A photo journey of repotting and checking one year olds grown from seed, and common problems I see asked about often. Bonus pics of fat caudex’s on more established girls

https://imgur.com/a/7o0BrpQ

Hey all. I started some desert rose seeds roughly a year ago. Most were growing well but some much more so than others. It was time for their first repotting. I pulled and washed all of them and started the inspections.

First thing, most questions asked here about growth and potential problems can be answered by simply pulling em up and washing off all of the dirt to manually inspect the root system. These plants simply do not care if they are yanked up and cleaned and set aside for a few days. They are extremely hardy.

Out of about 15 there were four or five with significant problems ranging from a small rot spot on what appeared to be the healthiest one, to major rot on plants that even though they were lagging behind, appeared “fine” from the visible part above the soil line. My outdoor conditions are extremely bright, but also sees significant rains in the summer. I knew the soil was a bit too organic when I put the babies into their first pot but it actually appears that is was SIGNIFICANTLY too organic, leading to most of these issues.

I spent a day or so cutting some minor and some major rot from the root systems. I used a fresh razor blade wiped down with alcohol to remove the oil that they use to coat them in shipping. I also used a fresh blade for each plant out of principle. Didn’t want to spread viral vectors from plant to plant. May be a bit overkill but better safe than sorry.

After days of drying and trimming the roots, leaving the major ones intact, I replanted the ones that didn’t have major surgery, leaving the most egregious offenders of to dry for another week.

I repotted in much grittier soil and raised them above the old soil line to encourage bigger caudex and main root growth. I don’t water the first few days but I do give them enough water after about three or four to encourage the media to settle and fill in any gaps between the roots. In my climate I pretty much ignore them until spring when they wake up. The roots have had a chance to reestablish themselves so that when the weather warms they are ready for some truly explosive growth.

I feel like this maintenance schedule works really well for me IN MY LOCAL MICROCLIMATE so feel free to adjust to your specific area. A dry cool winter and little watering after a good cutback seems to really encourage the plant to direct most of its energy into establishing a healthy root system, as that is the foundation for ANYTHING happening above ground. Feel free to ask any questions and good luck with yer babies. May they always turn into fat bottom girls. What can I say, I like em thick!