Hi Kim, welcome to the forum. Many people with many mix, but for me, I mix 25% perlite into my miracle gro pottiing mix. Desert rose needs good drainage soil.
I hope that helps.
Marie

Hello Kim and as Marie says, welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy the new forum we have started.
Yes, there are lots of recipes for Adenium mixes, mine being 1/3 small grade grit, 1/3 vermiculite (or perlite), 1/6 cactus compost, 1/6 bark chips. A really fast draining mix is essential to try and avoid the dreaded root rot.
Gill from the UK.

Thank You all for the info.
Reason for asking I know everyone does their mix different and i was just wondering.
Thanks again.

There are as many soil mixes as there are growers.

I use Al's quick-draining mix:
1 part Turface-MVP
1 part coarse aquarium grit
1 part pine bark, fines (I use Pet-Med/Repti-Bark...found in large pet supply stores, e.g Petco...PetSmart).
This mix is soiless, and you must use fertilizer, diluted, with every watering. It is impossible to overwater a plant with this mix, and it will retain some moisture for a long time, without being wet near the roots. I insert a long bamboo skewer in all my pots, and if when you withdraw the skewer, it feels cold, there is enough residual water in the medium, so I don't water until the skewer feels warm. This residual moisture surrounding the root-zone can last for some weeks...and no need to water every day.

This medium is very free draining, and as soon as the water flushes through the mix, it pulls in a fresh charge of oxygen. The roots on my Clivia love this mix, and roots can be inspected with little damage or set-back....the mix just falls away from the roots. Few, or no, Fungus Gnats.

I have no idea if this will work with Adenium, and honestly, I don't see why it would not. It can be modified with organic matter, but then you might destroy its quick-draining properties. It doesn't seem too different than some other mixes recommended for cacti and succulents.

Just sharing. Try with caution.

Frank

Al's gritty mix works great for DRs, but you need to water with diluted fertilizer with micro elements. In very hot and dry climate and smaller pots it may dry a bit fast. Works great in bigger pots and keeps plant safe from root rot during raining season here in Florida!

Aggie

Frank.. Don't worry about using Al's Gritty Mix on your DR's..They really do well in the fast draining mix and i dont ever worry about watering to much during the summer.

They actually thrive in this great mix and i highly reccommend it for all Dr's and other plants as well.i also use it on my Plumeria!!

I use Foliage pro and Pro TeKt when i fertilize. During the winter, i reduce to 1/4 strength and increase during the summer

Enjoy the mix and you will see great results!!

Laura

Thanks for letting me know that Al's gritty-mix will work with DRs. Do you think if I added some activated charcoal chips to this mix it would do any harm/good?

Yes, I also use Foliage-Pro, and Pro-Tekt. I no longer have to keep different fertilizers around, and different mixes for different plants. I never grew in soiless mediums before, and wish I had the thousand$ that I spent on plants over the last 40 years, that were lost to rot, sour soils, and swampy mixes, RECOMMENDED by experienced plant growers who write books!

Thanks for the speedy replies and comments.

Frank

I would personally leave out the charcoal chips and keep it simple to the grittymix recipe. That is just me.. I couldnt tell you what it would do (if anything), but i would not add that to them. Matbe someone might know about the difference would be...

i also love the Foliage Pro and the Pro TeKt..Great Stuff!!!

Enjoy Frank!!!

Laura

Hi Laura your gritty mix sounds great but i can't seem to find the ingredients around my town. What can i use to substitute? I only have Lowes here and a farm and feed store.

Kimmiesplumies,

Had same problems in Miami and this is what I use:
-Small bark called repti bark (pet store)
-perlite to replace granite chips or aquarium gravel (pet store), perlite is way cheaper, but you should be able to get grit for chickens from feed store
-sifted through bug screen napa floor dry from napa autoparts, keep larger particles, rinse and you are ready to make a mix.

Good luck, Aggie

Wat is Chicken Grit?

Newer had chickens my self; but I believe grit is sold at feed stores for chickens to aid digestion. Basically small rocks, inert, non toxic and non digestible. You may try calling feed store and asking if they carry it, if not just get perlite from Lowes it works well and it's lighter. Big advantage for bigger plants. I was very happy when finally got my 25lb bag of small gravel, and way less when I couldn't move 18in pot with DR in a "proper gritty mix"! I'm saving rocks for smallish pots, rest gets perlite... :o)
Aggie

So I called my feed store they only carry oyster grit.

Many postings, and tons of information on Garden-Web forums explaining and describing Al's quick-draining, gritty medium/mix.

