I have been soaking my adenium seeds for several days. I need to plant them today!! I usually plant within 24 hours, but I wanted to check on viability/seed germination. The photos below were taken a few minutes ago. As can be seen, some embryos popped out of their seed casing and are lying at the bottom of the bowl.

"Yellow Duckling" Sep. 15 (my zone)

This bowl has seeds that are popping open and will soon release the embryos.

"Star" Sep. 15

There are two other varieties that are also popping open and releasing embryos.

So hubs goes to a local-owned hardware store to buy me a bag of peat moss. They didn't have it and instead sold him another kind of peat...coco peat. I hydrated a couple of compressed slabs, mixed equal portions of coco peat, vermiculite, and perlite for my seed starting media.

I have used coconut coir chunks in my media for transplanted seedlings, but this is the first time that I have ever used coco peat for starting seedlings. Just by my mixing it with the other ingredients and seeing and feeling the texture of the media I am inclined to approve coco peat. Time will tell whether this will be my new standard of seedling media.

Kadie,
I use Coconut coir for all seed starting and w my seedlings. It is wonderful stuff.
Referred to as Coco Peat or Coconut Coir.

It is being sold now as a renewable resource and it ability to be reused.

Rick

Yes, I like that coir is a renewable resource and also that it is pH neutral, unlike peat moss.

This experiment went sour! I think I buried the sprouted seeds too deeply in the heavily saturated media. They did not make it! This is my first time using coco coir peat. So...back to the drawing board! That's okay...still learning as I go along!

Kadie,
I never cover my seeds w the soil in the pots, just press in slightly and then cover w a thin layer of Grit (depth equal to seed thickness). I have been doing this w most seeds, especially perennials. Grit keeps soil surface at a even moisture. Occasional misting when dry.
Rick

The above experiment was to find out if using coco coir peat with vermiculite and perlite would be a good media for seed starting. But because I planted too deep the seeds did not grow. I know now, for sure why it has been recommended to only cover lightly...the seeds definitely need some light to prompt them to grow. I will try this first experiment again, but this time I'll lay the seeds on top and sprinkle with a shallow layer of perlite.

I started another three batches of seeds two weeks ago using coco coir peat only at bottom . After thoroughly watering the cribs with water/H2O2, I placed the seeds on top and lightly covered the seeds with a layer of perllite. Two of the varieties of seeds sprouted: A. multiflorum and A. swazicum; the 3rd, the A.obesum "Alba" has yet to sprout. Rick, they are the seeds you gave me some months ago that I had kept in the refrigerator.

Rick, you know me by now! Ha-ha! I have this need to experiment and learn from trials.

The media in these two cribs is coco coir peat. I made shallow indentations on the surface, placed the seeds in them and sprinkled a miniscule amount of perlite over the seeds.


Note: I planted two different varieties, hence the difference in size.

I had watched a video where seeds (not adenium) were planted in coco coir and the same kind of seeds were planted in another container filled with potting soil. After a few weeks the seedlings were pulled out and compared. The seedlings planted in potting soil had nice lush growth topside...the ones in coir were not lush, but the roots were bigger than the others.

Referring to my experiment and photo above...at this stage I can see that the top growth of leaves is closely stacked. I have not used any fertilizer on these, but soon I will fertilizer with micro-nutrients only...no NPK. I'll post again about this experiment in a few weeks.

Just keep in mind that the coir holds water very well, unlike peat, so be careful not to over water. Coco coir makes an excellent replacement for peat because it isn't acidic, and it rewets much more easily, but it does need perlite for air.

Thanks, Carol! I do know coir does not dry out as quickly as peat moss so I don't water as often as I would with peat moss. I left out perlite for this experiment with seed-starting as it was not indicated in the video I watched. So...we'll see how it goes.

It is a wonderful product and mixed w an aeration product such as perlite or other, makes for a great mix.
I add some micro nutrients I get to the mix, because I usually have my seedlings in communal pots that are about 4" deep. I keep them in these until the seedlings have 4-6 true leaves and for the added length of time in these pots, I like something in the soil. In most cases when I transplant out, their roots go right to the bottom.

Rick