Snowbelt

Adeniums have been categorized as desert tropicals. To me it is like an oxy-moron so I will leave the details to the botanists. My remarks on cultivation are all based on experience, I grow in greenhouses in not so weather friendly Central NY. Any products I mention will be readily available in the USA. There is no magic involved here, just good old horticulture.

Adeniums thrive at temperatures above 80 degrees with very bright light. The good part is they are very adaptable and will do well between 60 - 90+ degrees and do respond well to artificial light. A fluorescent/incandescent light combination works well. High intensity discharge lights, if affordable, work well. The sodiums give an enhanced"normal" growth pattern while the metal halides really speed up growth and encourage branching and earlier flowering but they produce a lot of heat and are expensive to operate.

Cold will NOT be your friend. 45 - 60 is a gray area, Below 45 you are toying with disaster.

When actively growing with warm temperatures, Adeniums will take a good amount of water. Make sure the mix used is well draining. They really do not like wet feet and with the ability to store water in the caudex and stems the soil will be bone dry before any signs of wilt are noticed When actively growing I like a balanced fertilizer like a 20 20 20 with micronutrients at 1/4 to 1/2 strength with every watering. Seedlings respond well to a fertilizer higher in phosphorus. It seems to beef up the root system and strengthens the caudex. This is not a normal recommendation, only if you have problems with "weaney" seedlings.

Adeniums need a soil mix that drains well. There are many mixes out there. There are NO magical amendments. You want your mix to have water- retaining ability along with good porosity for air circulation in the root area and for the bulk of the water to drain through. So choose your amendments by what they do rather than what they are. For example, pumice and perlite perform the same function. Pumice is heavier and promotes a cooler root zone. Perlite is good but it floats if you add more than 40%. So your choice. You need some good organic material. I recommend a good commercial mix amended with products that will give you a final mix that if squeezed in your hand, will not stick together. I do not want to make specific recommendations publicly but feel free to contact me on what I use exactly.

As far as pots go - I see no advantage to clay or plastic other than cost but try to use one or the other to keep practices consistant.

Adenium seeds are relatively simple to germinate. Fresh seed are best with a window of 2 - 3 months if kept dry and cool. Beyond this time the viability drops off significantly. There are many variations of sowing techniques. The following has Worked well for me. I use a commercial soil mix such as Jiffy mix or Rediearth.put into 21/2 to 3" square plastic pots.

They are placed in trays without holes filled with water until thoroughly soaked. Up to 10 seeds per pot are sown horizontally and covered with a sprinkle of dry soil.The trays are then placed on heating (propagating) mats set at 80 degrees under a bank of four fluorescent lights for 16 hours.

The flats are covered with domes or glass and never allowed to dry. Germination begins in 2-3 days and flats are uncovered in 10 days. The seedlings should NEVER be allowed to dry completely. Keep them in their community pots, on the mats under the lights. When the stems reach the girth of a standard pencil you should Transplant them to their individual pots. Continue to keep them bright and warm and gradually cut the watering but do not let them dry completely.

You will notice inferior seedlings (i.e. weany). Some never develop - either discard them or (my choice) pot them up in their own community pot. Sometimes they are just slower than others. Seed coats sometimes stick not allowing leaves to open. Just remove them. Spray with water to soften is necessary. The white ones are the variegated leaf varieties - they often do not make it but don’t give up on them. Separate them for some will green up under bright light and look like the others.

The variegation sometimes returns as they mature. Enjoy, share, trade and have fun! Oh yes - take lots of pictures.

Get to know your plants. If they do not seem happy,something is missing. Adeniums are usually not prone to disease. Mites and mealybugs are their most common pests. Diligence in inspecting, washing with a firm stream of water ,humidity and good air circulation will keep you out of the pesticide procuring business. Being cold and wet is the most common killer of Adeniums. Otherwise you should be able to keep them for a very long time.

A comment on the "named flower" seedlings. Once a favorable flower is produced by sexual propagation, it is often not stable or reproducable. Often seed from a known cross cannot reproduce that flower again. Please keep in mind I can not assure that the named seedlings will flower as indicated in their photos. I can only assure the seedling to be from that exact named seed.