I repotted my adult adeniums in this mix at the end of spring 2013. it is now late summer and the results have been more than satisfactory. The nature of the potting medium makes it way easier to tend to these plants in that, they need no tending at all. Even if it rains everyday, the medium drains so freely that they never soak over a prolonged period. When it isn't raining, they are fine being watered twice a week, if I remember it.
The pots are top-dressed with whatever I have lying around, mainly to keep moisture from evaporating too fast. Here they are. Left photos were taken in early spring and right photos were taken late summer. None of them has flowered; I don't really care.
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| A. obesum generic |
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| A. obesum Jawphaya |
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| A. obesum Rik Ni Ran |
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| A. obesum Red Hasadee |
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| A. obesum White Flora |
Notice that this potting medium has no composted material in it. Plants growing in gritty mix will be wholly dependent on you for nutrition. Al Tapla, in the various discussions in various forums, advised fertilizing weakly, weekly. The key, again, is consistent and steady feeding. It's a regiment that is easy to remember so I like it.
Pick a fertilizer that has all the nutrients and minerals that plants require for health and growth--such things exist in the market. I was shocked at how wasteful this was---nutrient-full water just drain out of the pots and it didn't look like the plant I was watering was getting any of the nutrients at all.
It is true that water drains out really fast. But if you dig out the plants even 2 days after watering, you will see that the medium is actually quite wet and retains more moisture than it looks, just judging from how much drains out. I just place my adenium pots so that the water draining out of them will end up watering other plants en route. Serious people will probably be aghast that I am doing it, I am always being told never to reuse water coming out of other pots. But I don't like waste and the neighbouring plants seem bright and happy.
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