Good afternoon all,

I received my first A. arabicum a little less than a month ago. I'm pretty sure the set up is good though the leaves are yellowing and falling off. I'm almost positive its due to the temperature and light. It is starting to drop into the mid 50's at night in my sun room and I'm in south Georgia so the light intensity and length is starting to drop. Initially I set the plant up in a commercial cactus medium with about 50% more perlite. After a week or so after a watering the medium was still moist though not wet. I decided to go with a dryer medium (Bonsai Jack to be exact). The plant was re-potted about 2 weeks ago. When I did that I checked the roots, all good there, yellowish white and firm, nothing appeared soft or rotten. The leaves have continued to turn yellow, dry up and fall off. Though there is one stem with a small leaf apparently sprouting though it hasn't grown in weeks.

My understanding is that it isn't uncommon for them to drop after shipping. I have two questions, first, how long can it take for the leaves to grow back? I'm unsure how long this particular plant can survive without leaves. If I need to I can put a grow light over it.

Second question is, can the plant be moved in and out of the house during the day? We still have weeks where the temperature sunny and above 60. It's typically 60-70 degrees during the day and 45-55 at night. Moving it in and out daily seems like it would be a lot of stress for this type of plant.

thanks in advance for any advice.

Decent looking A.arabicum & well formed .... all looks good at this end - good job

the leaves yellowing & falling off are all normal ...and true, it is from the changes in both temperature and
light ....this phase, or period signals that your plant has entered dormancy ....

Basically - dormancy means the plant isn't doing anything ...it is "surviving" off its stored reserves from the caudex ...so during dormancy, the caudex may begin to look "shriveled", and may even look like a raisin ....
and a "potting medium" cavity may form around the now shrunk caudex - that too is normal

the sun will continue decreasing in intensity as it "falls" lower in the sky

to answer your first question ...leaves may re-emerge during dormancy...that too is normal and is the plants response to warm indoor temperatures ...those leaves may, or may not make it all the way through the winter -

When spring returns .... and the plant is back outside soaking up the sun, its warmth, getting frequent water and fertilizer - leaf and stem growth will return ...

a rule of thumb - adenium take their time doing anything - everything seems to take forever ...patience is key

trips in & out under a warm sun wont hurt ....but, as you say, will add stress ....but as long as the plant is not subjected to freezing temperatures, or sustained temps into the 40's or upper 30's the plant will be okay

Once inside - Water thoroughly one last time ....making certain water is flowing from the drain hole at bottom of pot -
also "adding warmth" is not necessary as indoor temps are actually too warm

the next step - is stop watering for 60 to 75 days (as long as 3 months - 90 days) - mark the day on a calendar & resist the urge to water - watering at this stage can lead to root rot or kill the plant

Place in a south, east or west facing window or under a grow light (for about 10-to-12 hours a day....a timer helps keep things consistent))

when the end of the "no water" 60 to 75 day cycle (or 90 days) has come ....water thoroughly - allow to drain completely, then reset the 60 75 90 day cycle again

wait for spring to return plant outside

winter or summer - never allow a potted adenium to "sit" in a saucer of water

During the winter months .... you may, and I stress "may", get a treat with some flowering

Hello beave 264, I would just keep your plant indoors, by your south facing window and leave it be for the rest of the cool season. It is definitely asleep, so got to practice ignoring it and leaving it alone. It is funny, sometimes, it is the hardest thing to do when you see your other indoor plants growing nicely and this Adenium just sitting there, asleep.

With my Adeniums, I do not bother moving it in and out, even if we still some good daytime highs. I know it really wants stronger and hottter temps like the range of 90F and higher, so it is not worth the hassle of moving it constantly.
Once outdoor temps starts hitting overnight temps 45F and below, time to just bring it in, give one good watering, and that's it. Wait for mid Spring patiently. It may hold on to some leaves, but no new ones growing, it is asleep. Dropping all the leaves, definitely asleep.

You may also notice later, it may actually start doing new buds early, just let it be. It is still asleep. Need to see new leaves to know it is awake.

Awesome, thank you both very much for your insight. Good to know I'm on the right track. No water, easy enough. I'm pretty good with sticking something in the corner and forgetting about it. Have a blessed holiday season!