So, a question, have plumeria cutting, wrinkled trunk with leaves, no rot, I unpotted it to check the roots, as it is a cutting from a red plumeria it has been reluctant to root well, of the few roots it had the bulk were rotted, I cut the stem back. So the question, the top has leaves they look good this is a branch off of the main stem; if you stick this area it bleeds latex, how ever main stem does not show any signs of root it is firm although wrinkled, but if pricked it does not bleed any latex. Is the main stem still viable or should I trim it back to where it bleeds latex and try rooting it agian it's getting short, the main stem is about 6 inches long the branch that has the leaves is 2 inches, give or take. Any help on this would be appreciated

I have requested this question be moved over to the plumeria forum. I wouldn't want you to miss any good ideas.

I have been unsuccessful rooting 3 red plumeria. Some will tell you the reds are hard to root. But I gifted one to my GF who knows nothing about plumeria. Not only did it root, it thrives and flowers! Me, I still don't own a red.

It sounds like your cutting is alive. The wrinkling is normal. I would continue to monitor it, keeping it in bright shade. What kind of soil is it planted in?

Kthullen
If you have no rot, you are not doing yourself any favors by re-cutting. A cutting needs to form a callous in order to root.
As Cheryl explained reds can be slow to root, and you just have to be patient.
Your zone might be a tad on the chilly side for plumeria; you could improve your chances by supplying bottom heat. That is, a heat mat, or you can just put it in a warm spot. And no watering while it has no roots although you can mist it when it gets dehydrated.

Good luck and be patient!

I appreciate the reply, had it planted in a cactus mix, it had 3 good leaves so I stated watering it, probably should have waited, but as it is small and in a small clay pot I would water when it was dry, as for the timing it back, I wanted to make sure there was no rot as the few roots it had were rotted. The stick I am dealing with was originally 18" in length, I let it sit for about three weeks and it partially died back; this was acquired In treasure island Florida, and before you ask yes I had permission from the land owner, friends of my parents, but to get back this particular cutting, it has proven quite difficult to root

Thanks for the info, Karl. You're better off with a thin-walled plastic nursery pot at this stage, or people also attempt to root in plastic bags or dixie cups. There are many methods.
The cactus mix should be fine, but don't be too hasty with watering. With no roots the plant would have no way of taking up the water.
When you get a chance - a picture is worth a thousand words!

So for some scale the main trunk is about 6" long, if I poke it I don't get any latex, whereas the branch will leak latex, don't know if that matters.

Karl, that is badly dehydrated. See how the pith at the bottom is sunken in?
The little branch is doing its best to survive but to be truthful I don't give this a lot of hope.

Here is what I would do.
Cut off the leaves first (they are taking the moisture from the stick in order to survive). Then make a water bath with a few drops of superthrive if you have it and lay the cutting in there for 24 hrs. This often will re-hydrate it a bit. Then lay it in a shaded spot for a week to let it callous. Once you have a decent callous, put it in a plastic pot with pure perlite on a warm surface, and see if it will still root. These plants do surprise us! Mist with water regularly if it's very dry. If your nights are below 50 degrees, don't leave it outside.
This is what a good callous looks like
Good luck!

I agree with everything Hetty has told you, Karl. You have a toughie there and I am not so sure there is any viability left in the main stem. Another thing that worries me is that there are no terminal leaves, those tiny ones that people refer to as "claws". All my cuttings will have those tiny leaves. I hope the cutting survives and roots for you.

Thank you all for the advice, as you said they are tough plants and occasionally they will surprise you, but as you said I too hold little hope that this one will make it, although I would like it to. Again thank you, some times I need all the help I can get.

Hetty and Ken I was wondering could it be possible to re-hydrate a cutting like this by placing it in a bowl of water?? I read something somewhere about rehydrating cuttings that have shriveled up some....Then i would wonder would you have to re-dry it out to harden the callous on the end or would that remain calloused per say?

Perhaps this works for some, Jeff, but after reading that suggestion, and having a lot of my cuttings go through fall and winter without rooting, I tried soaking some in a bucket of water. I checked after one day, after two days, and then after three. If there was any "plumping", I could not see it. My thoughts are, and this is simply common sense on my part, that a callused stub can't take in water (that's the primary reason for callusing them, right?

Yes I see your point Ken !! Kind of like an empty bottle with a cap on it( no water getting in there) .. I am just curious !! Now i wonder if you re-cut the rooting end if it would absorb the water but then i would wonder about letting it callous over or not....I have a cutting that is somewhat wrinkled up...I am going to experiment by cutting it and putting it in water to see if it will plump up again...

Jeff, try wrapping the cuttings with moist paper towel. I had been gifted shriveled cuttings in the past and I was able to save some by keeping the stem moist with paper towels, whilst I was trying to root it.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/G...

I missed this cutting when I had almost 50 of them ..I was letting them callous under my bed on cardboard..This one must of slipped off of the cardboard....Needless to say we finally cleaned under the bed( terrible house cleaner)Low and behold there it was....Shriveled but still good I believe....I'm going to experiment with this one ..It is a about 15 to 20 inches long so I figure I get a couple shots at it anyway..

Experimentation is good. Did y'all know I like to experiment too?

I like experimenting !! Your sphagnum Moss experiment I liked Ken...Did you have more than one with roots?

You immerse the whole stick in water, not just the end. It's basically the same as what Gigi is suggesting. I would never cut off a healthy callous. It means starting all over again.

I did not do that. Only the depth of the bucket was in water, perhaps 20".

Jeff, so far, only that single has rooted, and it was the Vera Cruz Rose.