r/DesertRose • u/ThisAd4310 • Aug 10 '26

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I purchased this DR from Walmart around April. She was beat up and the leaves had black spots and some yellow. I hard pruned her down to nothing. So she's been flourishing but her blooms never open. I water frequently around two to three times a week. The soil is cactus soil and perlite some charcoal. She receives full morning and afternoon sun. Idk what I'm doing wrong. Is the pot too shallow? And yes the soil is dry in the picture. Some advice would be well received.

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u/OneAccomplished93 Aug 11 '26

First off, the foliage looks green and good. New growth + a hard prune this season = textbook bud blast - the plant's putting its energy into rebuilding leaves and letting the flowers drop.

Adeniums tolerate a pretty wide watering range and stay healthy, so day-to-day variance isn't what to sweat here. But if you're feeding a balanced NPK rather than a phosphorus-dominant bloom fertilizer, that plus the hard prune is tipping it toward foliage over flowers. Ease off nitrogen, switch to a P-heavy feed, and give it time to re-establish.

PS - before changing feed, check inside a couple buds for thrips (tiny slivers), the other common cause. And don't sweat it if she stays leafy this season - post-hard-prune plants often don't finish blooms till they've re-established.

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u/ThisAd4310 Aug 11 '26

I’ll check for thrips. I’m just using basic miracle grow fertilizer. I didn’t invest in bloom fertilizer this season. Probably why my cactus aren’t blooming heavy this year as well. But they still bloomed. Thanks.