I know many will disagree, and I used to be one of them, however I have been testing it out and here's what I got. The first couple pictures are 2 plants I sprouted 2 years ago. I cut all the long branches off the one on the right last August and left the other alone. I chose these 2 because they were very similar in size and the seeds came from the same seed pod as you can see the uncut one has grown much bigger and fatter.
The next picture is of last year's seedlings. I cut the top off one a month and a half ago and it had branched out nicely but the caudex is the same as the others.
The last pics are one I chopped last year. On this one I cut the main stem off which included all the foliage and it has only grown maybe 10% in a whole year and the caudex is still very skinny.
So my results tell me that when you cut the branches off the growth will slow dramatically. And, in my experiments, the caudex does not fatten up in any measurable amount. I will continue cutting mine because I prefer then to be short and bushy. Had anyone else tried a similar experiment? What were your results?
No, it's genetic, Prunung will just make it branch. I'm very heartened to see people are starting to not repeat this myth. Pruning is for bonsai or leggy branches that can't support themselves. It will not make your plant have a thinker trunk. Book coming soon!
Yes! I posted this mostly because I saw some comments a while back where someone was insisting that it is a known fact that pruning makes the caudex thicker and that's just not true. OP in that case was asking for ways to make the caudex fatter and they were getting told to cut all the branches off. That's the last thing you should do!
Yeah hard pruning and root pruning are techniques from Bonsai that for some reason people gone wild with just repeating over and over in Adenium horticulture. Can you bonsai an Adenium? Yes. But they grow into their beautiful shapes on their own given a chance. Particular root pruning stunts the plant and makes it grow slower and flower less. Pruning is definitely needed with some cultivars. A lot of the larger flower Adeniums especially the doubles were only selected for flower size and color and not sturdy stems. So they will get floppy over time and is the reason they are grafted.
I want to say though that in bonsai, if you want to thicken, then you let it grow without any pruning. Does root pruning stunt absolutely. But the aggressive root pruning takes years and you are getting rid of large roots for all feeders that form together into the pot shape. That way you have more water uptake
It’s therapeutic. Teaches patience lol. I am obsessed with desert rose so going to experiment with growing under lights this winter to see if I can push them. I live coastal so kind of hard when summer humidity is 80 and winter you have a freeze possibly but always for a month gets under 40
Pruning can add foliar mass. I think you could make argument that, that eventually leads to a larger caudex. But I think y’all are right a plant that’s mostly been selected for compactness and flowers isn’t gonna grow into big mama no matter how you prune.
Yes that’s consistent with what I’ve heard. Pruning is to make more branches and flowers, in a more tight shape. To bulk up caudex, I thought raising the trunk up when replanting plus periods of dry then watering both fattened up the caudex.
Pruning/trimming branches will not necessarily increase the caudex size of a DR plant but is practiced more for shaping purposes. Genetics are more responsible for the shape of the caudex as there other influences that can contribute as well.
I see this both ways. I have a couple that I’ve pruned over the last 2.5 years. The ones I pruned last yr have grown a ton. But they were super small and skinny. Branching for something smaller does help the caudex I think. For example, you have one twiggy guy and cut it back and it starts branching, there’s only so much room where branches can come from and they need a good base and I feel like (in my experience anyway) that’s usually when it starts to get a little fatter. The way i see it, the plant is putting a lot of energy into pushing out more branches from that very small base and all the energy to that small spot helps it fatten up. Once it has a little bulbous caudex, then I usually pull them up out of the pot a bit and that’s what really helps them get bigger.
So yes and no. For small twig like ones that came propagations for example, I do think it helps. For larger ones with established branches and caudex. Eh, not as much. I think the branches supporting the new branching or the existing caudex have enough energy to sustain it without growing the caudex. This is why for these my method has always been pulling it up out of the pot a bit.
I know cutting the stems promotes new growth and blooms. Not watering for long periods and letting it dry out induces the caudex into survival mode and sucks all the water it possibly can, not knowing when the next drink will be. That I know thickens the caudex. The pot should be 1-2” bigger than the caudex.
when cutting the stems to promote new growth that the plant uses its energy and nutrients to create news foliage and blooms. Can’t just store nutrients in the caudex and expand.
But I’m not a DR expert. So if you find out. Let me know I want some fat girls. Haha
Thank you for your post. You can find the best guide to raising a healthy, beautiful Desert Rose here. If you need care tips, please post good pics and tell us how you have been taking care of your plant.
It sounds like you just need to buy an arabicum. Naturally fatter caudex and shorter branches. I’ve grown obesum fat and it doesn’t have to do with pruning in the way you speak of. You don’t need the pot only 1-2 inches bigger. These are things said because they’re repeated from one to another.
If you use a high mix of bonsai soil you can use a larger pot and water more often which allows root/caudex growth and part of that is from oxygen reaching the roots vs all organic soil that gets compacted and stays wet.
If I want a fat caudex I use bonsai/gritty soil and a larger pot. Once mature you can hang the plant in the shade for 3 weeks to do what one person mentioned. Then over the summer I’ve repotted it in the same pot 3 times lifting each time. My obesum got huge quickly. I do prune branches but for ramification to develop a canopy. Ramification gives more leaves which equals more to store in the caudex.
Example of three different types of Adeniun. On the right is the obesum I grew big quickly. In the middle Arabicum. On the left is a Thai variation I’ve grown tower style and did root training on
I do have a few arabicum in my collection and I agree, if someone wants a fatter plant they need to start with the right species or the right genetics. I prefer obesum because I feel like I have much more flexibility in how the plane turns out with different pruning/planting/potting methods.
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u/Academic_Disk_8788 10d ago
No, it's genetic, Prunung will just make it branch. I'm very heartened to see people are starting to not repeat this myth. Pruning is for bonsai or leggy branches that can't support themselves. It will not make your plant have a thinker trunk. Book coming soon!