This is my first time growing adeniums. I've no clue what to do can I get some help all advice welcome attached are my seeds I have 140 planted quite a few have germinated the second tray is barely sprouting there 5 days old these I didn't soak like the first tray maybe that's why ? all are from fresh seed. I've got one under a regular fluorescent light and the other a regular heat light.

Hi Jennifer, and welcome to ATP. Looks like you do have some knowledge about growing adeniums from seeds. I know it's exciting to grow your own and watch your babies develop into beautiful trees. I started growing mine from seeds 16 months ago. http://garden.org/ideas/view/R...

I don't soak my seeds first, but I do bag the container after planting the seeds in the potting media to keep the soil moist. When the seeds sprout, usually within 5 days, I remove the plastic bag. Please do continue to ask questions...we all learn from each other.

Happy New Year!

Welcome, Jennifer! You had some pretty blooms on your large tree. Keep tending those babies and you'll soon be very busy with them! I'm planning to start my first seeds in a week or two, and it will be a learning experience. Just ask if you have any questions or problems, and there will be lots of help here.

Welcome Jennifer. Nice looking seedlings. I am also new with Adeniums. I do have about 130 seedlings now. hope you enjoy it.
Adenium seed does need soaking and warmth to germinate. I keep mine at about 31 celcius. They mostly sprout in about 3 to 5 days.

Jennifer!

I have no experience. The mother tree Came from Vegas it was already in a pot so I just read up to make sure I didn't overwater it and to find out what kind of plant it was that was two years ago ! then last year I got the seedpods and ever since then I've been trying to read up everything and I'm just afraid I'm going to waterlog my seedlings even though I could see moisture in the container. How long should I leave the lid on the seedlings? Should I take it off and leave it with a heat light.

Adeniumgirl said:Welcome Jennifer. Nice looking seedlings. I am also new with Adeniums. I do have about 130 seedlings now. hope you enjoy it.
Adenium seed does need soaking and warmth to germinate. I keep mine at about 31 celcius. They mostly sprout in about 3 to 5 days.

How long would you suggest keeping the seedlings covered ? Should they be getting fresh air yet? Or just a lil bit

I think you should leave the lid off, yes. Mist lightly every day or so. Emphasis on lightly.

I always take them out as soon as most do germinate, but I give them fresh air as soon as they start to germinate. Otherwise you get mold on the soil. You better not let them under the cover when most are germinated. Otherwise they grow leggy.

This is how big they are do you still recommend the lid off ?

Jennifer, It looks as though from photo that the majority are up and they do not need the dome any longer. Make sure they are in a warm site with good light now. They do not need strong light to germinate.
Top of soil can dry, but not too much as the seedlings will require more moisture than older adeniums. This you may already know.
Rick

RCanada said:Jennifer, It looks as though from photo that the majority are up and they do not need the dome any longer. Make sure they are in a warm site with good light now. They do not need strong light to germinate.
Top of soil can dry, but not too much as the seedlings will require more moisture than older adeniums. This you may already know.
Rick

Should I also leave the florescent light on? It's winter here and I'm not guaranteed sun all the time.

Jennifer, I have the light on for atleast 12hrs. at night and I do have them in a south facing window, but I do not rely on this to give them a consistent amount of good light. I do this with my seed grown plants started in the winter months here. When they have reached 1yr., then I do not put them under lights. They are on there own devices and go dormant or stay in leaf.
Best not to let seedlings go dormant until atleast 1yr old.

I was concerned years ago about how much hydro the Florescent bulbs would cost to run, but pleasantly they are quite cheap to run.

Rick

My mother plant is still growing leaves it hasn't went dormant do you think it would be ok to up pot ? I think after all my research I have it in to deep if a pot.

Jennifer, It will not do any damage to it if you transplant now. If you think that the pot is too,large, then it would be a good idea to do now.
You may notice some leaf drop, but this can be normal. Does not always happen.
Rick

I want to up pot it a little and make the body fatter is there a trick to it ?

Jennifer, I am not sure if the tree you speak of is the one in photo's at the beginning of this thread (w white stones around)?
Another photo may help.
If it is a pot with good space between caudex and wall of the pot. Too big a pot can cause issues with soil not drying back. The caudex will not get larger if put up into a large pot.
The caudex will become larger with age and if it is genetically meant to be.
Rick

Rick, I totally agree! Also, the caudex of grafted adeniums, as this one appears to be, do not "fatten" appreciably over time unless genetically predisposed, as you said.

I have a grafted tree that I purchased from a local nursery that is probably more than 7 years old. The caudex is still quite small. Again, I agree, genetics is a factor in development.

This is what it looks like. Will I be able to make my seedlings have a fat caudex?

Jennifer,
With your tree that you are showing. I feel that the first thing I need to mention is in regards to Caudex (girth of base). If a tree was left in the ground over the years the girth of the tree would become larger and circumference would become greater. This is true with Adeniums also.
It is called the caudex. What Adenium growers do is "raise" the tree when repotting it. Exposing the "root" (at least what was beneath the soil) now this newly exposed portion called part of it's "Caudex".
Your tree could wider underneath the soil line.
Not sure how long it has been since you repotted it?
These Adeniums all are genetically programmed to grow the way they are meant to. No different than ones children.
People do manipulate by cutting off roots, pruning hard, feeding in hopes of all making the "caudex" larger.
As for your seedlings. I cannot tell you what they will do.

On the point of dormancy and growth. If your tree is actively pushing out new leaves, then it is not dormant. If it is not producing new growth and still has leaves, it is not actively growing.
Dormant trees do not have to shed leaves, especially the obesum's.

I would give your tree, when it is time. A good pruning to make into a more compact shape and raise it up, but not in any larger of a pot than what it is in now.
I do not mean to be condescending, Jennifer. Just wanted to point out a few things.
Rick