Hi, Francesco!

So nice to hear from you. My seedlings are doing great. I will try to add a photo here during the weekend. I believe I have 12 in total from the seeds we shared.

Enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Maria Elena

What's the average age for Adenium to possibly bloom? I have two year old seedlings that have not bloomed yet :( I started using Dina Gro a few weeks ago and am really wanting to see them bloom! Nothing yet.

Candice,

They can bloom as young as 6 months, but I would say the majority at 1yr. - 2yrs.

It is tuff waiting for them to put out their first bloom. Seems to happen when you stop watching.

Heat/Good Light/Fertilizer, then you are doing what is needed.

Rick

Francesco,

Here are the seedlings - They are 3 & 4 months old now and I will be repotting the taller ones to 4" pots this or next weekend. The smaller ones were planted later and are 3 months old.

KO_59 ... KO_TH ... KO_SST ... KO_SST

KO_59 ... KO_TH ... KO_TH ... KO_SST

... ... KO_VR ... KO_TH ... KO_SST

** The Variegated Red (front left) is a runt, but already branching!

Touching Heart - 4 germ

Superstar of Tomorrow - 4 germ

Variegated Red - 1 germ

KO_59 - 2 germ

KO_Apollo - 0 germ

Maria Elena

Thanks Rick! You're not kidding, it is definitely tough waiting!

Candice - I have a "Golden Bell" which is just now one year old; and has bloomed 4 times. At 4, 5, 6, and 8 months of age.

Hello Maria Elena

Your seedlings look awesome as usually. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous because here in Switzerland they grow so slowly. Furthermore a lot of my Ko seedlings from last year (planted in September and October) are slightly smaller than yours and most are struggling with the sunlight as they are used to the growing light. Even if they are just receiving filterer sunlight, the color from the leaves are fading.

I think I will give them more time to adjust, or try to repot them as the soil could be an issue. Also I started to feed them again. Unfortunately I forgot to do it and this could be a reason for the loss of leaves, too. Or the combination of everything.

But I have discovered that some of the seedlings which are under the lights again recovered fast and they look great again so I think it must be the sun.

My very first plants are much more different. They grew into nice looking plants during spring and summer (outside) during wintertime they were under the light and now they are exposed to full sun and never got burned or have issues.

The seedlings I received from you are doing great. I can see some differences in between of them which is cool! I also try to upload some pictures. They are still small and are sharing pots together. I know, you don't like it much but I think they like to grow together and I can save some time when I have to water them. :-)

Francesco,

Every climate will present its own challenges. For my climate, it's best to sow seeds in early March, so the seedlings
are about 10 months old and relatively large by Jan/Feb. I experienced stunted growth on some very young seedlings planted at the end of season last August.

I keep my plants outside because we don't have an actual winter ... Daytime temps during Jan/Feb remain in the 80s with 68% humidity. However, our overnight temps cool to 68 - 72 degrees F during Jan/Feb. There is a cold morning dew. During that time, my August-sown seedlings just stopped growing ... They were only 5 months old. These stunted plants have remained relatively slow growers during 2017 spring/summer. I can clearly see a delineation of much smaller leaves that came in during Jan/Feb on all my plants.

So, my friend, the grass is not always greener on the other side of the pond!! Sometimes, I'd rather be in Switzerland eating chocolates!!

Be well!

Maria Elena

I feel you, Francesco as I started my seeds last year in August. Then after they had only a month to grow outside in the sun, I had to bring mine indoors for autumn back and forth until cooler temps forced me to keep them under lights entirely.

Then I didn't water them enough and they went dormant. So now they are growing well again, they are TINY compared to other people's. Mine are almost 10 months old now and they are no larger than 4 month old seedlings others have. But they are hardened off beautifully and have really nice branching on most of them, and I didn't loose hardly anything over winter, so there is that. They'll catch up! ;)

/This/ winter I am going to install a lot more lights (LEDs) for my adenium racks and tent them with a heating system to try and keep them in active growth through the winter. Apparently they make LED tubes that fit into T8 flourescent light fixtures with no need to convert the ballasts on them and they have pretty good lumens output for only being 14 watts per tube. I can get them in 6500k so I'm going to try them.

Hi Hyn Patty

That sounds very familiar to me. Im glad that yours are strong and healthy again. I hope that mine will recover as well. :-)

Maria Elena

You are right of course! ^^

Here in Switzerland it is best to start them during Spring. But last year, when I have seen my first Adeniums (grown from seeds from Amazone and Ebay) grow so well I was like : Buy more to have different specimen and with some luck you will end up with an DH or Variegated plant and that was in August. As you all now I endet with no DH or Variegated so fare but they all look good and quiet different. Some are bulking up and have really distorted pots (I use plastic pots so fare) cant wait to raise them in one or two years. Others are small with lots of branching out going on. The rest is in between of them.

A week later:

The colors are much more intense as they were during winter!

I think you can read my mind! I also want to invest later in bonsai-looking pots when they are older. And I always check the drainage holes and there you can see some nice fat roots (But they are still in the pot). :-) But I will wait a little bit longer to repot them. I might will do it in late August or September. Some of the younger plants will get new pots sooner as I have to check the soil on some of them.

I wish all of you a great week, too!

Greetings

I keep mine growing year around even though I live in zone 5. If you want vigorous growth & blooms during the Winter months, you have to expect a higher utility bill each month, or put up the initial investment for more energy efficient lights.

