Trip, your seedlings are so cute....
They are ready to be in their own "home". I normally used foam cups with holes and keep them moist, or whatever available small pots you may have.

Marie

TKC, I agree entirely with Marie. Those youngsters are ready to move out and set up home on their own! Don't overpot at this stage, I personally use 2.5 or 3inch inch wide pots max for my seedlings. The more empty compost, the more chance of overwatering and rot. Keep them moist but not saturated, in your climate they should romp away. Keep us posted as to their progress please?
Gill from the UK.

Thanks Marie and Gill for encouraging me.As this is my first experiment with seeds I am seeking guidance from seniors.I feel that 3 inch pot is very small to retain moisture so I should add little cocopeat in planting media as moisture retaining agent.Please advise if I am wrong.
I have read somewhere that taproot is removed from seedlings before transplanting.Is it done to increase lateral roots?

Hi, Trip.

I think, more or less, trimming the taproot is to aid in more lateral (outspread) roots that in turn aid in the eventual overall look of the plant when it reaches adulthood. It's all a matter of how you train your adenium to grow, really. If you check out various youtube videos you can see different root maniuplation techniques when they repot them.
Trimming the taproot also seems to be a good idea for getting them ready to grow in shallow/wide pots instead of letting it grow downward and in deeper pots.
Remember, though, that most of the interesting root characteristics are developed under the soil and eventually get exposed over time with each raising up at each repotting.
This boils down to how much time you want to spend training the look. I'm kind of lazy but I am experimenting on some of my seedlings. A couple I left the taproot on. The rest I cut. I've put upside down bottle caps under most of them to help force spread the roots outward. I can't wait to see the differences in them. Wish I'd marked the ones I left taproot on because I have a couple seedlings that are remaining kind of skinny in the caudex and wonder if they're the ones I left alone. Guess I'll find out on the next repotting.
Hope you found my rather long chatter interesting, informative and perhaps a little thought provoking. :)

Kirk

TKC, if you feel your conditions warrant a bigger pot than mine then go for it, I just know what works for me with the conditions forced upon me...ie distinct lack of sun! At the moment we are lucky to get to +5c during the daytime, it's been down to -5c in the last few days so I guess my watering regime is very, very different to yours! !
What components have you got in the mix they are in at the moment? That may help determine if you need to add extra coco-peat.
Gill from the UK.

I recently potted mine in 4.5" pots. I wish I would have done it in 3" pots.

Probably depends on your soil as well. I went with 2 parts compost 1 part sand, 1 part vermiculite.

Thanks Kirk
I am going to try cutting tap root in few and organizing roots.

Hi trip_kc
adding cocopeat may seem to be a good idea for summer but it may backfire when it rains.I think simple gritty mix will work well in 4.5'' pots.

Thanks Sauradeep for valuable input.Agree that cocopeat may backfire in the rainy season.On the other hand it is realy very difficult to keep these tiny seedlings alive in grity mix in our hot and dry summers.Somewhere have to do balancing.

HI all,

I was actually going to wait another three weeks before transplanting my seedlings. But while we're on the subject--is that the time the taproot are supposed to be cut? If so, how much of it is usually removed without killing the plant?

I'll be transplanting my 9 surviving seedlings in egg drop soup containers that are 3 inches deep and about 4.5 inches in diameter at the top. I basically mean for them to stay there until they destroy it or until December whichever comes first.

(Whoa, it just occurred to me I'll be repotting them in winter, before being given away for Christmas...Hm..whatodo whatodo..)

Oh and by the way, my plants wish to thank you all. Here they are now, 5 weeks.

{{gwi:340153}}

And I do play favorites:

{{gwi:340156}}

Pagan

I transplanted mine around 50 days after sprouting. I should have taken some pics of the tiny roots in my other thread when I was doing some before and after shots. The tap root, I believe, I had either cut about half to 2/3's off of it making sure to leave enough of the tiny lateral roots so it could feed.

Kirk

Congrats Pagan for raising such healthy smiling seedlings.As I am beginer I can not advice on nity grity of cutting taproot.I am also seeking detailed guidance on this topic.Maybe someone with first hand experience drop in and enlighten us.

And see Kirk just dropped in.
Let us request him to share the process in detail and share development in those transplanted seedlings.
Another expert Mr Sundaram advised me to wait for a day before transplanting if taproot is cut.

