Hi,
I have 5 plumeria plants that I grew from little sticks and move the pots inside and out every year. Only one has ever bloomed and the blooms were eaten by a green grasshopper! I am not sure what I am doing wrong, they get osmocote every spring, with a top dressing of potting mix with worm droppings mixed in and at least 9 hours of sun evry day when they are outside.

Any suggestions from you northern growers that might help me get these to bloom? Should I be using Epsom salts once a week in addition to the osmocote?

I am not an expert in any way, so maybe others will step in here, and I don't have much experience with osmocote. If it is a water soluble fertilizer, then you may want to get something with a high middle number (Phosphorous). Plumeria use a lot of phosphorous for blooming. You also want to use a "lower" nitrogen number. I believe the standard NPK balances of osmocote are 14-14-14, which may not be a good balance for what you are trying to use it for. You may want to look into getting a fertilizer with a higher phosphorous content (though, I'm not certain what your balances are currently). Also, what kind of potting soil are you using? Definitely the more sun the better, especially given your zone. I have known some growers in the northern areas, that due to their "short summers" (compared to other places), their plumeria only bloom once every other year, rather than yearly. While your plumeria may survive with dappled or bright light for 6 hours a day, they would relish a chance to get 12 hours of light reach day--mostly being direct exposure. Is your 9 hours of sun direct sunlight for the entire day or is it dappled or shaded?

The fertilizers with high middle numbers are generally thought to be designed for annuals to give them quick bloom boosts. With something like a flowering tree you need to be more concerned with the overall health. Therefore I recommend people stay away from high middle numbers.

I have for the past two years used Excalibur IX which is 11-11-13 with minors. It is especially formulated for Plumeria. I have seen a vast improvement in my plants. Note the number of blooming inflos on this Plumeria (picture taken last week)

Fertilizing is a very "users own experience" type of thing, as Hetty has shown. Most people are very particular about what they are using. It also matters if you have potted/in-ground plants. Hetty and I both live in an area that is very suited for plumeria growth, and that definitely plays a factor. By saying that I use a high middle number fertilizer, I do not mean 50+, but I do use a good 25 - 30 Phosphorous mix for my plumies.

Like stated in my original post, it would be helpful to know what kind of soil you are using, and what kind of sun exposure they are getting. Also, how old are your plumeria? When were they started as cuttings? Some plumeria do not bloom too frequently until a certain age.

p.s. That is a very beautiful tree, Hetty.

JamesAcclaims said:I am not an expert in any way, so maybe others will step in here, and I don't have much experience with osmocote. If it is a water soluble fertilizer, then you may want to get something with a high middle number (Phosphorous). Plumeria use a lot of phosphorous for blooming. You also want to use a "lower" nitrogen number. I believe the standard NPK balances of osmocote are 14-14-14, which may not be a good balance for what you are trying to use it for. You may want to look into getting a fertilizer with a higher phosphorous content (though, I'm not certain what your balances are currently). Also, what kind of potting soil are you using? Definitely the more sun the better, especially given your zone. I have known some growers in the northern areas, that due to their "short summers" (compared to other places), their plumeria only bloom once every other year, rather than yearly. While your plumeria may survive with dappled or bright light for 6 hours a day, they would relish a chance to get 12 hours of light reach day--mostly being direct exposure. Is your 9 hours of sun direct sunlight for the entire day or is it dappled or shaded?

Hi James,
Thank you- they are actually on a south facing slope so full sun from 8am til about 6pm, from the last frost day at the end of April til the temps get down into the 50's in October. They drink a lot of water so I was wondering if maybe I need to add fertilizer more frequently. I have them in potting mix with a lot of perlite so the roots never sit in water, which now that I think about may not be getting enough nutrients, although they have beautiful dark green heads full of leaves all summer. I've attached a picture of 2 of them outside, its raining a bit so the pics are a little dark,.

