They all look good the last one is not a DR probably something in potting mix. :×)

That straggler was an imposter--Pink Polka Dot Plant. I had one in the basement (where I grow seeds) that must have gone to seed and somehow ended up there. Strangest surprise ever.

Hi, Jeff! Your little brood looks gorgeous and healthy. You'll want to keep an eye on the one with the brownish edged cotyledon (embryonic) leaves to make sure they don't get crispy. That would mean too much direct heat. But that looks like healthy, natural coloration to me ... You're doing great.

In terms of germination and cultivation in general, what may work in Hawaii, may not work in Nebraska. They are very different cultures with their own requirements. When I first started germinating seeds, I was advised to cover my seeds with saran wrap overnight and to uncover during the day. This roasted my seeds, kept them soggy, and killed them because I am in an already hot and humid climate. That technique is for dry, low humidity regions. Identify a few forum members within your region and keep in contact with them. Adjusting your growing practices to your specific climate and culture will provide the best results.

Seedlings need lots of sunlight, air circulation, a quick draining substrate, and lots of warmth ... 82+ degrees F. Unlike adult adeniums they love water and can be watered when the top inch of soil is dry. That can be 3-5 times a week, depending on climate and substrate. After age 1 month, they like to be fed weekly at 1/4 strength. You can feed monthly if you don't have time. I do not recommend using time release granules that go in the soil ... These can burn the roots on tender seedlings.

Germination in cooler climates requires the use of artificial heat when the temps are below 82. Use a heat mat for germinating adenium seeds. Bottom heat promotes root formation and germination. Unless you're in the tropics, I recommend soaking your seed 2 hours in lukewarm water before sowing. Adenums are surface sown ... lay flat on your substrate and just barely cover, don't bury your seeds. They usually germinate within 3-14 days, with the average being 6 days. Some have reported long germination periods of even 28 days.

Your first batch of seeds may not have been fresh. The viability of adenium seeds diminishes with time. I purchased fresh seeds in September and planted them in February ... only half of them germinated. Your best bet for seeds is right here on the forum. Many members share freshly harvested seeds from seed pods produced by their plants. Keep an eye out. I have a seed pod growing right now ... My first successful cross! If all goes well, I will reach out to you in a few months when I harvest. If you purchase on eBay, try Mr. KO ... He is a reputable hybridizer.

One thing to note is that adenium seeds are not true to parent and seldom give you what you expect. To demonstrate, I planted 3 seeds for this KO_57 bloom:

Here's what I got:

All different blooms from the same seed! What I am saying is that you can basically buy any KO seed, plant all 15 in the pack and get several variations of the parent plant's DNA.

Even seeds from the same seed pod will produce different variations of the bloom. These are from the same seed pod:

They're like sibling ... from the same family but not twins. Here's another group from the same seed pod:

Enjoy your new hobby ... They grow on you!

Maria Elena

PS: Your "straggler" had me LMAO!!!!

HI Maria you did it what colors did you cross?

Roger

Yes, I did!! Thanks to you and Tyler ... Each one, teach one!! I will reply under a separate thread.

Maria, thank you so much for the detailed post and taking the time to re-write that. I think I did just about everything right for sowing and had seeds that weren't quite fresh. Some of your comments were confirmation and some were educational. I'm not all that concerned about flowers. As a succulent grower, I like the shape of the plant. Any flowers are a bonus.

I'd love to get some fresh seeds at some point in the future to grow more to experiment with. I want to grow them as compact as I can and do different things with each one as far as root pruning, pruning the top, and many other things. I'm glad you like the imposter.

When would you transplant these into individual pots? I have no idea what the roots look like.

I sow my seeds in styro egg cartons for their individual cells ... Just cut off the lid and punch holes in the bottom. They stay in there a full month to give them all a chance to germinate. At this point the roots are just fine hairs with a central root.

At 1 month, they move into yogurt cups, which are perfect for the next three months. These cups are tall and allow the roots room to grow. As you can see, each seedling will grow at its own rate according to its DNA.

Here is the progression of my four Roger seedlings ... I gave one away:

March 2016

May 2016 - Except for the one front left:

Adenium Obesum NOID "RG" - Double pink & white · More Info

June 2016 - Out of the yogurt cups:

Once they reach 4 months, I transplant them into 3 - 4" pots according to their root system ... Some will be larger than others. Some will have one root, others three roots, etc.

June 2016 - In 4" pots

From there, I pretty much pot up to 6" / 8" etc as the need arises. You want to keep adeniums in as little soil as possible so you have less chance of wet soil / rot. A good practice is to keep the pot size to where you have an inch all the way around the widest part of the root mass, not the caudex. That allows sufficient room for growth. Keep the root mass buried underground for an entire three years, which is official maturity age ... Before that, they are referred to as "seedlings," then "young plants." This gives your roots time to grow big. If you raise the roots above ground too soon, the smaller ones (which can potentially grow large) will atrophy and die off.

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October 2016 - In 6" pots

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2018 - In 8" pots

Maria Elena

Very helpful write-up. Do you have them in the sun yet when in the yogurt cups? Thank you.

Yes, full sun ... Outdoors 24/7 from age 1 month, fertilized weekly/weakly 1/ strength. Be careful with birds plucking them up to build their nests with!

Sharing root photos that may interest you. This one is the root system of a cutting at age 3 yrs. No caudex, but nice roots:

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These are centipede roots, created when the seedlings were about 5 months old:

Maria Elena