We have different goals in mind, Gigi. I am in the business and you are a collector-grower. I do enjoy my plumeria, particularly when they are in flower, but my long-range sights are always towards selling tropical plants. Plumeria are nowhere near my major plant or my main interest (that's orchids). Keep in mind that 95% of what I sell has to be shipped. It can get really "interesting" boxing up a large, multi-tipped plumeria. It is bad enough that I have to custom-fabricate about every box I ship. My limit is a 40"x6"x6" long box. Shipping anything larger, such as doubling that 6" to 12", really drives the shipping costs up and nobody, and I do mean nobody, wants to pay even a low shipping cost.
I spent 1/2 hr. this morning trimming off all the leaves from the cuttings I have taken the last two days. I filled a large garbage bag with leaves. I leave a 1-2" nub of leaf-stem attached and will allow these plants to callus for a week or so. When those nubs begin to easily fall off without the "latex" oozing, that's usually the time I will begin the rooting process. I am using a really expensive, commercial-grade rooting hormone now. There is no way to know for sure, but I have a feeling that I can root things more easily and more quickly than using the hobby-grade hormones, such as Rootone. Few would spend the money for what I use, and I would agree that it is cost-prohibitive for the casual "rooter". I do a lot of rooting of plumeria but also several ficus varieties, and an amazing landscape shrub, the Euonymus 'Manhattan'.
