Do you typically get good growth already at this time Tara?

Plumeria just amaze me with their built-in growth cycle. I have had at least two dozen cuttings sitting in two buckets of coarse perlite since September. A couple of those rooted in late September/early October but nothing since. They have been kept dry and warmish, no cooler than 55F. They were in my Everything Else greenhouse and got plenty of light during the fall and winter months. That's my brightest and warmest greenhouse.

I am bad about checking on my cuttings and check them every 4-6 wks., just to see if anything is going on (rooting or rotting ) I know I checked them all mid-March, because that's when I begin to put them in full sun on really nice, warm days. Nothing. They only stay out during the daylight hours, when the temperature was over 70F. Otherwise, they spend their time in the greenhouse. I checked them again yesterday and six are rooting. Two are growing inflo. but none of them are really leafing out. I'm just seeing tiny nubs of leaves. Naturally, now with them beginning to root, they will begin to leaf.

Don't know. This is my first "Spring". Acquired them all last year.
I questioned it because a couple of friends in my area are already seeing good leaf growth on theirs. One of mine is just showing the tiniest of a nub.
I may just be to impatient. A problem that I sometimes seem to have!

I put mine out for a couple of hours on Saturday and Sunday then put them on the back patio since. They get morning sun then even sun. They've been growing under grow lights (plant lights and full spectrum lights) so I know it will take a while for them to adjust to the sun's rays

drdawg said: I checked them again yesterday and six are rooting. .

Ken how? Do you empty the perlite, look, and then pour it back over them?

So new to all of this, I just need to learn. Especially since I have unrooted Vera Cruz cutting in perlite. It looks to be starting to try to grow. So I figure I will have to pot it up in soil sometime in the next month or so and at that time see what if any roots are there.

David, because there is actually little resistance to pulling them out of the perlite, whether rooted or not, that's all I do. I bundle 4-6 cuttings (tied together with twist-ties), so I simply pull the whole bundle up and out to take a look. When I have all the bundles removed from a 5 gal. bucket I will scoop out a gal or two of the perlite, stick the bundles back into the pot, leaning them against the edge of the bucket, and pour the perlite back over their bases (there are usually 2-3 bundles per bucket, depending on the thickness/length of the cuttings). If there is rooting of any cuttings, I will remove it/them for potting. I don't use any soil whatsoever until I see rooting and then those cutting(s) will go in a well-draining mix in a 1 gal. pot. I will keep those newly potted plumeria in the Everything Else greenhouse for a week or so (that's where they are in their buckets of perlite) and then begin to acclimate it/them to full sun. I keep the potting media slightly moist at all times.

Everyone has their own way of doing this, but this method seems to work well for me.

Getting really nice and warm! But will bring out my Plumies tomorrow.

Just took some photos of how it looks like right now, just as my personal reference point before its day out tomorrow:
Plumeria Celadine - hiding inside the garage
Some leaf nodes nicely swelling, and lots of those pimple-like bumps up and down the stem. Entire stem feels very firm. I had to cut off the tips before to save it from the cold damage, so far it has dried out nicely.




Noid Plumie Yellow - hiding upstairs by south facing window, starting to make some leaf claws, it held on to the old flower stalk. Entire stem feels very firm. No swelling leaf nodes on the lower parts, maybe all its energy is going to the tip:

Celadine is a tough plumeria and generally roots quickly. If you are into grafting, it also makes a great root-stock plant. It is one of the "historical" plumeria varieties.

That is always good to know and reassuring to know that the Celadine is a toughie.

I am just documenting for myself how fast it leafs or tries to make blooms. Weather has been different year to year, and maybe I can further improve how I overwinter it next time. I wish our rains also comes around summer. Unfortunately it comes in winter, so as tough as this Celadine is, it also hates that cold and wet episodes. But for what its worth, it heals good after the rotting area has been cut off and kept dry.

Ken, when do you typically chop to trim down the plant..is it this time while it is still dormant..or in late summer?

I try to never take a cutting after September 15. That's simply based on my experiences. I have difficulty rooting cutting after that date, even the Celadine. I won't begin taking cuttings for at least another two weeks, and for many plants that leaf out more slowly, it could be 4-6. And even then, that won't be a lot of cuttings, only a handful at most. Keep in mind the vast majority of my plumeria have been dry and dormant since November. They just went outside two weeks ago. It takes time for their roots to regrow and for them to leaf-out. Only when those roots are well-established will the plants completely re-hydrate. My experience is that a 1.5" diameter plant could be closer to 1" when it comes out of dormancy. Thus, I am looking for the plant to gain back its diameter, which will come with the re-hydration process. That and healthy leaves are two criteria I use to determine whether the plant is established enough for cutting.

I also generally will only take a cutting when the tip/branches diameter is at least 1" and will produce a cutting 12-18" long. That's just me. I know smaller tips can be rooted but I want mine to have the best chance to do so.

Thus the short answer to your question is "no", cuttings at this time of year are not done. This would be different if I was in central or southern Florida or perhaps the southwest and southern California. My active growing cycle probably begins at least a month later than these regions. I just have to let the plants tell me when they can be cut.

By the way, one of the plumeria that overwintered in the solarium went outside two weeks ago, along with those I kept dormant. One of its two-tipped branches broke off when I was either covering or uncovering the "bundle" of plants. I am curing that cut end now and will root it in the next few days. It will/should root fine. It never de-hydrated like those in dormancy, so its branches stayed nice and plump.

Thanks Ken, I think I will cut it down later in the year then, prior to overwintering. Will allow the plant for now to gather all the energy it can. Just to make it easier to move and store indoors too.

Took another photo of Plumie Celadine tip area...I thought the little things on the nodes were like dried out old parts of last year's leaves ..on second look today, it is waking up! New leaves forming woohoo!

Tarev - you had to cut that off??

Yes, I had to chop off some of the tips by end of Jan, bad cold damage, to prevent spread of rotting, then I moved it back indoors in our garage to help it dry off. I guess I have already pushed the limit of cold and wet it can take.
Photo 30Jan2016:


I applied cinnamon on the cut ends and waited patiently for April 1 for its return outdoors.

It was outside in Jan? And got too cold?

It was cold and rainy here in December and January. I had it covered by burlap in late Nov but I had to be away longer and got back in January. And my husband said it was cold and rainy as well in most of December.

Last year, our winter was much drier so it did not suffer..just this winter's tandem of wet and cold really not to its liking. But the entire stem stayed firm all the way to what I can carefully see below soil line, so that is reassuring enough for me.

Congrats look like you will have nice branching out!

I'm glad you were able to save it. That was the Cedadine right?

Hi Lucky! Yup it's the Celadine Did you see our/your forecast this week, temps soaring, oh perfect temps for the Plumies, though it will drop again a bit during the weekend, but it will be good outdoor conditions, not yet in the yucky triple digits.

It hit 92 two days ago and now we are getting rain. Liquid gold is here