You don't give enough information for any kind of help. The size of plant, size of pot, and how much you used would be good for starters. And maybe how old are those older leaves? Leaves don't last forever.

Ole Grumpy Gills

Did you follow the recommendation on the container?

If you merely sprinkled a bit on the top, I can't imagine that it would burn your plant so soon.

Is it 4-month or 8-month slow release?

Josh

Sorry rjj I suppose I was being too vague. The plant is in a 6 inch Azalea pot with a gritty mix. I did the squeeze test on the wet soil and it fell apart beautifully. The plant has multiple branches that got a severe cut back a little over a month ago. So by the older leaves I mean the first leaves to develope after the haircut. The caudex is about as big around as a milk glass, perhaps a little larger. The fert is spread out about 5 pellets in a space about the size of a nickel.

@Greenman28 Its is a 4 month time release formula. I used it as the instructions suggested. But it doesnt say anything about how much to use for Adeniums :P

If the directions were plant specific, you'd have to buy a book to go along with the fertilizer...

Do you mean 5 pellets total, or 5 pellets per every nickle-sized area?

Josh

I have no clue what 5 pellets per size of a nickle means. Did you use a measured or specific amount? I would think 1 tablespoon would be a safe amount.

If you stayed under that amount it could easily have been the rain and then a lot of direct sun.

I also have no clue what a milk glass is. Do people no longer use the standard measuring devices any more?

Call me silly but I usually say 3 inch in diameter, 2 inch in diameter, and so forth and so on.

Clueless and Grumpy

I gave an anology that I thought most people could wrap their head around. But apparently I was incorrect. Frankly I dont have anything to measure it with. Not everyone is so blessed. If I were to guess, I would say its about 3 inches around.

Again, I tried using something that I thought people would understand and again I was incorrect. I used less then a tablespoon per plant.

What I meant by the nickel was that if you were to put a nickel down anywhere on the soil, that nickel would cover about 5 pellets of fert.

rjj1 I appreciate your help and I greatly appreciate your advice but please try not to be so rude. I dont appreciate that. Not everyone is a seasoned veteran like yourself. Im just trying to learn here. I know I dont know squat, so no need to rub it in my face.

Steve

Steve,

You have the freedom to think me rude. I don't see it that way. I'm a logical kind of guy that likes good information to base good help on.

If you call a doctor, tell him your arm hurts and ask if you need surgery, he's going to ask very direct, to the point questions. Do you think that rude or a professional seeking useful information to make a good diagnosis with?

If you don't measure the amount used, you don't know how much you used and if it is too much. If you don't know, we don't know.

Again, nothing was intended as rude. This is not an ego thing. I don't have one. If I did, I wouldn't spend so much time here helping folks.

I commend you for trying to learn. So am I. There are a lot of things I don't know squat about. Join the club.

Ole Grumpy Gills

@ rjj1 Just because a person is a proffesional doesnt entitle them to be rude. I had no problems with the directness of the questions. What I found rude was they way they were asked. It is possible to be a professional and not be rude when asking direct questions. As far the ego comment goes, saying you have no ego in fact proves that you do. Its kind of like saying "I never lie". Not sure why the ego comment was even said. I am sure that there are many people on this forum that have benifited from your advice, I myself included. I try to live my life treating others they Id like to be treated. When the others dont treat me the way I treat them, I stand up for myself.

@PG Those are great suggestions! I will have to create a method similar to yours so I dont have anymore mix ups.

Thats a funny comment about theyre kids :)

I thought I was the only person that used my fingers for measuring. From the start of my forefinger nail to the tip of my finger is 1/2 inch. My right forefinger is exactly 3 inches long.

It's important to measure chemicals. Without a base amount, you can't correct less or more based on effect to plants. Measuring devices are very cheap. Mistakes aren't.

I doubt the fertilizer is the problem. New tender leaves often burn if wet and then exposed to intense sun.

randy

No problem Steve. As I said you are entitled to your opinion. Good luck with your plants.

Mr Ego

Hi rjj1,

You cracked me up. Glad to know other nuts (me included) measure w/ their fingers. Now, just tell me pls. which is a forefinger (yikes that sounds dumb).

As to measuring w/ your fingers, one should either always use your dominant hand (measures differently than the non-dominant) or at least be consistent, like ALWAYS use the right hand.

The comment about the kids, I wasn't kidding; not so funny especially about medicines. I have no kids & I've seen myself be more careful w/ my plants than some folks are w/ their kids, yikes indeed!

PG,

The forefinger is the one you point with. Or I point with. Or most people point with. That is if they point. :-)

I hope you get my point.

