Wow, Candice! I can see why it's your favorite. Is this the multi branch one you talked about in your Seedlings growth in different soil mixes post?

Thanks Manda! Yep it's the same one! I can't wait to see it's future growth.

I'll probably prune the large middle branch eventually, so the other ones can get more energy to grow.

Nice! This one is definitely a keeper.

Peter, good idea. Do you actually just pinch them? Is there any difference in that and cutting with blade as far as the scar?

Candice, It will be full very soon.

Marie

Candice i just pinch the tip out because im to lazy to walk 20 mtrs to get the knife . Just have a look on the forum i think Martin put a thread on when he trimmed the dominant branch out just have a look to see the difference before and after i have heaps here that have been tipped or on the larger ones cut to get some secondary growth happening im not very technical if it dont look good i cut and hope for the best :×)

Haha ok. I'll take a look. Thank you!

Yes, pruning out that high top branch will give the other branches more light and nutrients that would have gone to the apex tip. Looking good! A lot of mine branched very heavily after they over wintered very dry. I plan to winter them dry again this year but they are larger now and not so tiny.

Thanks Hyn. How many waterings did you give them in the winter? I will bring mine inside this year (I lost most of my collection last year due to one very cold night). I'm trying to figure out that best space saving ways to bring them into my small condo. I wonder if I can take them out of pots and wrap (with soil) in a burlap sack or something?

Well, they were tiny, so I was worried about them rotting. And it got chilly in my art studio at night, down in the 50's but up in the 70's with sun coming in through a south facing window during the day. So I only watered them about an eye dropper worth once a week. They got brown leaf tips and started dropping leaves but they looked otherwise fine so ... a few months into winter, maybe around late January or early February I noticed their little caudex's were shriveling up and getting soft and I started pulling some of them up to check their roots! No rot.

I was told to water them more so very cautiously I chose a few to test and started giving them a light drench every few days, about twice a week. My humidity was low, around 40% but within a week or two, they started fattening up! By March they were putting out new leaves. I was so relieved that I hadn't killed them over their first winter because they were little.

Here's a photo of them from around December of 2016 before they got browned leaf tips and yellowing, dropping leaves. Mind you, depending on what your temps, humidity, and what kind of mix you are using, yours may dry out a lot faster. These were in a gritty mix with sharp sand, potting soil, charcoal, lots of perlite, and a little worm castings. Top dressed with gravel.

Nice babies! I love the look of the rocks on top but always seemed to have trouble with my plants that had them. I'm not sure why.

My plants usually do ok as low as 40 degrees. I live upstairs and they are on a patio, which makes it even colder for them. They are pretty tough but once it drops below 40, is when it gets scary.

I had one plant for a few years. It survived every winter outside no problem. Last year we had an awful freeze in 20's (awful for Houston haha). That's when I lost it :( I honestly think I watered mine maybe once a month or month and a half (barely) and only on a warmer day. They will shrivel up but always bounce back in spring. They USUALLy do, anyway... but there's no saving them in 20 degree weather (especially upstairs on a patio.) Maybe if they were closer to the warm ground, it would be different.

I ended up removing the gravel by summer. It got too hot and started to burn the seedlings. But for winter it made for a good top dressing to help conserve moisture.

You hit the nail on the head - adeniums can take the cooler temperatures in the 40's but only if they are dry. From what I have read, and my own experience so far, if they aren't dry though you'll start running into root rot in the 50's. So I think that's key. You are right that shriveling up doesn't seem to hurt them and they'll bounce back just fine later when it's warm enough to resume watering.

Such a helpful thread .. thank you everyone.. and that is such a cute little fat guy with all those branches.. most definitely would be one I kept fo sure:)