Also, for people who live in rainy areas, do you move them back and forth from inside to out? I try to leave them outside under the deck but when it is really storming they still get wet. I leave them in the laundry room with the air vent closed so they don't get any direct AC on them.

Don't be afraid of water. It's ok as long as you have well drained soil. What soil are you using? A lot of people think they don't want much water, but many say it encourages blooms. Well drained is key. I wouldn't move them inside and out, it's stressing them. I move mine only when temps go below 45.

I use Dyna Gro Bloom. The middle number/phosphorous is supposed to encourage blooming. Left number/Nitrogen should be the lowest number. Too much will encourage more green growth than flowers.

I started adding fish fertilizer and liquid seaweed this past month. I believe the plants are liking it.

I just spoke with Marie Tran who has a wonderful collection. She said she is using Color Star. She has an insane amount of blooms! I may test that one out soon.

And ofcourse, sunlight is important

If you live in a very rainy area, I'd use a gritty mix.

I actually bought these plants from Marie! It's so hard with fertilizers! I bought the Dyna Grow Foilage Pro after reading many people here use it so I gave it a shot. I have some blooming fertilizer that I use for my plumerias that I could try. I keep reading that the middle number being high doesn't really help as much as people think, so I got confused and stuck with the foliage pro. I prefer water soluble fertilizers which is why I haven't tried color star yet.

As far as soil, mine is very gritty. I almost wonder sometimes if it is too gritty! It is very fast draining and so I think you are right about not worrying about water as much right now with the high temps!

The only time I was bringing them in is when it would rain for so many days in a row, but I will definitely stop that! I agree with you that I think it is stressing them out. What do you think about sun? Do you think it's okay to move them during the day so they get afternoon sun too and not just morning? Or do you think that is stressing them out too?

Thank you Candice for your help! I really appreciate it!

I just looked at my plumeria fertilizer and it is 5-50-17. I might try some of that just to see what happens!

Hi Angela, Candice has given you some great advice. I wouldn’t be moving them in and out either, I think that just confuses your plants. Adeniums flower in response to how many daylight hours they get as well as other variables including soil mix and fertilisers. I would probably increase how much sun they are getting, but do this slowly so as not to cause sunburn. (Do this over a period of a few weeks, especially if it’s very hot were you are.)

Ps: - Some photos of your plants and soil would help so we can assess how they’re growing and what size they are, so we don’t give the wrong advice :)

You're welcome! That's cool you got them from Marie! I've seen her collection in person. She has beautiful plants!

I think the high middle number thing is mostly referring to "too" high. Some of these plumeria ones have insane amounts of phosphorous. Adenium don't need that much at all. I always just make sure I'm not adding too much nitrogen and the other two numbers are higher (but doesn't need to be super high). Some people get a more balanced fertlizer and it works good for them. I just noticed that when my nitrogen numbers are higher than the rest, I get lots of foliage and not many blooms.

I just looked up foliage pro. It is 9-3-6 which makes me think you're getting too much nitrogen and too little phosphorous ratios for blooming. I would try the lower nitrogen method. See if that helps.

I like water soluble also. I love testing, though. I'll try out that color star one day.

As far far as moving for sunlight, I'm not sure. I wouldn't think it would. But I may be wrong. My plants only get a few hours of morning sun (I can't move mine because I live in a condo). Mine bloom and do great. But I bet I'd get more blooms if they had more sun.

Thank you both! I will post some pictures tomorrow because it is dark right now and I don't want to disturb them. :) I have been moving them in the afternoons so they get more sun. So basically they get morning sun for about 4 hours and then afternoon for at least 3.

Thank you Candace for explaining the fertilizer thing. I am going to look for one with the middle number not quite so high as my plumeria fert. and then pay attention to a lower first number too. Whew! This is a lot to learn!

And then patience too.... and maybe not going outside and looking for blooms every hour either.... lol!

Lol, I do the same thing! I'm always peeking to see what has bloomed. It's an obsession!

and Candice, I am jealous that you have seen Marie's collection in person!! It is so amazing through pictures! She has sent me so many and I look at them often.

I'm fortunate that she only lives 20 minutes from me! She is so sweet and inviting. How far are you from Houston?

Well, funny thing is I am from Dallas, but am currently living in Auburn Alabama. So pretty far away unfortunately. If I was still in Dallas, I would make a trip to Houston!

Gorgeous Rachel! I can't wait til I get out of this condo and get a yard, so I can give my "babies" some more sun like this!

I love how you've displayed the roots and the unique pots you have. What sort of pots are those?

Candice, these are just a bowl shaped pot. They have lots of drainage holes and are made of a thick UV resistant plastic. Terracotta bowl shaped pots are just as good. We’ve been buying some new terracotta ones to use when we next repot. (We like either.) As you probably know, terracotta is good at drying out quicker :)

Rachel, that is just beautiful!! Thank you for the info on the sun. I figured since they are desert plans they would need a lot but I didn’t know if I was giving it too much. Glad to know I’m not!

I also love the pots and the way the roots are laying!

Angela, how much sun they can take also depends on what age and size your plants are. Be careful if yours are small seedlings. That’s why posting photos is helpful :)

The roots on this plant are natural, we just expose a little bit more of the roots every time we repot. This last season we had to repot twice in Summer. We usually go up slowly in pot sizes as we don’t like to overpot. We’ve found with our weather/growing conditions and using the bowl shaped squat pots that the roots grow better/fatter.

Okay here are some pics!

You have some lovely plants.. I saw that the leaves of the plant in the last photo have mottled shaded leaves.. Some of my plants do as well but I don't understand why some plants have leaves like this and others don't.. They all get exactly the same care.. . Any explanations, anyone?