Pointman

Not seeing where Randy was rude either. ::)

Randy, you got me with forefinger too. lol... I have no clue which one your is talking about.
I know them as thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinky..lol

I've never used a body part to measure.. but now i'm courious and need to find a tape measure. lol!

have a great day guys...
JoJo

Hi Randy,

Point taken. I learned that was an index finger (I can still hear my mother saying, it's rude to point like that.)

Jojo,

We appear to have learned the fingers the same way.

Hello!
Thanks Pointman..;)
looks like we were typing kinda at the same time. :)

PG~ I guess we did learn the same way. :) And like your mother, I am always yelling at my son about pointing. Its fun trying to find the happy medium of what and when it's O.K. ;)

JoJo

Drama and more drama. All pointless.

I grow a lot of these. Mine lose leaves like crazy. The lower ones will start to get a little brown, a little pale, brown on the edges and then fall off. Often after we've had a few days of rain they will have a growth spurt putting out new leaves and dropping the old ones. Don't worry about it if the new growth is green and healthy.

You're always better putting a time release fertilizer as it's less likely to burn. Just like a time released pill, it's going to release a little at a time. Even if you put waaaaayyyyy too much fertilizer it's still only releasing a little at a time. I've experimented by dumping an entire bottle of time release fertilizer in a potted brugmansia, the recommended in the pot next to it and none in the next pot. What did I find? The 2 w/ fertilizer grew better but no difference in the one with too much and the one with the right amount.

I know what a milk glass is and the nickel reference made perfect sense. It's thumb, digit 2, digit 3, digit 4, digit 5. We prefer not to use terms like ring finger or pinkie finger, there is room for misinterpretation, who wants the wrong finger operated on? I don't measure with my fingers, I possess tape measures, rulers and other devices to accurately measure things. I have no idea why it would matter the size in a question like this, very simple is it the rain or is it the fertilizer? Neither factor has anything to do with a lot of the questions that were asked.

But I think some people would like the exact age of the plant, the exact measurements of the pot, what time of day? what were the weather conditions? can you weigh the mixture it's growing in and provide exact weights for each ingredient? what phase was the moon in? did you eat prior to adding the fertilizer? what directions were you facing when you added the fertilizer? how much wind? what direction was the wind from? what time did it rain? how much rain fell between 0100 and 0115? What was the temp of the rain? Stupid!

My policy is KISS!!!!! And darlin' you did a great job, nice simple question.

Tally HO!

The only 'stupid' question is the question left unasked.

Asking questions (often) yields better advice, in my opinion.

My questions were completely relevant to the diagnostic. If they were not, please demonstrate how so.
Otherwise, you're just here to fan the drama, and it's unappreciated.

Josh

Gee Josh,

I'm starting to think you may be one of those right wing measurement extremist. :-)

Have a good day and don't let someone get your knickers in a twist.

Measuring Fool

as i learn more about adeniums, i'm starting to think philosophically about their leaves.

i think they 'consider' their leaves quite expendable, and don't have any trouble ditching them when necessary.

i wouldn't worry, unless they stop growing new ones for an extended period of time during growing conditions.

I remove leaves on a regular basis on some plants.

Randy -

'I remove leaves on a regular basis on some plants'

Just curious...under what circumstances do you find yourself doing this? When they get ratty? (my obesum does this - I think I notice more when it has been growing indoors for a while. The leaves just kinda yellow up and get the brown edges and drop off eventually. Sometimes this appearance motivates me to prune or remove the leaves...). Or, do you defoliate in the growing season to encourage a spurt of smaller leaves? (like I do for my maple and ficus bonsai in the summer...)...or for other reasons altogether?

Thanks.

Tom

Hi Tom,

The answer to your question is worth sharing, but not here. Be glad to do so in another format or forum.

randy

Tom,

Sent you an email through gardenweb.

@ beachplant Im glad to see we are on the same page. When the questions were asked I couldnt see how they pretained to my question but someone like rjj1 has alot of experience so I figured he would need better information. But I did not know how accurate the info he needed. Now I know. And I will be investing in some measuring devices like a ruler, caliper, micrometer, geiger counter, atomic clock...etc you know, the standard stuff hahaha just teasing. Maybe others on this forum dont notice abrasiveness because they are familiar with the people and how they are. Im fairly new to the forum, only been here a little over a year. I havent been able to "feel" everyone out. But when I feel someone is belittling me I stand up for myself. rjj1 said it was not his intention so I am not upset with him. I hope there arent any hard feelings between us.

Thanks again for all your advice :)

Life's a garden. Dig it.

Steve