Those are some nice babies @Rainbow. How exactly do you pinch and what does it do @RCanada

Kadie, your "experimentation" sort of indicates that cutting the tap root certainly doesn't harm the plant and perhaps encourages fatter, more abundant lateral roots and fatter caudices. Since I will be cutting mine at seven months, we might see a little bit different result.

I find when we speak of "Caudex". The caudex is the naturally occurring trunk, stem or calliper of base.
Once the tree, seedling or other is lifted. What was part of the "root". We now are calling part of the caudex.
I have always understood this, but I need to not get hung up on this. It is just that after growing so many of these and nothing in comparison to many, there Natural Caudex of so many that I have started becomes large with out lifting to create a bigger caudex.

This Large Caudex after all "is" what the greater majority find interesting about the adeniums and what they seek.

What I see in Kadie's photo's of her trees which she has cut the tap root off of, is a nicely grown root structure. The roots are mainly on the outer extremities, so as they grow larger the results is a wider (which is my preference) base.
It is natural, just with a bit of intervention.
This "look" is what I would like and want with all my trees.

In Growing the Arabicums & TS's, you see a fattening in seedlings with out having to do this cutting of tap root, although it is still done quite regularly.

Willeke, I would hate to discourage you from trying some of your seedlings (or yourself, Ken) by cutting the tap root. I can totally understand any anxiousness about doing so, but if you try on a few and see what results you have. Then you will feel more confident about doing more in the future.

Please excuse my rambling. I always get caught up when we speak of "caudex", because I feel for those just getting introduced to Adeniums can be unsure about the term "caudex". It is quite conveluded.
With any tree, shrub and other Genus of plant. The calliper of the trunk/stem becomes larger above ground as the tree ages. The same with Adeniums.

I found this photo of someone's Adenium which they cut off the whole base. "This is not my tree."
Thought you might like to see it.




Rick

I can see why they do cut the tap root off. This photo does give a good idea about it. The thing is just that I am afraid they Will get rot When I cut it. That is the problem, but the result is nice.

A thought for everyone and it might be educational for others checking in.

How about we start a thread, dedicated to root training or developing a nice caudex of Adeniums.

It would be nice if Kadie might consider doing it, as she has positive results w her obesums.
What do you think.

Rick

That would be a Good idea Rick. We have to encourage her I guess. Let's do that. Than we can all share our results there.

Thanks for the explanation, Rick. I am not a bit worried about cutting some of the tap-roots off. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I am simply an a newbie dealing with adenium and I do tend to ask questions.

The seeds I got were labeled "Mostly obesium", so I don't know if all I have are obesium or perhaps another variety (or more) mixed in. Heck, I probably won't know when these plants grow up what the variety(s) is.

You have a point there Ken. We all have to learn. Maybe I am a bit fuzzy, but it seems scary. I just am afraid that they Will get rot When I do it. So i think i Will start with a few first. They are not even all big enough yet to do them

Does it seem that Americans are more "risk-takers"?

I am not sure about that Ken.
When I first started with these Adeniums from seed. I started about 200 seeds and resulted with a huge number of seedlings. This was just the start. Call me crazy.
I got to a point where the strong ones where kept, the rest where out.
Then, snipping terminal growth point, snipping leaves in half, grafting 5 month old seedlings to root stock, etc.
With having so many, I did not mind it if I lost a few.

Ken, I am crazy about question asking and many of my acquaintances of the year's probably wish I would just be happy being told something and not having to know the why's, if not's, etc.
Just the way I am.
My instructor years ago told me. " The only stupid question, is the question that goes unasked and/or unanswered." Think this is how it went.
So away I went.

Really enjoy this kind of communication and exchange. Keeps it interesting.

I was of the mind to say we should all pick a topic of interest w the Adeniums and everyone could share their experiences or information that they have gained?

Rick

Boy, can I relate, @RCanada. Half way through the Master Gardener sessions, I told my wife: "I bet all these horticultural experts will be glad to see these sessions come to an end. I know they are all sick and tired of answering my questions". Two of those PhD professors are neighbors of mine. They both came over to me after they had finished their lectures and basically said: "You sure have an inquisitive mind". I did not know whether that was a compliment or a complaint. I still don't. I don't know how else to learn, other than questioning those with more knowledge and/or experience and by doing something myself. Experimentation makes growing and propagation fun.

I totally agree. You have to learn by asking questions and helping eachother. As I am the newbie here as it comes to Adenium I can not help of ofcourse. I hope one day. Now I have to learn by asking and trying things out, but not all at once. I hate risking loosing all of them. So I Will do a few at a time. Also perhaps I Will experiment and not do a few. To see the difference. Curious to see if the difference will be noticible.

I will keep a log and of course take plenty of photographs along the way. That way, if I get a published article, I can actually go back to that article and update it later with results.

Good idea. I Will certainly read it.

Thanks for all this input everyone I can already see leaves coming on my seedlings and I've been watching the stems I've got lil fat reddish ones long green ones I hope I get a lot of variety..

Well the color of the stem is supossed to tell what color it can become. So I hope so. That Will mean I also Will get a lot of variety.

That would be nice if I got some red blooms but what would my regular one be the usual pink? Oh I'm so excited some seedlings have 3 & 4 lil leaves which is a good sign right?

Well it is always possible that there Will be a regular pink. I also do have a lot of different color stems. Yes 3 to 4 leaves is a Good sign. Almost time to repot them and perhaps cut the taproot and pinch to get some branching. More is been written about it in my thread about my new batch of seedlings.

I think I would like the pinching do I just cut I. The middle of the leaves?

No I mean pinch out the top of the plant to get it to make more branches. After all more branches do mean more flowers later.