Cooked in the mailbox?

8 years ago

My mail carrier delivered seedlings while I was at work. To the metal mailbox by the road, in the sun. I don't know what time the mail was delivered, but I got home around 6 pm. Daytime high temps have been around 85F/29C. I haven't pulled the obesum out of its pot yet because it felt solid; it's outside in a sunny spot. This is the arabicum which wobbled in the pot. They were shipped in wet coir-based mix. I've been letting the plant sit in an empty clay pot to dry out. Do I need to cut into it, too?

Featured Answer

jedobaTX9b

8 years ago

It is possible that the plant can be repotted and would be just fine, but those spots worry me. I would take this opportunity to cut the entire bottom off of that plant, and reroot it, but don't listen to me.

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Comments (6)

rcharles_gw (Canada)
8 years ago
Edie, I would wash off the debris on the roots and see how it looks. Any blackened or decaying roots. Let it dry well for a few days in warm shady area with good air flow.

Rick
Edie thanked rcharles_gw (Canada)
Edie
Original Author
8 years ago
I took more picture a few minutes ago but can't get them to post. I get the spinning green circle and it hangs there. So I will describe what I have as best I can. The entire plant is the size of my thumb. Similar diameter. From root tip to top leaf is the same distance as from fingernail edge to where the base of my thumb meets the wrist: 4 1/4". The caudex is off-white below the soil line. It's getting soft and squishy. There's a dark brown stripe that looks like a scar where green meets white, on the side with roots. There are small dark brown spots following that line around the caudex. I've got two short stubby beige roots on one side which are now shriveling. The other side is brown and sunken in, with brown stumps of what used to be roots. There are two sunken gray spots on the caudex just above where the roots would be on that side.
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Edie
Original Author
8 years ago
Worked this time.
rikki_t
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I think they'll be fine. Let them dry out, dust a bit of rooting hormone around the bottom, and pot them in really well draining soil. If those roots die, it will send out new roots from the caudex. As long as it has one viable root in the meantime, it will be o.k. This is not a good time to be slicing the bottom off. Should be done in the spring, AFAIK, but I'm not an expert. JMHO.

ETA: I would also water at least once with a little epsom salts in the water. This will help it grow roots.
Edie thanked rikki_t
Edie
Original Author
8 years ago
What planting medium would you recommend for a plant this size? It came potted in coir and perlite, which I dumped into a pot and saved in case I was repotting back into the original stuff. I've also got Espoma potting mix, Espoma African violet mix, Better-Gro Special orchid mix, perlite, and this:

I've read on this forum that some find gritty mix too fast draining for seedlings and some people don't use it for any adeniums. I've never used a gritty mix before, so I decided to start with a very small amount of premade stuff, enough to get my succulents out of the peat they came in. (I've got some tiny aloes, echeverias, etc.)