Thank you! How about those stumpy things above the soil line? Any thoughts? Also, should I plant at the same level or raise it to expose more of the caudex? Any and all advice is welcome!

I would agree with Marie and not prune roots. I would probably pot it up into a pot which would give it room to grow larger beneath the soil. Raise a bit.

Put in a pot which would give it a few inches on either side of soil and not too deep.

Rick

Thank you!

Just an update. After reading some comments in the forum, I added some coconut husk to the potting media. Now I feel silly for not doing it sooner. I have a huge coconut palm tree that drops one or two coconuts a day! So I have lots of the stuff lying around. This lady seems to like it!

Yes, coconut husk chips are great--the roots latch on to them for dear life. Within the soil the chips hold reserves of water so if one forgets to water then the plant has a way to survive the temporary "drought." I mentioned in another thread that I used them for my young seedlings but stopped because of my re-potting activities. When my plants reach the desired size and I up-pot to permanent containers then definitely coconut husk chips will be in the media.

-Kadie

Gisela,

I notice tiny flower buds on your adenium. I would love to see the blooms, so please post a picture when they mature.

-Kadie

I will!

A note to observers: Coconut husk chips and coconut husk coir are not the same...please research the difference for more info.

Good comment, Kadie. The other thing for people here is that processed Coconut husks/chunks that they can have high salt residue. Soaking and leaching out the salts needs to be done, unless otherwise marked that it has been rinsed.

Rick

Rick, thanks for adding the comment about the salts. I soak my husks and rinse two or three times before I subject them to the chop saw.

-Kadie

Does the salt residue come from processing? I peeled some coconuts from my backyard, chopped and rinsed the husk, then added to my media. Should I have done something different?

Terrific topic, Kadie. I often talk of both somewhat interchangeably but they are considerably different especially when it comes to water retention. Also worth mentioning is that there are a number of varying degree of sizes, there are chunks, cubes, pieces, and chips. I like to use the finer coir for sowing all my seeds. Most of my young seedlings are in finer coir. My juvenile plants are in the coir pieces which are somewhere in between the fine coir and chunks.

Tracy

Gisela,

I'm sure your adeniums will be fine...I wouldn't change out the media again due to stress to the plants Soaking and rinsing coconut husk is only a recommendation according to the literature. I don't soak and rinse my coconut husks when I use them for my orchids and the orchids are thriving.

-Kadie

Tracy,

Good point--chips, pieces, cubes, chunks--depends on who you're talking to I guess. I used the word chips when what I really mean is crouton-size cubes for my adeniums. Orchids get large chunks. <chuckle>

-Kadie

It really depends on the availability to each of us, I imagine. I like to keep the particles in the gritty mix of similar size. 1/4" - 1/2", no larger.

HD had a block by Plantsbest that you soaked and it was great, but I do not see it available here in Canada. I have since found one here that you can order different sizes.

Rick

Tracy, Rick, I had no idea that coconut husk, and various sizes of it, are now in the market (availability dependent in your area). Last I saw, only coir was available in stores here, and noticed it only this past year. I wonder why there seems to be a demand now for coconut husks in the states and elsewhere. Has it become popular now as a substitute for peat moss and/or perlite and vermiculite?

-Kadie

Kadie, it has taken off in popularity here. I believe in large portion due to the question of sustainability. Peat isn't seen as a renewable resource, at least this is some of what I have heard from the local growing community. Not only does coco husk offer itself as terrific growing media, it is a renewable resource.

Tracy

Ah-so. Of course--sustainability.

Tracy, we have got to stop meeting like this--temporarily taking over someone else's thread! <chuckle>

-Kadie

Hey Gisela,

Did you know that coconut juice contains endosperm nutrients that are beneficial to growing seedlings? I think I'll do an experiment. As the ripe coconuts fall from the trees I will husk (my husband will) and poke a hole in two of the three thingy's at the top of the nut and pour the juice on my adenium seedlings instead of water. FYI.

By the way...how are your adeniums? Getting good growth--have blossoms?

-Kadie

Really? I'm interested in knowing how that experiment turns out.

My ademiums are looking happy. :) No buds have opened yet but I'll post a pic when they do.

For sure I'll let you know. I am going to experiment with 4 batches of seedlings using 4 different fertilizers (including the coconut juice).

I'm so glad your adeniums are looking happy.

-Kadie

The bud opened today and the bud is scarred. I didn't notice anything wrong with the bud. Any ideas on what could have caused this?

Giselapr, it could have been a bug that damaged the bug prior to it opening.

If the buds get bitten or damaged in another way while juvenile, it will be magnified when it does fully open.

Rick

Gisela,

Your bloom is very pretty! Thanks for sharing.

Yes, the scars could very well be bug damage so inspect the plant and pick off any bugs found. However, if I'm not mistaken, the tiny bud was already forming when you potted up the plant, so it very well may have been damaged during the process. No worries...but do try to prevent "bush-cutting disease."

-Kadie

Very nice. How big is the flower? Can you put a pencil across it for size?

Here you go