@paradiseprincess51 Thank you!! Now if we can just get some blooms going!

This particular plant has always had different looking leaves. It's actually usually a little bit worse than right now. They are close to as normal looking as ever right now! I am not sure though what causes that. I have read that sunburn can cause the leaves to curl, but I'm unsure on the coloring of them.

Hi Angela, all of your plants look good to me. None of them are overpotted and I can see you’ve used plenty of perlite in your mix. That is good, and the terracotta pots will help with drying out. I think you’re plants are big enough to be able to take more sun. Having said that, you will still need to increase the amount of sun over a period of weeks, so you don’t get any sunburn on the caudex.

As for flowering, I noticed that most of your plants are grafted. The grafts are well done and have healed nicely. Sometimes grafted plants just take a little bit longer to flower....but once they start they usually flower well. I wouldn’t worry too much with these, give them abit more sun and let them do their thing for now.

@rachel thank you! I am hearing you tell me to just be patient.... lol! I really appreciate your help! Hopefully soon I will have soon beautiful blooms to share like yours!

@rachel one more question. How do you know when it is time to re-pot them? I bet I won’t have to re-pot for a while, but I could be wrong. What should I be looking for and is there a good time in the year to do it?

Angela, repotting is best done in Spring or early Summer. When repotting, make sure your morning temps are no longer low (cold) We repot once a year in Spring so as to refresh the soil and so our plants have enough nutrients to get them through the growing season. Our plants get most of their nutrients from our potting mix with the occasional liquid fertiliser when we think it is needed. We use a cacti/succulent mix + orchid bark + perlite. This suits our climate. You should use what is available and suitable for your climate.

Your plants look fine in the pot size they are in. I wouldn’t go up a pot size yet. When the caudex/rootball starts to fill the pot widthways, then I would go up a pot size. (You can always repot each year into the same size pot, until your plant outgrows it.) When repotting, you want to repot early in the growing season so that your plants roots (underground roots) have time to fill the pot before Winter.....so that there is less chance of rot during Winter.

By the way, I don’t know where you are located (zone 8a) as we don’t use terms like that in Australia. I see Candice is in Houston, but I don’t know where you are. Lol...So, where are you?

Rachel, thank you. That is very helpful!

I am in Auburn Alabama!

Rachel, sorry, I keep thinking of questions to ask you! Do you grow mostly from seed?

Angela, I love your enthusiasm/how excited you are about adenium. It reminds me of myself lol!

Also, I really like the amount of branching on your Walmart plant.

Lol! Candice, it is a sickness haha!! I am obsessed! I am like a sponge trying to absorb all the information I can!

Thank you! Even though that is just a single “pink” flower it really is a pretty plant.

:P Same here. When I am interested in something, I research the heck out of it.

Haha! I am the exact same way!

Candice, do you grow plants from Marie? Or seeds? Or do you buy from nurseries? I am always so curious where people get their plants from because they can be difficult to find.

HI Angela sometime your plants just will not bloom when I have one not bloom I don't water it for 3weeks then the next 3 times I water with a super bloom (10/50/10) works for me

roger

Angela, I am lucky and have two local nurseries that import grafted Adenium from Thailand. I ordered seeds on eBay a few years ago and have a lot of pink babies from that. I plan to try and pollinate my own soon.

Candice, you are very lucky! I am thankful for people like Marie who are willing to ship them! No way would I find any here lol!

Hi Angela, yes we grow all our plants from seed - out of necessity. (We have very strict quarantine laws here in Australia.) As a home grower we can only import seed, not plants. Our nurseries don’t sell much more then the common single pink. If we had a nursery here like the one that Candice has, I would have to go on a mad shopping spree. Lol

Lol!! You and me both Rachel! That would be dangerous!

Rachel-

That picture of that double pink, that you posted a few days ago, is absolutely beautify. And I am no fan of doubles, nor of the color pink. Beautifully grown and displayed!

Congrats!! Best of and continued luck.

Frank

NYC

Thanks Frank, that particular one we grew from Mr Ko’s seed. I can’t remember the name of the variety we bought, I just know it was supposed to be a yellow/pink. It has been as Mr Ko says “super floweriness” :)

@Candice - I didn't know how else to ask you a question, so I am posting here! How is the ColorStar working for you? Can you tell a difference from what you were using before? I am about to give in and get some I think although I know it is late in the season. I think I have decided to go the time released route now because of all of the rain here.

Angela, that's so funny. I was wanting to update about it this week. I actually have noticed a difference already! The leaves appear greener and healthier, and they are all growing very well! I swear they look better overall.

I used 1 tsp per 6" pot. I just guessed on what amount to use. I had no noticeable burning. I think I'll give them 1 tsp per month.

I'm starting to see some blooms! I have maybe 12 buds on my purple graft. I have two others starting to form some also. Before that, I haven't had much luck with the blooms here because of the 100+ degree heat we're having. Hopefully all the buds will open up nicely.

I'll really be able to tell in the fall. That's a good time for blooming! So far I really like it. But I'll have my full thoughts on it after it cools down.

Okay you have convinced me! I will be buying some. I am anxiously awaiting the fall to see what happens! So far still no blooms for me yet! I bet with ColorStar it will happen! Thank you for your update!

Sorry Candice, one more question, when you put it in the soil do you just sprinkle it and then kinda push it down into it? Is there an easy way?

No prob! I just sprinkle it around the base and leave it. The water does the rest. Let me know how it works for you too!

My 11 yr old plant just got trimmed lightly. So i get full blooming next yr. I also did hard pruning on my young plants for shaping and blooms next yr. My plants love the summer rain, but it isn't as strong as yours. Several of us you an adapted gritty mix for our area. my mix had to a little more humas for moisture. Not your☺ problem I fertilize one a week.