Jan, what are you growing it in? Both the growing medium as well as the container. The way the tap root is all zig zagging and squiggly, I'm wondering if the container is deep enough to allow the tap root to really grow down the way they like to. To me, the way the root is growing back and forth, it looks as though the container is too shallow.

Are you providing any food or fertilizer?

I'm sure other members with more experience will chime in.

Tyler

If the roots are fine and the caudex has no discolouration (could be rot, then), you need to give the seedling more water. The caudex shrinks, gets soft, because the seedling is using the stored water in the tissue. Normally a response to "drought".

Jan,

You have conjoined twins there, evident by the clear division in the torso and two separate leader branches.

As Tyler touched on, looks like it needs a larger pot so the roots have room to develop. Otherwise, the roots look fine, so your substrate should not be the issue. Always just pot up to the next size ... you don't want too large a pot. I would lightly sprinkle some cinnamon on the torso & roots before repotting. Tumeric/curcumin, nutmeg, cinnamon (order of potency) are antifungal & give the roots a boost ... just in case.

Softening makes me nervous, too, but as Martin well said, these are very hardy and often correct themselves when given what they need. You have to find the right water balance.

Please keep us posted on progress. All the best to you!

Maria Elena

Jan can't see well but it's looks like it may have got to cold it's a little dark above the soil line

roger

Aha! Great point, Roger. I see the temps in Arlington can drop 40º in one night; 85º F during the day & 45º F overnight .... That's insane!! ... and dangerously low for adeniums, but Jan grows them indoors.

I lived in that area of Texas my whole life until I moved to the coast. Our Temps here don't differ much on the coast from highs to lows, but North Texas air is so dry, it heats up fast.

It was mid 30 in Bedford not to far from there first part of week

roger

Thanks so much everyone for your help , I grow the plant indoor about 70 degree with LED light, sometime I leave it too dry then give it a lot of water, would that be the reason why?