Verry good explanation martin.

Marica. i don`t work much with Gritty mix but maybe you can give us the ratio of the mix components so that the other members can help you better.

I think you can water the gritty mix every day or maybe twice a day.

The Gritty mix works well, but as with most planting media. We need to learn how the plants we are growing in it do and especially where and how we are growing them in each of our climates. Pretty much what Martin has commented on.

I found the Gritty Mix very different from most I had used when I first started using it. It took some time and diligence on my part to become familiar with and adapt my watering management to suit. A big factor is "where each of us resides". This will make our waterings practices all different.

In my climate. My plants all have to be brought indoors for winter months. They are out late Spring - early fall. In the Summer my plants could be panted in a different mix of soil which retained more moisture for a longer period of time, but then for the rest of the year. They would be best in the Gritty Mix, because they would be sitting in moister soil with cooler temps. and most likely start to rot. For this, I keep them in Gritty Mix because I know why it works to help my plants healthy. My watering frequency is more in Summer and almost negligible in the Winter.

You definitely will notice a difference and feel it is dry, but it can be moister an inch below surface.

Play around with it and alter to which suits you and your growing conditions.

You will make out fine. Keep things going.

Rick

Thanks everybody I will just have to be brave. The Gritty mix with Turface, chick grit, fir bark and Grostone. are all equal portions. It dries out really fast so I guess I will need to add something that holds a little water.

I have the same trouble with all my summer deck plants. Had to add water crystals there. that won't work for Adenium's.

I basically use potting soil with some bark added, and keep it wet like a swamp as long as the plants are growing. I don't know how well that would work in your location, but perhaps you could try a few in a mixture of gritty and potting soil.

I have never understood the attraction of using "gritty mix".

Bouldergrower, I agree. When I originally started researching adenium, one of my early finds was a page taken from Dimmitt's book. This is paraphrased, but in reference to moisture levels, it said "as long as adenium is in growth, treat it like a tropical plant". Secondly, I read that dormancy is when they are weakest, and better to not allow dormancy if possible. Therefore, I keep mine moist and growing as much as I can.

Having said that, I won't question those who do use gritty.

Although, I would be very interested to see growth differences.

It is the big debate. I understand the concept of the use of ingredients in Gritty mix. These plants rot easily. But it also has to do with our weather and living conditions. I could see them rotting if I put them in straight potting mix. My house plants can be ignored now, when I first got them, I watered to much and rot and death occurred. I am talking about common house plants. I have seen on here how resilient Adenium's can be.

I like the idea of Gritty mix. There are lots of things I could add to the mix. But I don't want to add something that stays really wet. IMHO

Jed, I have lived in Tx with all the Canned air from the heating and AC. My plants dried out very fast. The yard was sometimes dry and then came the quick storms. The sun can be intense along with the wind and humidity. So we all adjust our soil like Rick and Martin have said. What ever works.

Forums are great ways we learn to adjust and tolerate every bodies choices and idea's to find what we need. I also like to see the differences in care of our Adeniums. Watching and reading how every bodies plants preform under what conditions is so interesting. I also enjoy the different climates that we all have around the world. Thank you ever body for sharing.

Marica - Here's some testing I did a while back when building the "Gritty Mix" with different materials........

I did some water retention testing on the Haydite vs Turface.

The pictures I will show are from the first round of tests, so the numbers WILL NOT match the written information.

First, I filled clear plastic cups half way with both materials. (I also drilled drain holes in them.)

I weighed the cups empty, then weighed the materials dry:

Haydite

Turface

I then plugged the drain holes, filled the cups with water and let set for one minute, then thoroughly drained, (including perched water).

I then started weighing them each every 24 hours until they reached their original dry weight.

Turface:

Haydite:

Like I said, these numbers are from the first round of tests, so they are irrelevant for my purposes here. They do however show the difference in water retention between the two materials.

This test was done between: 5-25 and 6-10

The Turface saturated weight was: 167g. It took 17 days for it to dry completely.

For the first six days, it lost between 5 - 8 grams of moisture per day.

For the next four days, it lost between 2 -4 grams per day.

For the last six days, it lost 1 gram every day except one, when it lost 2 grams. (It was probably warmer that day.)

In total: 58 grams

THE HAYDITE:

Started at: 143g. It took only 11 days for it to dry completely.

For the first two days, it lost: 7 and 5 respectively.

The next four days: -4, -2, -2, -2.

The last four days: -1, -2, -1, -1.

In total: 27 grams

This is not exact science, but it gives you a general idea as to the moisture retention for both materials.

Rob

That is what I was looking for thanks

I will get out the scale that will help with what I can't see or feel.

I just got my Dino Thong tonnam Thai Arabicum's that are 6months old. I will feel better weighing them till I get to know them.

What product do you recommend to increase the moisture a bit? I use slightly changed recipe of Gritty mix. By adding another equal amount of Grostone.

What's your full recipe? Are Grostones the same as Hydroton?

Rob

Turface, chick grit, fir bark and Grostone is slightly bigger. I used equal portions of each.

http://www.growstone.com/soil-aerator-2/

I guess I need to put heat under them. They were in the sun today but it was windy and cold (67c). I bet I don't use enough heat and light to get the quicker growth every one else does It is about 70 in my house and I am using two grow lights, I have to look the watts for them. There is just no growth or swelling in the trees. They have been in the ground for 7 days. The new seedlings have not grown either. They are in coir. I will add another light. I just planted Dino's Thong tonnam Thai Arabicum in my Gritty mix.

My camera is still down.

I keep my new plants and seedlings on heating matts, and if it's about mid70s outside, I bring them on a sun. I've noticed that they tend to dry out faster on heating mats, probably shoud make some kinda tent to add humidity. You shoud notice new grows soon, with mine it usually takes 10-14 days:) Keep us posted!

For those materials; you could increase the Fir bark, or use some of the finer particles of Turface that you screened out. If you decide to use smaller particle sizes; keep in mind that will begin to create PW, so you might want to incorporate a wick.

Rob