Hello all! I am hoping for some advice-I live in Wisconsin and have just brought my plumerias out of dormancy about two days ago. I have noticed that the stems are starting to become dryer and lighter. I have not watered them yet, I have just been slowly introducing them to indirect sunlight. I have attached a couple pictures below. Anything I should be concerned about or something I should be doing? I was under the understanding I should wait for new growth to water them-or should I water them now? Thank you for any help I really really appreciate it. I am hoping for my first inflows this year, we were in Hawaii about a year ago and I am having severe plumeria withdrawals!

Thank you again!

Your photos shrink smaller instead of enlarge when I click on it.

Anyways, from what I can see, there is no new leaf growth yet. So I will not water that plant yet. Got to be very patient and wait. You can position it to a south facing window indoors for now. Typically I do not bring out my Plumeria cuttings outdoors if temperature overnight is still not a stable 50F and higher. But once I see at least one fully open leaf, then I start watering, and move it to a more sun area, and as more leaves show up onto a more full sun area.

I have learned to wait very patiently. It will do a leaf claw first, that does not count. Got to wait for those claws to open up properly. As long as that Plumeria cutting you have has no mushy part anywhere up and down that stem, it is okay if it feels lighter. Got to wait for those leaves to show up.

Example: that top part will look swelling and leaf claws forming. Still not ready, do not water yet, give it more light


This time, at least one leaf has managed to grow more and open up...time to start watering. Do it in intervals initially, then stepping it up to almost daily when the conditions gets hotter.


I also make my media very gritty and well draining. My area is different than yours. Over here we have zero rainfall for 6 to 7 months, so I have to step up watering and do it almost daily to catch up with its watering needs. But media must be gritty, and well draining. So I have added a lot of pumice and other well draining materials in the soil.


Be aware too, depending on what type of Plumeria cultivar you got, it may be more finicky than others. So your patience is your best friend.

Tarev-thank you, thank you, thank you! That was very helpful and reassuring, I will absolutely follow your advice. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I really do love these two plants and want to make sure to do everything I can do (even if that means patiently doing nothing for awhile) so that they continue to do well!

Good luck on your plants! You know it took me three years to understand their growing pattern. Almost gave up on them. But the good advice from various growers here helped me as well. One thing more, when trying to encourage it to leaf, it just likes part sun/shade. But once it has leaves growing, it can handle the direct sun.

You may have better rainfall during the summer months than my area, so it will surely grow better there.

You have been given good advice. If you feel the sticks are very dry you can mist them a little occasionally.

Decided to Free my captive Plumerias from living inside today... Our temps are still in the mid 50's at night, but 70's in the daytime... They've been snoozing since Oct 15th.

Hoping the Sun will tell them to WAKE UP !

We went back to cooler temperatures here in WI and now finally are starting to get some sun. One is waking up nicely with at least 5-6 leaves, the other with the split stem is still at the "claw" like stage-hoping the warmth and sun today gives it a kick start!
I came here to give an update and say hi, but I thought of a questions as I am typing:

When do you begin to fertilize?

Krystina

Kinda jumped the gun on one of my plumerias "Scott Pratt". Finding out it (is) more temp sensitive !

Noticed today the tips of each branch are Black & shiny? No sign of it moving down the stem "yet". Keeping an eye on them if I need to decapitate these tips.. Hoping to see some dormant buds swell below these black tips. We've had so much Rain lately & high humidity. Hope the Sun cures what ails it !!

All of my others are doing fine with claws expanding daily.

May 9th ** 4 Days later & Scott Pratt is recovering with 2 side growths on 1 of the blackened tips. YEAH soooooo it wasn't black tip rot after all

Hi Krystina, our weather here is also topsy turvy temperature wise. My Plumies still fast asleep actually, even if I have kept it outside all winter long. Just not enough warmth yet this Spring. We had a very brief heat wave in late April, but our conditons went back promptly to dry cool temps once more. It does feel much cooler compared to previous years. Got to continue being very patient and wait some more. The only thing I did was to trim off some branches that were cold damaged last winter.

As for your plant, I would wait a bit more before applying any fertilizer.

Krystina; Since we've already had 2 days of 82 degrees... I've given my Plumerias their first taste of fertilizer since breaking dormancy... Fish Emulsion (phew) mixed with Kelp extract. Figured it might help... although some on here say it's a waste of $$.

You are all so helpful and reassuring, thank you all! cant wait to see pictures of everyone's in a few months

I hope these brownish tips are just from the lack of nice hot weather, and as temperatures warm they will continue to grow. Being patient, but starting to worry

The tips look fine. BUT - please fill your pots all the way. Sunburn can happen from the reflected heat off the sides of the pot. I have seen this on many occasions.

will do today, thank you so much for the advice!!

Hello guys, I'm fairly new to this forum. I'm Dale Andrews from Lake Charles, LA, in the southern part of Louisiana and subtropical. We do get maybe a couple of light freezes (28-32 degrees) in the winter. It's April 24, 2024 and a couple of weeks ago I bought an about 3' high, triple branched 'Teresa Wilder' that appears to be coming out of dormancy. My concern is that the 2nd set of leaves are still rather small (only 3" x 1" wide). Shouldn't they be larger by now? Thanks in advance for your answer(s),

@daleandrews it is not unusual for the leaves or blooms to be small at the beginning when it is just coming out of dormancy. I usually don't water them until the normal sized leaves start coming out.