Toxcrusadr, While never having spoken (conversed) with you before I have read some of your posts and am happy to be able to share a few thoughts with you. As has been stated earlier in this thread, I did my best to keep things simple but do not feel that limit necessary with you, the pleasure is mine. The reason your limit of familiarity with "colloidal humus compost" is due to the fact that the author of the book spoken of coined the phrase is my understanding. Each term stands on its own; however in the original discussion that was the name given to the substance at the time and it has stuck. Humus can develop colloidal properties, yet compost cant; compost can lead to humus, yet humus cannot lead to compost. "Humic substances are key components of a friable (loose) soil structure. Various carbon containing humic substances are key components of soil crumbs (aggregates). Complex carbohydrates synthesized by bacteria and humic substances function together with clay and silt to form soil aggregate. As the humic substances become intimately associated with the mineral fraction of the soil, colloidal complexes of humus-clay and humus-silt aggregates are formed. These aggregates are formed by electrical processes, which increase the cohesive forces that cause very fine soil particles and clay components to attract each other. Once formed these aggregates help create a desirable crumb structure in the top soil, making it more friable." (See link below) While I do enjoy making compost, my larger focus is allowing said compost to develop the largest amount of humic and fulvic acid as possible. And too, auxins, cytokinins, and other grown hormones and enzymes can be present and ready to go to work once the compost is applied to the soil. It is for this reason I constantly stress allowing ones compost be allowed to cure/mature. Those of us who have developed soil with such an organic foundation find we grow plants that refuse to die. As an example, those "Georgia collard greens" in the photo above will live well past a year, growing a stalk over three (3) feet tall, and will harvest collards with a taste to die for. I do have a different understanding of the nature of humic and fulvic acid, with fulvic being much smaller than humic, thus is the main carrier of nutrition in foliar sprays. Fulvic acid and the many wonderful functions it provides for all life on earth is one of my favorite topics so all I will say for now is that once our planet has replaced both fulvic and humic acid in our soils our health will be akin to those collards I just spoke of, in human time. I too will avoid the topic of bio-char as well; I trust you will understand. I do appreciate your insight and sharing of knowledge, it is very much well taken Blutranes @gmail.com

Mike, it looks way better than my first batch I ever made..Great job. No need for Gypsum if you are using Foliage Pro on a consistence basis. Do remember to fertilize more frequently and you'll find your tree loving that mix. I would also suggest you use a wooden dowel until you get use to figuring out whether or not the mix has dried out since it holds moisture way past what you think is dry. Also, make sure to use a sprinkler or hose with an end attachment to water and not a water spout or cup or anything that just pours into your pot. Yes, you can sprinkle CRF if you would like. I do that many times, especially in the spring when all my plants go out or when preparing the mix. Hello Josh and Doglips! Mike

Remember that adenium seedlings are less like their adult counterparts and more like coleus when very young. Seedlings less than a year old will suffer transplant shock if you move them into gritty mix. When they are this young, they need so much water that in a free-draining mix, you will need to water them almost everyday especially during high summer. Nothing else on my plant bench needs that much water so I couldn't even use the water runoff for other pants, thus adding waste into the equation. I have tried the 5:1:1 mix to see if this will be better but I really don't have the patience to keep up with the amount of water such young seedlings need so I ultimately moved mine back to 50 percent soil and 50 percent perlite. They gain girth faster this way as well. Adult plants, on the other hand, are dramatically easier to care for in gritty mix and 5:1:1. As are most succulents, potted trees and fake plants. Pagan

Thanks everyone! You are all too kind. Kay, I don't think of Exquisitely Subversive as short here in my garden, I know it is taller than some around it (like Light of the World, which is to the right of it). The picture of it was taken by me standing on the deck, so ES may look lower than it is really is.