Hi, Toni - I fertilized with Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro - can't remember the numbers on that one, and I no longer have the original container. I think I over-fertilized, since this plant can usually stand to be watered quite liberally, especially in summer. I am a little worried about leaching the soil because since I repotted this plant in a glazed ceramic container, it hasn't dried down as fast as I expected, but I guess I will have to try it before this brown crispiness gets any worse. I was thinking the problem was overwatering because the inner margins of the brown areas are yellow. Yes, hopefully this plant will pull through - it's one of my favorites - I actually rescued it from wal mart, which was selling it as a pseudo-bonsai (with the rocks glued over the top of the soil), and it had fallen down behind the shelves and gotten half-smashed. I was happy, though: I got it for half off! I have had it for a year and it's never showed signs of blooming.

caveat: not an adenium expert. I was eagerly awaiting to hear what people thought because I have the same problem with one of my adenium. I have one that is larger, which is the problem, which is on a table directly in front of my office window. I have two seedlings and one smaller plant that are on the same window's sill. the big one is in the best draining mix, with some slow release fertilizer added and is the only one that has lost all it's leaves. There are some small one's sprouting however. there was a period in late winter during which we had a stretch of warmer weather. that combined with the fact that the heating in the office was still on pumped the temp up to about 80 in my office for a few weeks on end. During that time, the plant really grew. now, the temp is back in the low 70's and it dropped its leaves. I'm assuming it's going into partial dormancy. I'm guessing that the heat the other plants get from being 3-5 inches closer to the sun is keeping the smaller plants 'awake.' Could it be that larger plants are more sensitive, for some reason? At any rate, I'm just feeling my way along in the dark. I haven't watered the plant in a week or two, as I'm afraid to kill it if it's definitely dormant. I will water it today though, because the trunk is getting a little springy and there IS some new growth. Not sure this was helpful to the OP, but it sure was cathartic for me! :)

I'm not expert enough to answer your question, but you might want to post it on the Adenium forum, too.

Greenjay, thanks, glad you like my efforts so far, my fav is #3. Bikerdoc, hope someone from the USA comes in to help you find a good seed supplier as I'm from the UK. As for the germinating media I tend to use a 50/50 mix of cactus and general purpose potting compost. The seeds need to be soaked in warmish water for 4 hours or so before lying them on the surface of your pots and covering with just a sprinkling of mix. Keep them moist but not saturated and in the mid 20'sC. If fresh, they should pop in a matter of a few days, mine come through in 5/7 usually. They grow quickly once through and need to be kept moist for several weeks after sprouting. When around and inch or so high and with a couple of sets of true leaves I re-pot mine individually into 30% cactus mix, 30% potting compost and 30% horticultural grit...it needs to be very fast draining. I let mine dry out before I water again which can be every other day even here in the UK! Give them as much light & warmth as poss. Keep them growing year round for 2 years if poss...I find young seedlings don't go dormant anyway and the bigger the plant is going into winter, the more reserves it has to go through a dormant period. When older/bigger, in summer treat as tropicals...ie.warm and watered often but remember, don't let them sit in water or get waterlogged or the roots rot. In winter keep drier like a cactus....if they go dormant and loose leaves hardly water them at all. Cold and/or constantly wet and soggy feet are killers, the roots and caudex can rot easily. As for root pruning, well I'm not the one to tell you much about that as I haven't got to that stage with mine...yet! Good luck, hope this helps, it's what I do with mine anyway. Josh, thanks for the heads up on the root pruning... I will certainly now wait a while before I chop them as I'd certainly like them to put on some more growth yet. Regards, Gill from the UK.