The 8 wk old blooming Aztec Gold are in new pots. And it wasn't easy! This was the first time I planted in 100% perlite. There was no root ball! I made the mistake of using my usual used dryer sheet to prevent the perlite from falling through all the big drainage holes. The tender roots stuck to it. I was as gentle as I could be but I did lose some healthy roots. I hope they pull through this late in the game. I felt like I was bare-rooting the cuttings. Next time, I think I will go back to my 80% perlite mixed with soil. At least it creates somewhat of a root ball for easier transplanting.

Good observation although I always root in pure perlite and never have a problem.


these were all rooted in pure perlite.

I do too, Hetty, with no problems whatsoever when transplanting.

I hope i have luck with mine as you both do. The roots on mine were not as numerous and more white. There were some strong brown/tan ones though. A smaller, younger 6" cutting in 80% perlite came out in the shape of the pot.

hello Cheryl!!! You can still root then in 100 percent perlite over the winter to plant in the spring? I'm learning something new each time on this forum.

Dutchlady1 said:Good observation although I always root in pure perlite and never have a problem.


these were all rooted in pure perlite.

I guess you shake/remove the perlite then transplant in your chosen media? I'm wondering if I couldn't just repot leaving whatever perlite stuck to the roots?

Yes that would be fine.

@cherryblossoms. The cuttings rooted fast and there were a significant amount of root growth in them when i transplanted. I should have taken a picture. I left the perlite that was on it hoping to give them lighter material to grow more roots before winter.

Right now, they sit in full sun. We are still in the upper 80's for a time. I'm going they will take to the soil before the nights get cold. I don't want to dig them up nor do i thing that it is necessary at this time. Will watch carefully for rot though.

When using 100% perlite, should any water be added for moisture to the perlite?

No water is needed while rooting. But the ones that have new leaves may have roots....

with Hetty, you have some plants that will have roots. Your cuttings are at least two weeks ahead of what mine are doing. Even though all my cuttings are firm, the majority of them have been in the buckets of perlite since last fall. I am thinking about re-cutting those ends and starting the rooting process anew. Maybe these cuttings need a "reminder" of what they are supposed to do. There comes a time when patience has its limits.

I wouldn't recut. You can't expect rooting over the winter, it happens but rarely. There is very little cell activity during dormancy.

As I said, Hetty, I get a bit impatient at times. I know not to expect rooting during the fall and winter months, but we are now almost two months into spring. They better start performing soon.

Is your weather consistently warm now, ken?

Yes, Cheryl. We are now in the mid to upper 80's with nights in the mid to upper 60's. We have been warm (pretty much) like this for a couple of weeks. Before it got so hot, I had those cuttings outside and brought them in only when rain was forecast. Those plants are now in a greenhouse, that though shaded, still gets 100-110F when the sun is out. I still have a couple of fans running but it is still extremely hot in that greenhouse.

I see that a lot of you will throw multiple cuttings into one pot. Are you not afraid of contamination or disease spread if one got sick and you didn't notice right away?

With over 1000 tropical plants, Stewart, pretty much the last thing on my mind is a disease epidemic. I have enough on my table simply watering and fertilizing. I typically have around a dozen cuttings per 5 gal. bucket and in the years of rooting cuttings, I have never seen a "disease" spread one plant to another. Typically, when a cutting rots (usually due to my letting water get to it), it just rots singly. If there is enough length, I just cut back to healthy tissue, let it callus well, and start that plant's rooting process over. I have never really thought about the fact that there is a specific organism(s) involved in that rotting process. Again, that/those organism doesn't seem to jump around. I guess it is naturally present in each and every plumeria, since the perlite is supposed to be sterile.

Dutchlady1 said:No water is needed while rooting. But the ones that have new leaves may have roots....

Those have only been in the bucket about 3 weeks now. Most had new growth when I took the cuttings off my moms plumeria in SW Florida so I'm not expecting any root growth yet.

I should of tagged the color of each, but oddly enough I feel it's a surprise not knowing and waiting to see what they are. It's like a Plumeria Christmas!

Can I root my plumeria cuttings in a cactus soil/sand/perlite mix on a heat mat indoors while they are dormant? And do I need to water them at all? Thanks. Dev

Welcome to NGA, @Devaro.

I've never used cactus soil or sand for rooting (or for anything else, for that matter). During the fall/winter months, I root in 100% super coarse perlite, about a dozen stems per bucket/pot. My plants are all outside, in full sun, being rooted and only if temperatures dip into the 30's do I bring them inside. I don't water these perlite-filled buckets/pots, but when it rains, well, the perlite gets soaked. In my 30 yr. experience, rooting 1000's of cuttings, I'll lose 1-2 cuttings per bucket during the fall/winter rooting process. That's mid-stem cuttings. I seldom lose tip-cuttings.

I'm certainly no expert, but perhaps my experiences will help you, Dev.