Desert Rose... How to make her shine???

waltseed

Mostly I just lurk and learn here. But for once I can give back.
I have grown adeniums, or desert roses, for a few years, and have started to import seeds. 900 seeds arrived from Taiwan just last night.
Final size? The first one I saw when I was in the Peace Corps in Niger, in 1978. It was about 2 meters tall, and it was a meter wide coming out of the ground.
There are several species, or subspecies by one taxonomist. They range from about 60 cm to well over 3 m. mature size, depending on species.
One species blooms during it's dormant season, with no leaves. Then no flowers when it has leaves. But most bloom during the spring, summer, and/or fall, depending on which species went into it. Some modern hybrids bloom year round.
Once the seedlings are well started, they do best for me in pure sifted 1/4 inch Hadite. It is a nice and open, water runs right through it. I water daily in the summer, monthly in the winter. Mine winter in a cool dark closet, because it is where I have room. They would be just as happy sitting in a window if I had the space. They must not freeze, and rally shouldn't get much below 10 C.
One species will try to be dormant 9 months out of the year. Modern hybrids can stay in growth nearly year round, and bloom year round.
While the ancestors of domestic adeniums are desert plants, they are now being produced in India under monsoon conditions. Drainage must be perfect of course.
As for pruining, they may become tall and stringy without pruning. Prune by just clicing off what you don't want, with a sharp knife. It stimulates branching. Dip the prunings in rooting hormone adn let the cut ends dry for a week or more. Then stick it in your potting mix and water once in a while. They may root with no other care. They may not. I am starting to think some adeniums just root better than others.
Cutting grown plants may or may not grow the swollen caudex of seedlings. Some cultivars do, some don't . They do take a few years of good growth to form caudexes if they are going to. Either way, they can make fat roots which can be mistaken for caudexes.
The caudex of any adenium can be acentuated by lifting the plant about an inch every year to expose more of the caudex and swollen roots.
They are lovely plants, but I don't concider them good for bonsai. Their finest twigs are too coarse. Their leaves don't reduce, or haven't for me. There are some dwarf varieties which are nice. Some grow them with bonsai.
Some do look good in bonsia pots.

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Waltseed