The osmocote is 14-14-14 and its granules you put on top of the soil. I only add it to the top dressing of worm castings mixed with Promix in the spring. I also water once per month with Super Bloom which is 12-55-6. Do you think if I increase the feeding of that to every other week, it might be better? I am just afraid to burn them, I have grown them from little 6" cuttings to close to 5 feet and would hate to lose them.

Terri

Thanks for the added information, Terri! How old are they, exactly? Is the potting mix rich in organic material, do you know?

Dutchlady1 said:The fertilizers with high middle numbers are generally thought to be designed for annuals to give them quick bloom boosts. With something like a flowering tree you need to be more concerned with the overall health. Therefore I recommend people stay away from high middle numbers.

I have for the past two years used Excalibur IX which is 11-11-13 with minors. It is especially formulated for Plumeria. I have seen a vast improvement in my plants. Note the number of blooming inflos on this Plumeria (picture taken last week)


Thank you dutchlAdy, I will see if I can find it online

I repotted them last year as I thought maybe they would fare better if they were removed fro their pots for the winter. When I repotted them I used pro mix BT and added perlite, bark fines and some worm castings that I had dried and put through a coarse sieve. I should add that they also get the water that collects in the bottom of the worm bin once a week, sometimes I cut it with water but most of the time it's straight worm brew. I would think that would be a goodly amount of organic matter, but do you have something you could suggest to add?

No, that should be plenty of organic material. Your fertilizing seems adequate, and your plants look very healthy. If that picture is extremely recent, then they appear to be waking up from dormancy quite nicely and quickly for your zone. When one of your trees did bloom that one year, was it an abnormally warm year? When do your temps usually get above and stay above 60 degrees at night? For your zone, your temperature averages for lows at night are probably still around 60 in May and going back below 60 in September. Does that sound about right? If you have chilly nights that dip down "low" periodically (below 60) other than 3 or 4 months in the year, it may not be enough time for blooming other than once every few years. Of course, I don't know exactly what your temp ranges are, because I don't know what part of Virginia you live in--but that could definitely be a factor.

@gigiplumeria and/or @drdawg
Know anyone here that successfully gets plumies to bloom in "northern" zones that may be able to help, or possibly any input yourselves?

I'n in south central Virginia, Vernon Hill/Halifax area, right at the North Carolina line, so we get dips but at this time of year we are starting to hold steady at 60 degrees at night.

I have 2 dragonfruit that bloom and ripen fruit and they are usually right next to the plumies, they don't get any different treatment except their pots host dahlias too. Maybe the trees want pot buddies, lol!

Terri, I think you just have to wait a bit more. It may be waiting for just the right amount of heat and humidity. In my area, though we have good heat by summer time, we suffer from poor humidity so my window of time to see blooming is very short, towards the end of summer to mid Fall, when we finally get some much needed rain.

Your media is good, and you are using good fertilizers already. So just wait patiently, maybe towards end of May to early June you will see much more growth.

My epiphyllums are happier this year with the moderate cool down and some rain we got this Spring..but all the other more tropical heat loving plants are waking up slower...plumerias, adeniums, caladiums.
It has been one quirky Spring growing season.

Thank Tarev, I will take your advice and wait. I was just thinking maybe I needed to start making changes while it was still early in the season.

I have yet to move my epiphyllums outside, as they all need repotting, they are putting on some growth though, even though they aren't receiving a lot of light

with Tarev, maybe it needs a little bit more time for it to bloom. Make sure it gets full sun of 8+. I have several Plumerias and I only have three blooming right now, and I have to give away this one.

To answer James, nope I don't know anyone I zone 7a. I gifted a healthy plumeria to a friend in Michigan and I feel bad that it's been 3 years and he has not seen a single bud on his big healthy plumeria.

Poor Michigan friend. Zone problems. Thanks for stopping by and answering my call for help.

Zone problems,

I remembered who gave my myPlumerias, it was Marlene, Plumeria Gallery in Naples, FL. She and I were on DG?
Does anyone know if she is in here?

She has vanished.

Thanks!