(January 17)

Looking good Rob!

And the first opened yesterday:

Comparison to the first time after eight month and now with 15 month:

Greetings

It's kinda nice to have different flower coloration from the same plant; in separate bloom cycles.

(9/23/2016)

Adeniums are just full of surprises!

Rob

Thats true Rob! The flower is also bigger than the last time.

Rob, wow, I like the second flower even more!

I wasn't that lucky when my somalense hybrid bloomed a few weeks ago:

First bloom of above Adenium after purchase.

Rob

And the next bloom opened some days ago. ^^

Comparison pic with the first flower:

Like the last time it is scented ;-)

Is one pic from growing indoors, and the other outdoors?

Rob

Indeed. The first time it flowered was during winter so it had to stay indoors. And after 7 Month it is blooming again.

Roger obesum w/ "Fuchsia Flame" graft.

wow..that one looks so good!

Rob, I don't want to seem dumb, but is that residue from watering on the leaves in pic 2?

ariel - I just checked that pic in my "Photo Gallery" (so I could zoom in), and it look's like residue left behind when I had "Azos" in my fert solution, and got some on the leaves.

That's why I don't use a spray bottle on my plants, because the water droplets just collect dust and other air born particles.

I just went outside to snap these, because now the original "Fuchsia Flame" mother plant is beginning to bloom.

Thanks. More pics when they open, please. :)

Will do!

In the mean time, here's something a bit further along.

Rob

and once again...my most faithful adenium is blooming at the perfect moment!

I think its getting darker each time...

Greetings

Francesco

Francesco, that's a nice one. Is it blooming under lights?

Than you Martin! I'm glad you like it. It is also my favorite in my collection so fare, even if I just had three seedlings to bloom so far.

Anyway, it is under lights right now. Usually, I take them out to see them more when I'm at home but as its freezing at the moment and the sun is not shining long, i decided that the plant should stay under the light. they like it and the flowers last longer if if the conditions are not changing all the time (I feared that they will mature to fast once open under the light but i was wrong I guess).

But I would like to have one of your red star shaped once. They look really good!

Some days later, already three are open and the plant looks even better. ^^

Francesco, I really like the red colour and that "chalky" lighter look towards the throat.

I have one red flower coming, too, on a seed-grown plant. Hopefully it will open tonight or tomorrow.

Thank you Martin! ;-) I like it ,too. Can't wait to see my other seed grown plants bloom. They are very special plants.

Last year I bought also Arabicum Seeds from Mr. Ko, after seeing your plants. From five seeds, five have sprouted but only one looks healthy. The others are losing their leaves all the time. I don't know but I might treat them different.

Another of my very first seed grown plants is finally blooming for the first time. Not a special color but its not that bad i guess...

You might remember this guy from pervious posts.

I took this picture last march and it grew quiet a bit since then...

Today it looks looks like:

Greetings

Francesco

I like it Francesco i really love the motley look. :×)

Thank you Peter ;-)

I also like it. It looks a bit like his sibling but at the same time, a lot different. Cant wait to see my other plants develop.

Little update as other buds opened yesterday...

Wow, thats my first seed grown plant that managed to develope all buds to flowers without throwing some of them. Also, they last quiet a bit.

Greetings

Nice. How old is she?

Nice you are so lucky to get a nice colour bloom instead of common pink and very well portion :×)

That's a good bloomer. Definitely a keeper. :-)

Here we go again. This time the same plant has not a lot of flowers. But the colors are more intense...also an other branch is starting to produce blooms..^

and that one is not willing to open up its huge flowerbuds...

Nice color. How old is the bottom pic? The flowers do look large. Have you plans to prune after it blooms for more branching and flowers? When it opens please put something next to it compare size.

I had not seen this post, thanks for updating.

Thx Marica! The pics are new. I took them last weekend.

As soon the flowers are open(i hope they will) i will post a picture.

Unfortunately i have no plans so fare. I just want to know how it blooms.

greetings

francesco

Today I found one of the Flowerbuds on the floor. Once again! I opned it up, just to see how it looks like and if it is a multipetal.

This is what i found:

Has anyone an idea why it is brown inside and why it could not fully mature? I already have one plant that always plays the same game. If THAT is another one i will dump both as it is so annoying after puting so much time and work in it to get them through winter.

I hope you guys have more luck.

Greetings

Very frustrating! You have more plants that bloom fine? It is just these two that do this? How does the plants look?

Yes. as im still new to adenium plants and raised all (exept for one) from seeds, not all of them had blooms but each year, i have more. however, the once who can bloom, had lots of it.

So i dont understand why some plants are producing buds just to abandom them later. It could also be possible, that i should have given more water. Some times they had to wait 2 days and the soil was might to dry as it was very hot for weeks. Or a lake of fertilizer?!

I started again to feed them more frequently and that plant is already producing more buds at the top. So i hope it will open them.

The bad thing is im not around for a week in september and my family will not give them the same care As i do.

well, the plant looks fine and i like it. Im sure, next year it will do marvelous!

Can you move the shade for that week? Its so hot here mine are in bright light only and i fertilize once a week. But extra water in between. I don't know what brands you have for fertilizer, but there are several time released fertilizers online . If its and dry you could set a plate of water to evaporate around them. They are tropical and like humidity. I mist mine once in awhile