This one came from a local nursery. It was tilted in it’s one gallon pot and root bound. The tip of the caudex root was bent to the side. Barely fit. Repotted straight up now, lots of side roots.

Third picture is of the same plant from the original post. No leaves

I think I see some tip rot there, and also what looks to be possible new growth.

I keep my mix wetter than most here, and yours looks like it might be too wet. I would be concerned about root rot unless this plant were in full growth. (need more larger pieces to drain well) I add bark pieces to my mix.

Of course, I may be seeing some of these things wrong.

Perhaps that is what I am seeing, and they just dried up a bit.

Hi there!.....Those fine roots will just dry up and die, they’re not in direct contact with the soil. Not sure if you got that info from here, doubt it else it would have been corrected, but it’s bad info. Thicker roots can be left exposed and if they go underground can swell both themselves and the caudex to some extent, but fine ones are feeder roots which will be lost if left like that. It appears to have been raised a lot as the skin is blanched from being underground.

I think your soil will be problematic long term as it looks very organic. Needs to be faster draining and all three of your components are organic based. Seived perlite, granite/gravel/chicken grit/pumice/aquarium gravel are suggested additives, come back if you decide to amend it....it needs altering IMHO.

No such variety as ‘Bonsai adenium’, the term bonsai just refers to the art of keeping any plants growth restricted to replicate a mature tree but in a miniature form :-)

Please add some location info after your user name as we do, it helps a lot when you ask questions if we can get to know a bit more about your climate from it.

Gill

Good advice here. I agree, be very thrifty with watering until they are actively growing and can be sunny and warm. Otherwise they are liable to rot. I do see flower buds but they aren't likely to bloom until you have warm days. Leaf drop after shipping is perfectly normal - the plants are stressed. So be patient and keep them a little on the dry side. As Gil says a faster draining gritty mix would be wise. Good luck with them! Winter can be difficult and I personally find it better to let them be dormant in the cooler months and keep them a bit on the dry side, increasing water once it starts getting hot outside and you have lots of active growth. They don't need watering to break dormancy and start growing. They store their own water.

Great comments above from Jerry, Gill, and Hyn. Yes, please do add 1/3 more of something gritty and non organic to your soil. It should be loose and very fast-draining and dry out sooner rather than later.

I don't know where you are ... please tell us ... and whether it's winter there. It sounds as if you have the trees indoors. These are tropical and will never get enough light for growing indoors unless you use grow lights. But that's OK ... They will just go dormant or semi-dormant, taking a rest until Spring. That and culture shock is what you are seeing in terms of leaf drop. Do not water regularly while indoors during cold weather, just enough to moisten lightly and allow to dry completely in between. Otherwise, they may very well rot ... either from the tips or roots. Tip rot travels downward and root rot upwards and needs to be excised.

To answer your question about leaving fine feeder roots exposed so they can grow thick ... no ... As Gill states, those need to be in contact with substrate and are there to feed. Otherwise, they atrophy and die off. That's OK ... There are more underground.

That one big white exposed one needs to be buried more. You can raise it about an inch but that's enough. Otherwise, that suddenly exposed white section will burn in the sun. Adeniums should be gradually raised, about an inch a year.

Please take a close look at all your branch tips. If anything is turning black or mushy or any kind of soft, prune it diagonally / . Make sure there is no black/brown left on the cut stem. That is rot and can potentially travel down the tree. When you prune, you will activate more branching. It DOES look like you have flower buds beginning on one of the tips. I hope it blooms for you. If they fall off due to culture shock, don't dismay. They will bloom again after Spring.

Once Spring arrives in your region and you notice active growth, slowly begin increasing water up to more or less twice a week on hot mid-summer days. Also, you will want to begin feeding once in active growth ... Feed at 1/4 strength every week for best results. Last, but not least, you will want to acclimate your trees to more light in the spring. Move little by little until you can have them in full sun all day during the Summer. As a safety measure, I do not recommend leaving adeniums outdoors when overnight temps fall under 50 degrees F. They are succulents and can freeze.

Please do stay with us and ask as many questions as necessary. There are many knowledgeable and helpful people here on this forum. Wishing you all the very best,

Maria Elena

Thank you so Much Maria Elena! Yes, I love the sculptural roots you have posted. I have repotted all of my plants in sand, perlite, granite and bark back in the unglazed clay pots. And I moved them out to the green house. I will take pictures when I get home.