Welcome and hopefully the more experienced will chime in soon. I don't know enough to give you my 2 cents. I can say that there is alot of kind and knowledgeable people on here!

Thank you! More info in your one post than 15 emails from the grower (who was, sadly recommended on this site) Having a hard time finding smaller but still shallow pots for the smaller ones. Is a regular 4" terra cotta pot appropriate?

Another thing - I have just transplanted some of my orchids into growstones. Does anyone have experience with using Growstones for adeniums?

Gigi,

Yes, a regular terracotta pot is fine. Adenium seedlings do not require or benefit from a shallow pot. Your smaller tree looks to be under age 3, which qualifies as a seedling. You'll want to keep it in a pot that will accommodate its entire root system underground, where it will flourish. After about age 3, you can lift the root system out of the soil an inch or so at a time. Do this during the spring when you uproot to repot it & inspect the root system every 1 - 2 years.

Shallow pots are used for age 3+ adenium, usually with root trimming & training, to create a bonsai look. Until that age, use temporary (even plastic) 4 - 8" pots, depending on the caudex size ... and how large you want it to get.

- Maria Elena

Gigi, Growstones are a part of Tracy's planting mix and she likes it very much. I think from what I have read on them that they are a good choice.

With the smaller plant. I can be fine in the larger pot that you have it in, but when using a larger pot you just need to watch for over watering. Make sure that the soil is dry a good inch or two before wetting again. You can always water more, but you cannot take it away.

Rick

Gigi, from what I can make out from your photo, the tissue looks fine. Upon first viewing. I was not sure if there was any brown/beige coloring within the cambium layer (looking at the line where the outer green meets the white tissue). Watch that there is no discoloration form within it. Sometimes the reaction of the Sap of the Adeniums with the razor blade can make the blade go blackened.

You can have the plants under the grow light 24/7, but there is really no benefit to it. 12 -15 hrs./ day is enough. Most plants require a dark period and why spend the cost of hydro.

Your mother lives in a climate which is good for growing these plants outside all year round with some protection, but you can grow them where you are, just will take some time to learn what they require in your home.

Ask all the questions you like, people here will help where they can.

Rick

Remove the pebbles though. That pot needs to breathe. If the plant needs support, get a bag of large-ish lava rocks which are porous.

Will remove all pebbles (big rocks too?), only had them there because I liked the look plant is steady without them, will put light on a timer.

As I mentioned I mixed growstones with my "mix" but now realize that my growstones are larger than the other components of the mix. My Growstones are about 1/2" and everything else is smaller. Is this ok? I hate to repot again and waste all the growstones I have already used but will make sure to purchase the smaller size next time. The other grower I talked to said she used the smaller (a bit larger than the usual perlite) with success and now I am rethinking (stressing) over how important this is. I remember seeing that in making gritty mix you want consistent size (I think) so please chime in with an opinion even if you are not using growstones yourself, I think the principles will be the same.