@tarev
yes, highest today was only 54F and lowest 34F. It should finally get warmer next week into mid to high 70s. Can't wait, I am so ready for summer weather!

@dropofrain, there is nothing "magic" about the 20-20-20 formula. It is just a balanced formula of N, P, K and happens to be orchid fertilizer. That's what I have on hand. You can use anything that is a fairly balanced fertilizer. Heck, even plain ole water-soluble Miracle-Gro, which is 24-8-16 is OK. When plants are starting to grow, they need elements that support green growth, stem growth, and root growth. Thus the balanced fertilizer. Keep in mind that all my potting media also has Osmacote in it, so there is available fertilizer at every watering. The Osmacote is also a balanced formula, 15-9-12. I also supplement my fertilizer with magnesium, aka Epson Salts, at a rate of 2 tbs per gallon. I use this every couple of months, spring/summer, or basically, when I think about it. I do pretty much nothing on a rigid schedule.

Hi all.. I could do with some advice. i broughyt some plumeria cuttings from you at Disney Epcot flower and garden festival. They have been in nearly 5 weeks now. One I have lost all but about 3" at the end due to rot. 2 are doing well and have signs of leaves coming through but the 4th feels slightly squishy just below the soil line. It feels like it only affects the outside ring but I need to ask if this is first stage of rot and if so should I cut that part off and save the rest of the plant.

We live in Surrey in England so I have a grow light as our summers are not always the greatest. This is the 2nd time I've tried to root these lovely plants and rot has got them every time 😟

Any advice would be really appreciated.

I have never been able to root a 3" cutting, and I have rooted hundreds of cuttings. Others say they can do it, but I just can't.

Keep in mind that plumeria without leaves, and certainly without roots, can't utilize water or fertilizer. Rot may be occurring because you are keeping that potting soil moist and rot occurs. I don't root my cuttings in soil, but bag them. For years I rooted mine in 100% coarse perlite and that perlite was bone dry. Bagging is a different philosophy, but I seem to get faster rooting with the bagging method. During rooting, the plant needs to stay warm (70 - 95 F is best). It really doesn't matter whether there is bright or shaded light, but no direct sunlight. Are you using a rooting hormone, which has a fungicide to counter rot?

Thankyou for that..

My cuttings were dipped in a rooting hormone (powder) and then planted in cactus and succulent compost as suggested by the lady we got them from. By the sounds of it, even though we were advised, we have watered to soon so I will probably stop watering now until the leaves have come through. I have attached a couple of pictures to show the tips which look healthy.

The one that I think is beginning to suffer from root rot I did the poin test and there was no white sap from about half way down. Do you suggest I cut its to save the rest of the cutting?a








I forgot to add... the rooting hormone I don't remember having a rot prevention and I have used it all now so I can't check.

Yes, if it were mine, I would begin cutting down where there is the possibility of viable, healthy tissue. Be sure to clean the shears thoroughly with alcohol between each cut. Just keep cutting a couple of inches each time until you come to "clean" tissue, with no brown/black coloration. That tissue should ooze white sap. If it is not oozing, its probably not viable tissue. Plumeria don't need moister to root. I rooted my plumeria for decades in buckets of 100% coarse perlite and never watered. All I did was spritz the tiny leaves at the tip every few days. I root my plumeria in one of the greenhouses, and during the spring and summer months, it can easily get 115-120 F there. That's the only reason I spritzed with water. Just to keep the leaves and upper stem sort of hydrated.

I agree with Ken, wholeheartedly. Don't water until you have a few true leaves, and even then, do so sparingly. A lot of rooting hormone has some sort of fungicide, but that won't help much against rot caused by overwatering. As Ken said, you can mist them when warm or in sunshine, but in general, no water until leaves are formed. Plumeria are trees, and just like most trees, the roots mimic the canopy--bigger canopy = bigger root system. The first set of leaves opening up will let you know when you can start slowly watering.

Hello Minnie72, if you have a heating mat, that may help add additional heat below as you root your plumie. I only water at the very first time I planted the cutting, and then I don't water my Plumie till there is at least one visible fully opened leaf. Leaf claws does not count yet till it actually opens up. We get poor humidity levels here so it also affects its wake up time.

I position my plant in part shade here, since we easily get too hot and dry and the plant is not ready to get watered till it awakens. Once it is in that spot, I don't move it anymore, got to let it get used to it, and wait patiently for them to wake up. Some cultivars really take awhile to awaken, so it needs a good deal of patience. I also use cacti mix but I add a lot of pumice or you can also use perlite in the media to make it very well draining.

Hello All,
Thankyou all for the advice it's been great 🙂

As a result all the 3 remaining plants are sitting in the heated propagator with a grow light on them. The one that looked to be suffering is now half the size 🙁 But at least I caught it soon enough to hopefully save it. It was bleeding quite a lot when I transplanted it into fresh dry compost. I have also utilized one of your other suggestions and used a plastic bottle.

The other 2 I have pin tested and just above soil line they bleed white so all looks good. I will keep an eye on them for the next week or so at least but none of them will be watered now until leaves appear.

So fingers crossed and I will let you know how they get on. But any further advice will be really welcomed.

Thankyou again

Minnie. So far the advice you have been given is sound. NO water until you have leaves!
The one you cut - it should ideally have been left to dry and callous before potting it up. Once you have that great callous (see picture) roots will come almost automatically but a fresh cut can allow pathogens in and you might have more rot. The fact that you had good white sap is a sign that you had healthy wood.

I did wonder about letting him dry but my only worry is what conditions would you recommend for drying ? I would presume that you need to keep it away from anything airborn but without the lack of air making it sweat... so any thoughts. I've currently got it laying in the progagstor next to the pots.... but is there a better way?

Does it take long to produce the callous?

@Minnie72, all you really need is a dry, warm place to allow your plumeria to callus. A little air-movement will help. Light is not even necessary. I happen to have a greenhouse for this, but there are dozens of areas in homes that would work well. Some folks apply their rooting hormone when they first cut the plant (after there is no more sap oozing from the cut end) and some apply the hormone after the callus is formed. I have done it both ways and see no difference. I don't even know that there is that much of an advantage when using a rooting hormone, at least when it comes to plumeria. There should be a fungicide in the hormone, so this would seem to help prevent fungal-induced rot.

It takes me two weeks for my plumeria to callus in the winter but only a week in the spring/summer. But my greenhouse becomes a "hothouse" in the spring and summer months. On sunny days, it'll get 115-120 F inside. That's with 70% shade-cloth, doors and vents open, and three fans running.

Hi Drdawg,

I think your weather is a little more reliable than ours... my greenhouse will in sunny summer days reach anywhere between 85 and 110 but the British summer does have its extremes 😏

The plumeria is currently laying in the heated tray next to the others, I did consider putting them in the greenhouse as today looks to be warm but I'm concerned about bugs and a climate change for them. So I will probably keep them indoors where they seem happy.

Thankyou for all your advice, I will let everyone know how he goes. I have been looking to see if there are any other people from the U.K. Growing plumeria but haven't found anyone so far.

You can go to the Garden.com Apps and see those subscribers in England. I think there is a way to plug in your specific location and see who's close to you, but I don't remember how.

Here you go, Minnie. Just hover over and see who all lives in your area.
https://garden.org/users/membe...

You will have to drag the map until you find the UK. I thought I had the right url for it, but it went back to the main map.

Here is another list of members for you.
https://garden.org/users/membe...