Hi all,

I am new to this website and fairly new to planting. Funny thing is that I am 24 male who found out he is interested in planting, especially interesting flowers.

I had ordered rooted plumerias that should come later this week. Just a couple initial growing questions so I can avoid another failed attempt - I had killed a plumeria after this past winter when I overwatered (I think that was the reason). I am in Zone 7, in Connecticut. I will plant my plumeria in pots. Here are my questions:

- For the watering, I can just use tap water that is left aside after a day right?
- I should water twice a week but thoroughly being in Zone 7?
- What would be the frequency of applying fertilizers?

Thanks!

Simonli194
You are correct with your watering but be sure your medium is well draining (add perlite when in doubt). Also - and this is important - your Plumeria will go dormant in the winter and will not need any water at all during this time. It will signal its dormancy by dropping all the leaves after which you can stop watering.

Personally I like a timed release fertilizer so I only have to apply it a few times a year.....

with Hetty. I use half potting soil and half perlite for my new cuttings!

Gotcha, thank you! My first two rooted plumeria should arrive on Monday. I live in Connecticut so it's tougher to get the good weather if I leave the plants outside but hopefully it won't go dormant too early. When I took my first out of dormancy (it was a Vera Cruz), it shriveled up...may have been because of dehydration too but I thought it was rot.

So half soil and half perlite is a good mix? Do you ever swap out the soil mix ever once in a while?

Thanks! And this forum is great!

At this time of year I would start half and half on the soil/perlite mix
Then when things look good in the spring, I would go for 1/3 perlite. You want to repot in spring anyway.

Oops. I did not repot in spring. I saw this thread and popped in, my plumeria are plunged in the ground, I pull them out and put them in garage when it's cold but this year didn't do any repotting, they don't seem to care but have not flowered ever. So I'll just do my usual routine this fall and repot next spring. Does that sound okay?

@simonli94
I consider myself a newbie to plumeria even tho Ive been raising some for 3 years: two plants that I bought as sticks and several plants raised from seeds. I have done my best and only lost two plants, never figured why. But what seems to work best is lots of outdoor sun in summer and some neglect. They seem happy when they have periods of drought, at least when plunged in garden. They also seem to like the "company" of other plants that shade their roots. Just my observations.

Seed raised plants will typically not bloom for ~ 3 years.

Two of my plumeria are from sticks that I rooted, these have grown for two complete years I. Pots that I overwinter, maybe next year I'll get flowers.

Gotcha, thank you both! I guess I am a newbie to planting in general haha.

I will stick with the suggested mix. So each spring we should replace the soil right?

What timed fertilizer do you recommend? Mine are not timed so I can purchase the appropriate one.

Also..this does give me an idea - I will get a horizontal tub and plant the two plants side by side instead of in individual pots then! Probably better I assume?

That should work for a while. I like Dynamite (13-13-13) or Osmocote.

Hey all, I have potted my first two rooted cuttings I received from California! Two more to come from Haiwaii! Thanks for all your advice so far.

For the holes at the bottom of the tub, how big do they need to be? I have just nailed many small holes mainly. Would that be fine?

I've included a couple of pictures!

More drainage is better. You never want them to have any standing water at all.

Got it thank you. I am buying a power drill to drill these holes tomorrow!

Looking at your soil, I will add some more perlite or pumice there.

Are you getting the intense rain today? Do shelter it for now..and put it out after the rain passes..your plant has no roots yet. Might get stem rot.

My plants are actually all rooted plumerias (mostly short roots though). I did about half and half soil and perlite. I put them on the balcony so they are not exposed to rain but exposed to sunlight.

Do you think these will have flowers by next summer?

I've attached a picture too :)

Oh good it has roots. Well I wish you luck for blooms..am still waiting for mine to make one

Those are lovely glazed containers..but are those decorative plates detachable? Just make sure the plant does not sit in water.

What tarev said. And nobody can predict whether your plants will have blooms next year....

Tarev/Simon, for my plumeria at least, some are regular bloomers, some irregular, and some are really "constipated". I am sure Hetty would know why that is. I only have my 18 or so varieties to go by. I have had only 3 varieties to bloom so far (my season was delayed a month!) and several plants of those three varieties are in bloom. My Malaysian Red is in bud, so it will be my fourth one.

I laughed reading how you mentioned "constipated" ...they sure are like that most of the time