Actually, if they were mine I won't let them go dormant this winter. I'll pot them up, keep them as warm and brightly-lit as I can and water them once until I see new leaves sprouting.

That's what I do with new plants I get this time of year.

Adeniums don't really go into dormancy the way a maple tree does. Often you have to force it and forcing it works well only with fairly established plants. Your plants have been under a lot of stress, they'll do better if you keep them summer-ish.

I don't know what a sip is either! I think in metric so if an established plant has 10 cubic centimeters of roots planted in 7:1:1 and in my basement shelf with day temp at 20C, I give it about 200 mls of water every other week, no fertilizer throughout winter unless it complains. But in winter my water always has Bt mixed in, even when in a soil-free substrate.

Around January it gets cold in the basement at night when the lights are off and I stop watering altogether then.

This is just for reference so you have an idea of how it can be done. Over the years I've concluded I prefer to keep my plants half-dormant but not so inactive that they drop all their leaves. The reason for this is because I suck at bringing them back which requires way more attention than I want to bother with in spring.

I hope this helps.

Pagan

Thanks Pagan. I'll try moving them to a sunnier location. So, Bt? I had to look it up. Bacillus thuringirnsis?

Tyler,

How much and how often will depend on Light and Temps. I am w Pagan on new trees arriving in the late summer or fall. I have a few going now and I keep warm (inside for myself), gave water w root stimulator and now only give 1/4 cup (in 6" azalea pots, w coconut chunks/perlite/pumice) as needed. I check for any pliable softness to caudex and water if showing these effects. They get good sunlight morning till dark. Sun is much lower and not as intense, so I do not worry about this.

If your temps are not going any lower at night than 68F, you should be safe w them outside. If you had a clear cover then you could leave them there all day getting protection from cover, but allowing full sun to come through. My friend got me using flat sided/Plastic bottles/painted black/filled w water. The water heats up throughout the day and keeps temps up slightly higher for a short time at night.

An friend in Florida got me onto using Coconut husk chunks w Perlite to get my new plants started into good root growth and then transplanting into my regular mix. It truly has worked for me and especially w a plant I received extremely dehydrated. She is a true believer in using a product called "Kangaroots" by Dr......... (Hydroponics product). It is a root stimulator. I cannot get here in Canada otherwise I would have it on hand.

Rick

Yep, Bacillus thuringiensis. It works best when used before nasties are visible in the substrate, especially in winter. I meant to add a link but I forgot.

Hey Rick. Can one use root stimulator mixed in the water? I just potted up a new plant but I forgot to dip it. I don't want to disturb it anymore.

Pagan

Pagan,

I use it once potted up. I have been told to water them with it for the first 2-3 waterings.

Meant to ask if the BTK will help for eliminating Fungus Knats?

I have the Neem Oil also. Remember you telling me about it for Mites, not sure of other uses?

Rick

Quick question Pagan. Have not used the BTK here for sometime and forgotten usage.

Do you think that this needs to be applied as for watering and have it saturate the soil medium or minimal fine?

Thanks Rick

P.S. Just doing some reading on BTK (sold as this here) and it talks of a dry product? I have only seen it is a small bottle. Really not sure if it is dry or liquid? Reading stated that Dry is better than the liquid.

Also spoke of using a mix of Hydrogen Peroxide/Water solution 4:1 ?

Rick

Wow. Thank you Pagan & Rick for the care and critter fighting info. All very interesting. I'm pretty sure I've seen the Kangaroots product at W. A. Nursery here in San Diego.

So Bt/BTK, nematodes and milk spores. Are these typically available for purchase at my local garden center? I don't recall seeing them although admittedly, I've never really looked.

Or should I save myself running around in vain and just order (from where?) online?

Sorry to be so needy.

Thanks, Tyler

It depends on specific product instructions. The one I use (called Gnatrol that I get from Amazon) is in granule form and I mix 5 ml of it for every 2 liters of water. I drench all my plants with it before they come in for the winter and then again with the next time I water. I do have some plants that have soil in the substrate and I treat those for a couple more times since they stay wet longer. The idea is to kill off eggs and grubs that might have been laid by adults that were not killed off by neem spraying.

P

So more of a precautionary maintenance preventative application than because you've seen something. Assuming critters are there and doing them in before they can do serious damage. Perhaps because you had issues in prior winters? I'm all for preventative maintenance. Much prefer that over the flame thrower method.

Is this the same practice when using the neem? Preventative? Spraying on and watering in?

Tyler

Definitely, Tyler. Infestations, when they break out, are much more difficult to control and nearly impossible to kill without resorting to chemical warfare.

I've not had infestation of the scope and extent that damaged more than one plant precisely because of these measures. The three times I had scale (the armored kind) were all on sansevierias. After researching for months, I decided there really is no solution other than a literal flame thrower. So I threw those away in the garbage, not even the compost. I have more important plants than sansevierias that could be infested with scale.

Pagan

Thank you, Pagan and I'm sorry...just one more question (today), please?

Regarding the usage of Gnatrol, Bt/BTK, nematodes and milk spores, do you mix them all in and apply at the same time?

OR, better to apply at different times so that one doesn't do in (or undo) the other?

Thanks for your time and (patience).

Tyler

Gnatrol is the brand of water-soluble Bt preparation that I use. I mix it with water and then drench my potted plants with it.

I use the nematodes and the milk spores outside in the yard after seeing Japanese beetles when we bought this house two years ago. I decided to use these two because I have a huge bed of irises that I dug out and moved from the house we had been renting. That's a lot of work! And the grubs can decimate it in one season. I've not seen the bugs since.

Nematodes and milk spores are not necessary for potted plants. In the yard, though, they're good even for flea, tick and ant control. Although I only use it on specific areas.

I'm not sure you can buy them from nurseries. I didn't even bother looking, I just order mine online. Ladybugs too.

Pagan

Aahhhh...

Thanks for the clarification, Pagan.

Tyler