I want the best growth from my plants, I'm gonna have to invest in a some kind of supplemental light system. I have just too many cooler, darker months to deal with, and I'm hoping the extra light and warmth can prevent my Adeniums from going into a long, comatose, resting period. My fat plants plants barely get going before the weather becomes too cool to support growth. I quickly tire of looking at all the bare, resting plants stored on my kitchen table. So, by mid-September, the plants will come into the house at night, and back out on the warmer, sunny days. The remainder of the time, the plants will go under some lights, and I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Frank

I can understand completely, Frank. I wish I had a longer growing period than we do. I find because I can give them Southern exposure all year long that even in the winter months inside it helps. I keep most of my plants even in the summer in a covered area and can close sides if I want to keep it warmer inside. I like it because I can manage the amount of water they get and no rain water gets to them. I works for me and so I continue. I bring my favorites and those that are about to bloom onto the deck to enjoy.

All the best with your plants.

Rick

Rick...

For years, I've been shuffling plants into and out of my warm kitchen just to get a few more weeks out of my short season, here in NYC. I even did this "shuffling" for containerized fig trees. Many thought I needed to have my head examined. They were probably right. But by doing this back-breaking routine, I'm able to squeeze maybe a good five months of growth from my tropicals. No matter what I do, some of my fat plants want to go dormant, even in the heated, sunny, kitchen. I think day-length has much to do with their seasonal shutdown.

This year, I am going to try to keep my Adeniums growing, under some lights and with a heating mat for the roots. If it works it works, if it doesn't....at least I tried.

Good luck with your plants and happy growing to all.

Frank