I will try to return it then :( I "aerated" the pot when I got the plant home. Hoping the nursery doesn't use that as a reason not to take it back.

So that is caudex rot. Good to know for future reference. And, yes, I have no doubt this will NOT be my last DR plant! I've admired them from afar for a long time. They're supposed to grow in SoFL pretty easily.

Do you think you could share with me what characteristics I might look for when shopping for a DR plant? BTW, thanks for the reply as well!

Not sure what you mean by the term ' I aerated the pot' can you tell us please? It wouldn't have done this to the plant, so I can't see why they should object....but please tell us ....

Yes, that is most definitely the dreaded caudex/root rot and a lot of growers here have seen it. Peaty soils and bad drainage often are the culprits. I can't buy adeniums here so have to seed grow mine, so I'm sure others will join in and offer their good advise.

Healthy green leaves, firm/hard caudex, nice shape all go towards a good plants, but you can't always tell what's going on underground. Soggy, dark, fibrous mixes indicate peat which in turn can indicate rot. What is your plat in, soil wise? Any nursery worth their salt will let you unpot the plant in front of them, or do it for you to allow inspection of its nether regions before you decide whether it's a good one to buy.

Let us know what happens, I wouldn't leave it longer, the sooner you go back the better I think.

Gill

Welcome Sydney, sorry your first DR was not a good one but you'll have many good ones hopefully, they say South Florida is a good place to raise the DR. I started out with just one and now have ten medium sized plants and about sixty in various stages from 1 month seedlings to 3 month seedlings and 9 Arabicums I ordered from Out of Africa which is in Naples. This sight has tons of useful info and very Knowledgeable DR enthusiasts! Hello greenclaws I think by aerated he meant he put extra holes in the pot the plant was in. We are experiencing a cold spell right now in Central Florida, down in the thirty's last night but just several more days and back to sun and high seventies and low eighties. I think the bikers and spring breakers bring the cold with them! LOL Nah it just seems that way. Good luck Sydney keep reading up on the DRs and keep planting!

There are a bunch of South Flordia DR growers and I know several of them who post to the adenium Facebook pages. I'd definitely encourage you to try starting some from seed. It's fun and you can learn a lot without having to invest much money into starting them, only patience and time.

I agree I'd take that one back if you can and see if you can swap it for another. Ask them if they'll let you depot the new one right there and inspect the roots before you leave, even if you have to buy it first. Then when you get home you can wash it, hang it to dry and inspect it at your leisure while you prepare your new gritty mix.

I would shop at a nursery that handles succulents/cacti. All the adeniums I have come across locally, only a handful looked like they had the correct mix. Most are just peat heavy with a little perlite. If they will let you swap it out for another, I would take it out of the pot and inspect right in front of them.

I'd echo starting them from seed. Very easy.

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. And I apologize for my untimely response. It would seem that I need to adjust a setting to let me know I've received responses.

To update, I ended up not taking it back because I procrastinated and then became busy work-wise, so I felt too much time had passed. But I did buy another from Lowe's (the first one was from a well-respected nursery in Jupiter, FL), and the Lowe's plant seems to be doing very well. I'm sure the employees thought it a little strange as I reached half my hand down inside the plant's container before buying it ;-) I'm on the forum today researching repotting and pruning (I'm scared!!!). Gritty, coconut coir, etc., etc..... It's only the end of April and it feels like July, and water retention vs. PWT is my hangup with regard to media.

Greenclaws, "aerating" the pot was just the best way I could think of to describe carefully adding some slices around the pot to better oxygenate/aerate the soil. Something I'd read somewhere. Just typing that sentence is feeling a bit embarrassing. I did not do that with the new one.

Ray, that was a weird cold spell, if that was the last one! It had been so warm and then back in warm skivvies. But it did give me a chance to play with a belated Xmas present, a little greenhouse :-). And thanks for a referral, particularly one within the state. I will be checking out Out of Africa very soon as I've already been thinking I would love to grow some from seed.

Hyn Patty and AJ, thanks for the vote as well to start some plants from seed. I've seen some blogs documenting the process, along with some experimentation, and it looks like something that would be really rewarding to do.

Ray, living in Orlando, which can be hotter than down here (Palm Bch Co.), what kind of soil do you use? Do you go gritty? I have two of the three ingredients. My big ol' bag of #2 cherry stone came in yesterday. The PBF is a challenge for me. I bought a bag of a suggested mulch, and I purchased the reptile bark, and neither look like they would work out without me breaking it down by hand piece by piece, which I would do if I had the time, but that would take a LOT of time!

Thank you all again for offering your help with my sad first DR. I'm off to see about my settings so I don't miss any responses in the future.