Adenium Cuttings....Will They Strike Roots?

14 years ago

Can a named variety be propagated from stem cuttings? How?

Let's assume that your "Noble Concubine" has produces some long branches and the plant needs to be trimmed back. You have 4-5 pieces of stems, about 6" long. Can you let the cut end callus over, then plant the cut end in some gritty medium for rooting? If the cuttings strike roots, you will then have 4-5 new plants.

A well known grower of high-grade Adenium told me that rooting stem cuttings is next to impossible, that air-layering is a much better method of propagating Adenium, and if successful, the rooted material will not grow a fat caudex like a seed-grown Adenium.

Comments, opinions, and observations, please.

I have found a source for un-rooted cuttings, and I'd like to know if trying to root these cuttings is a waste of time.

Thanks,

Frank

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bronxfigs: New York City/7b
Original Author

14 years ago

When cuttings are rooted and grown on to become respectable plants, what are the general characteristics of the plant shape if left un-trimmed.

Since a fat caudex is unlikely to be produced, will the Adenium cutting start to look like a thick, succulent, Jade Tree/Crassula stem?

Has anyone ever split a cutting vertically, down the middle for an inch or two, and then wedged/spread the two sections/legs near the bottom, apart, so that a flaring base is made...then rooted the cuttings? This is a "bonsai trick" that's used to help create taper in straight, non-tapered, cuttings. I've seen fat cuttings split into three, or more sections, and then wedged open, and each section will then strike roots, and create a widely spreading, buttressed root-base.

Just wondering.

Frank

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Comments (14)

Marie Tran
14 years ago
Frank, yes you can root the cuttings, but not every cutting will live. So do a few and expect some. It will flowers, but the caudex will take many years.
Marie
bronxfigs: New York City/7b
Original Author
14 years ago
Hi Marie....

Thanks...How do you treat this material so that it will strike roots? Gritty mix, coconut husk chips...?

Thanks,
Frank
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karyn1
14 years ago
They'll root but won't develop an enlarged caudex. I use perlite and set them on a seed mat for rooting. I water very sparingly and not for the first few days. I also allow the cut ends to callus before putting them in perlite. Sometimes I use rooting hormones, sometimes not. If I have Rootone powder I'll usually use it for the antifungal benefit more then the rooting hormones. I actually put up a bunch of the cuttings from the plants I pruned last week and still have a few drying.
bronxfigs: New York City/7b
Original Author
14 years ago
karyn1...
Thanks for the information. I was wondering if bottom heat might be involved, and what medium to use.

Frank.
karyn1
14 years ago
I've never kept a cutting grown plant for any great length of time so I don't know how much it would thicken. I've never heard of splitting a stem, but then, I know almost nothing about creating a bonsai. How do you keep the split sections from becomming desiccated, especially with a succulent?
jlgarden53
14 years ago
Frank, check out this album. Swazicum cutting will grow large caudex.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/570027135EuQiwI

Here is a link that might be useful: Swaziucms
bronxfigs: New York City/7b
Original Author
14 years ago
ilgarden...

Great link and very interesting information. Thanks for helping.

Frank
Aggie2
14 years ago
Once again I recommend this site; http://adenium.tucsoncactus.org/cultivat.html
I didn't try it myself (hate pruning, so nothing to root) but there are pictures of plants grown from cuttings!

Aggie
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
Aggie,

If that's (mostly?/all?) Mark Dimmitt, wow, what a source of knowledge - that would be striking Adenium gold, in a way.

And here's that link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Aden I Um
rodderick
13 years ago
I know this is an old post but I became a member just a couple of days ago and would like to add some input to this for anyone who's interested in this. I have tried this dozens of times over the past 10 years and succeeded only once. I still have the plant which is 8-10 years old since I took the cutting. As you can see in the pictures the plant has an unusual appearance .
ladylotus
13 years ago
Actually I really like it and am surprised that is has formed a nice caudex. So many people have said that a cutting will not form a gnarly caudex. Nice information to know.
ARossini
12 years ago
Just to also add, I stuck a cutting into soil 16 years ago and had not done anything to it (as I did not know that the caudex was actually an exposed root until I began reading more seriously recently!) and can confirm that you do get a nice big caudex (but perhaps over a longer period of time than seeded plants?). When I uprooted my adenium, it looked the caudex had maxed out on the space in the pot a long time ago with all its newer root growth overspilling to the top. One thing I noticed for sure though was that the roots/caudex use the horizontal space in the pot and not the vertical space - so a wide-mouth pot actually suits it best!
greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
12 years ago
Hi there, think I can speak on behalf of the other forum members in that we would really like to view a pic of said plant as we really like pics! Looking forward to seeing it real soon if possible!

Gill UK