Hi there Conny! I see you will be checking me out as we are both rather climatically challenged aren't we? All my plants live in the house in my sunniest Windows or in the g/h, occasionally going outside when I decide to give them a proper shower from head to toe with the watering can to clean the leaves. I only have 8 plants, 3 obesums and 3 arabicums I've grown from seed, plus two obesums I was given as plants.

I've only ever seen two Adeniums for sale, one was last week at the NEC exhibition centre in Birmingham last week. It was around 6 inches tall max and cost £25 and out of my league I'm afraid!

I'll be posting another new thread in the next few days or so as my second seed grown plant is about to flower and I can't wait! I've lost a fair few at the small seedling stage but I now have three 8year olds that appear to be thriving. They're small compared to what is achieved by growers with better climates and also those who use the grow tents, so mine are compact and look like bonsai specimens, which is fine by me.

Gill

Hi Conny,

I'm a newbie addict also. New to Adenium plants. I'm learning a great deal here from all the experienced growers here. You have some great plants.

Good luck to you Conny!! Beautiful cat!!

Sounds like your having fun! Blooms are plentiful and pretty.

I am new also and tried to grow seeds on a heat pad very early spring I want to try again. I treated them like my 6 young trees. But they need more moisture after they sprouted. Yours look good.

Conny, welcome to the forum...I hope you visit it daily.

You are going to be busy from now on.....but it is fun growing adenium. No adenium rootstock looks alike, so each one has it own character.

I hope they bloom well for you.

Marie

Thanks to all of you for your kind words! I feel at home already, with people who understand that one is not a complete fool when referring to adenium seedlings as ones babies (such a relief to find others here saying that too!)!

@Gill: I can't say adenium is a common plant in (the shops in) the Netherlands. I've found two garden centres who have a small selection (but not all the time), mostly the pink "Anouk". I was pleasantly surprised to also see some arabicum a few weeks ago at the garden centre near to where I work. Like you I don't think I would pay GBP 25 for one at max 6" tall, but at EUR 7-15 a piece it's not too bad (the cheaper one being the cuttings, or the one with the rotten caudex LOL). Great that your 8-year olds are doing so well, and I'm excited for you that your expected a first bloom on a younger one! I can't wait to read the news and see the pictures!

I wouldn't mind if my seedlings will stay bonsai-size as well: I'll have more room for more in our rather unsuitably-sized (small...) house.

@wispymistyteacup: good luck with your adenium endeavours as well.

@spacecoastfl: thanks very much, and I've passed the compliment on to Rufus (he doesn't understand why his mummie seems to give more attention to the plants then to him and his sister these days; it's hard enough explaining that to the other half, let alone the cats...)

@M7hSC: fun I'm sure having! I use a heat pad as well, even now in the summer, and I spray them and the culture 2-3 times a day, keeping it moist.

@Marie: thank you very much as well for the warm welcome. I will be visiting here as often as I can for sure! Yes, it keeps me busy, but also keeps my mind off the cigarettes (I quit smoking 4 weeks ago, and I couldn't have found a better and more rewarding way - albeit just as expensive - to replace that awful habit).

Right, I'm off to repotting the arabicums now. Hopefully no unexpected finds ie root rot like yesterday.

All the best, Conny

Gill, I also meant to ask you: you mentioned above that occasionally you take your adeniums outside to "give them a proper shower from head to toe with the watering can to clean the leaves." When you do that, how do you prevent from overwatering. Postpone the regular watering for a while?

My plants get watered by wash the water through. I do this every so often on all my plants. It then doesn't build up chemical from the water. They like a bath in a rain shower in the summer too. My soil lets me do this because it is quick draining and doesn't get soggy. I finally realized that watering is different from one another of us for several reasons. I was afraid to water to much. Found out my area is to dry. so I water a little more. I also adding to my dry gritty mix for the same reason. just added coir

As Marcia says above, the leaf washing is in place of a normal watering for them. It's good to do this every so often as it cleans the leaves if dust and also helps flush out any remaining fertiliser salts from the soil. I make my own version of the gritty mix, I use bark chips, perlite, alpine gravel and c/s mix in equal amounts so it's relatively fast draining. I let the plants sit outside on strips of wood so the excess water runs away. I do this three or four times a year when I know they will be ok left outside and not get washed away or blown across the fields into the next village as my garden is high up and exposed to the elements. If you wanted to do this on a more regular basis just cover the pot and soil in cling film wrapped firmly around the base of the caudex, some will get into the soil, but not much.

Gill

Conny , I have a cat and another half.. I understand .. I don't know how many times I've had to hear the "don't you have enough plants" lecture.

Gill and Marcia: I see, it's useful then to do that a few times a year. I want to get a water barrel / reservoir next week so I can start using rain water instead of tap water for watering the plants. Rain we get enough of here, so that should work nicely.

Gill, I like the cling film tip, I will certainly use that, thanks! Our garden faces farmland and is not totally enclosed, so it's very hard to find a day without the winds blowing in too much. Whenever there is no wind (and I'm off work), I put all DR's and plummies outside. Unfortunately this summer has not been very good yet...

Spacecoastfl: it's not just the "don't you have enough plants" lecture here.... I've just spent 4 hours caring for all my plants (yes, they're my plants, not ours, LOL). Not quite the other half's idea of spending a Sunday...

I love your plants Conny. Adeniums are quite an addiction. My other half also complains, as he walks in with more annuals from Lowes.

Thanks so much Cynthia!

I can't wait to get to work tomorrow, then sneak out for a few minutes to see if the garden centre nearby still has the nice multiflorum I saw there last Friday, and then buy it of course :-) (as well as some more of the pots I planted two of my arabicums in today). Addiction is an understatement I think... LOL