Note: "Pine Bark Fines"...this is NOT pine-bark mulch. Mulch/nugget mixes will clog and stop water from draining out of containers. Read, and understand why a "Perched Water Table" MUST be avoided, or your Adeniums will rot. Best substitute: PET-MED, PREMIUM REPTI-BARK sold in large pet stores. It's used for reptile bedding. Pet stores also sell aquarium grit.
NAPA Auto Parts sells floor dry sweeping compound #8822 as a substitute for Turface MVP.

Mix equal parts of all three by volume. Its heavy when wet, and pots usually can't tip, or blow over. If you are prone to hernias, watch out!

Plants/roots love it. You cannot over-water...and it holds trapped moisture in the Turface MVP/NAPA floor-dry granules. Medium stay moist for a long time, so use a bamboo skewer to test for moisture. I haven't watered my Clivia since last month, and the medium still has retained moisture. Roots keep humidified, but not wet.

Excellent mix for all containerized plants.

Decide for yourselves.

Frank

Thanks Frank for defining pine-bark. I went around town yesterday and gathered:
Repti-bark from Petco
Perlite From Nursery
Napa Compound #8822
still looking for grits.

How mush of each do i mix?

Kimmiesplumies, you are done! That's all you need, perlite replaces grit/granite. Remember to get rid of small particles of napa floor dry (bug screen works great) and rinse. Drain most of the water from it and mix with perlite and repti bark (1:1:1) and you can start potting!

Aggie

Thanks all...

kimmiesplummies....

REMEMBER TO FERTILIZE.....this quick-draining mix provides little, or no nutrition. You must give plants, food, macro-micro nutrients and all the trace elements that they will need. Hydroponic/Marijuana-grower's supply stores usually sell very good fertilizers, and trace/macro-micro solutions. I use Dyna-Gro's "Foliage-Pro 9-3-6" and another product called "Pro-TeKt". These fertilizers provide the correct N-P-K ratios, and other nutrients, I use them with every watering, but very diluted.

Just remember that the Napa #8822/Turface-MVP is the only thing that holds residual moisture, the bark nuggets too, but very little. Try the bamboo-skewer trick to check moisture levels. You'll be surprised how long this mix keeps residual moisture in the root zone.

Happy growing!

Frank

Thanks Frank I got both FP and PT for fertilizing. But how often u fertilize though?

K/P:

In growing season....every watering, BUT diluted. Check directions on label, and reduce to 1/3 dose. Then I do a clear water flush once a month, or, as needed. When/If mix goes very dry, soak medium first with clean, plain water, then go back and re-water plants with the diluted solution(s). I don't like to use fertilizers in parched medium...that's why I soak mix first then follow up with fertilizes. Less chance of burning dry roots....and probably no chance of doing this with such diluted solutions. Better safe than sorry.

Frank

Kimmiesplumies,

During growing season if you use quarter or half of recommended concentration you can do it every time you water, then give it nice "wash" with plain water once a month or so. Then you can decrease concentration more before plant gets dormant (if it will in your climate) and you can keep it dry for couple of month. Here in s. Florida DRs never go dormant unless we have "bad winter" (once in blue moon). But even in my very tropical climate and in full sun I water once a month starting November until I see new growth. Keep in mind that this applies to bigger plants, small seedlings need water year around.
Aggie

Thanks Frank and Aggie yall where very helpful.

I use 100% pouzzolane (lava rock ) small size, and a 17-17-17 solid fertilizer. Works perfectly.

I use equal parts Turface (calcine clay), Poultry Grit (crushed granite) and Reptibark (fir bark fines). I'm in Zone 10a, S Florida and it works great. I've had rot in regular soil or even in a dry mix with some soil in in it. All you need for rot is a few cool, wet nights in a row. I fertilize with Dyna Gro products also. Poultry Grit and Reptibark can be bought online at Walmart.com and Chewy.com. I see Turface sold through 3rd party vendors on walmart.com and ebay. I bought it in person. It's comes in a large 50 lb bag and it looks like people are repackaging it into smaller bags and reselling it. I might do that because I bought too much. If you think you'll have a need for the 50 lb bag, the Turface website, turface.com, lists local retailers by zip code. I was able to find it at a local lawn supply store that way. It's an amazing product. My trees get almost all day sun in my south facing yard so I water a few times a week. YMMV.

In answer to your charcoal question, by itself; it would do nothing except absorb any odors coming off the soil (which is prolly none).

Now if you want to get into using "Biochar", that's a different story.

I'm thinking of writing a thread about it in the near future.

Rob