Thanks, Trip, but I'm no expert. LOL

This is my first time with seeds to seedlings leading into experimentation during the whole process. But a good ego stroke non the less. :)

Kirk

Thanks, Trip. I've never grown anything in my life! I was utterly shocked that these seedlings did not keel over when they woke up and realized they were in my house.

Thanks to the generous people in this forum, I have 9 seedlings--not enough for giving away in December so I just sowed 10 more arabicum seeds and if I don't screw it up, maybe I get to keep at least one.

And Kirk, what's the deal with not taking pictures and writing a tutorial about cutting taproots? Sheesh lol

But I am keen to experiment myself. Maybe I'll have a go at my Rik Ni Ran which is due for repotting as soon my zone is done with this whole below-zero Celsius business. Then I'll take pictures. It's a big plant so it will probably be horrid.

Pagan

Well I will be the forums chief wimp in that case as I would shriek in horror at the thought of snipping off my youngsters main life source! lol!
At the moment, my oldest babies are 4 weeks old, the younger ones are 3 weeks. I transplanted the youngest ones a couple of days ago and their roots (they only had the one each, no laterals as yet) were just like cotton threads. How thick would they need to be to do this tap root cutting please?
Maybe I should have waited longer to re-pot, but the others are doing better in a slightly more open mix than the coir pellets they germinated in. I'm not a fan of pure coir I have decided, with it being moist, it also felt very cold...best to get them out of it I thought.
Gill form the UK.

Hi Gill, from Siamadenium regarding tap root cutting.
2. Root Creation: This is the next step after selecting baby seedling come from seed hybrids can perform multi-branches style. Naturally, taproot (middle main root) will start coming out from seedlings first and go down to the media which help stem get straight up to retrieve the sun light. After that seedlings will create the branch roots periodically also help stem hold with media when getting larger and better absorbs water and food from media.
For Bonsai, this is totally different. The great thing for Bonsai making is focused on how to change from single main root to become with branch roots instead. You have to make at least 7-8 branch roots around the caudex in horizontal level mostly start working with seedlings come up with 2-3 young leaves.

Goodness me, I didn't realise it was such a dramtic a cut as that pic illustrates!! I had visualised nipping off the 'end' of the tap root and nowhere near that point. Thanks for posting the info, I appreciate it.
Gill from the UK.

Longaeva - great information, thanks. I too am very curious about tap root cutting. How long after cutting does the seedling need to "dry" before going back into the soil?

Scott

Thanks longaeva54 for sharing info in detail.
I shall try this atleast with few seedlings

Thanks longaeva54, this is great information!

Thanks longaeva54, this is great information!

I have a seedling that I thought about doing this to. I think it got too wet. But I wasn't sure what to do with it. I just hope it pulls through as it's one of only 2 I have with green stems all the rest are brown. I have to do something as the end is dying off.

Sam, did you do the deed? Please update us on that seedling when you can. Inquiring minds :)

Carol in Jacksonville

I have a seedling that I thought about doing this to. I think it got too wet. But I wasn't sure what to do with it. I just hope it pulls through as it's one of only 2 I have with green stems all the rest are brown. I have to do something as the end is dying off.

{{!gwi}}

I have a seedling that I thought about doing this to. I think it got too wet. But I wasn't sure what to do with it. I just hope it pulls through as it's one of only 2 I have with green stems all the rest are brown. I have to do something as the end is dying off.

{{!gwi}}

Hi all,
this is one year after sowing.Thought it proper to show latest development.
Hope you like.

This is another plant of the group

WOW!!! What have you been feeding them, Trip? Can you tell us you culture method? Thanks.

Trip_kc,
Those are amazing. You must be really happy with your endeavors.
In the first photo, with the plant in bloom. Looking at the soil line. Did you end up cutting the root on this particular Arabicum or is this natural growth for this plant.
Nice to see what one can look forward to in time with these Arabicum seedlings.
Thanks for sharing, Trip.
Rick

longaeva54 you have a very interesting explanation on how to manage the injured root stocks. Today I've injured quite a few of my plants just because I neglect them in the flower bed for a year. to my surprise they were over grown, tried every best I could to save the roots, but bad luck I have to cut some of the roots to release them. i'll update the pictures tomorrow. I looked up this forum see what exactly to you do in this situation. My question is what do you do when there is no fungicide in your country, for instance VANUATU?

you can use cinnamon for fungicide

Jane & Horrie, perhaps start a new thread when you post the pictures as th thread is an old one....3 years old in fact. You will get a better response on your own thread:-)

Gill