My co-worker always has seeds. It must be the bees or moths that pollinate hers cause I know she has no idea how to do it.
I notice the trees around the corner pretty much always have seeds on them also. Since that lady is in her 80`s and shorter than me I know she isn`t out there either.
Good luck!
Tally Ho!

Thanks for the response beach. You know, I was hoping the hummingbirds would do it. Last year I had plants in the front yard, this year I moved them to the back. Last year a hummingbird nested in my gigantic butterfly bush in the back (it's more like a tree...lol). Was hoping to get some action this year, but haven't seen a humming bird in a couple months..... Ugh

I need to get this technique down if I'm going to be able accomplish my evil master plan. In a year or 2, I want to cross pollinate my freak color changing plumie with the scarlet night I've got coming any day now!
That combination would produce some really freaky & original offspring!

I'm like Dr, Frankenstein over here...........muahahahaha!

NOBODY wants to talk pollination?

I would, but I'm clueless. That, and I've got quite a few baby seedlings in my yard already....

Disney - that's awesome! Seedlings grow so big & strong, & it's pretty exciting knowing that you possibly could have something new to the world!

Laura (she's such a sweetheart) just sent me some seeds, ill probably try to sprout them today in my sprouting contraption. I just need to find out the best temp for sprouting plumie seeds. I think I have it written down somewhere, gotta find it....... Ugh

I've never actually tried this but I've been researching cross pollination for the past few weeks. I found a video where the guy cuts out a little box shape in the base of the flower (a little above where the flower connects to the info) and removes the anthers (male parts) and then he puts them inside the other plumeria. So basically he removes the anthers from Plumeria #1 and then he also removes the anthers from plumeria #2. He then puts plumeria #1 anthers inside of plumeria #2 and that cross pollinates the plants. Once he replaces the anthers he take a little tiny paint brush and brushes the anthers around in plumeria #2 to release the polline. He then gets a little piece of tape and seals the open box shut that was cut open in the flower. He did say that this doesn't always mean that it will produce a seed pod but it was the most effective way to hand cross pollinate plumerias. I've been practicing removing anthers on my yellow plumeria and seem to have it down now. I'm just waiting on my Mardi Gras buds to open so I can start the process. I'm going to use my oldest plumeria tree as the host plumeria, I figured I'd have a better chance of getting a seed pod that way. I'm in the need for some seeds really badly so I figured I'd at least try this method a few times to see what it produces. I live in Alabama so I don't think my conditions are the best in the world but during the winter I take all my plumerias inside and put them in my indoor greenhouse so maybe it will work. Good luck PlumeJunkie.

If anyone has any extra seeds left over I'd love to be on the mailing list and would be happy to pay for postage/shipping.

I'm not sure the age of the tree has much to do with it? I've got a two or three year old cutting that's got a giant pod on it, waiting to open...

Quaching - yeah, I e seen that video,. I think it's the dude from the valley of the sun plumeria society. I'm pretty much trying his hand pollination technique. Want to try to get that down before I start crossing.

Disney - that's awesome! Good luck with the pod!

Quaching - yeah, I e seen that video,. I think it's the dude from the valley of the sun plumeria society. I'm pretty much trying his hand pollination technique. Want to try to get that down before I start crossing.

Disney - that's awesome! Good luck with the pod!

You'll have better luck getting seed pods if your not spraying for bugs. Thrips are thought to be responsible for pollination but also deform leaves and blooms so most kill them off. They are small enough to crawl down there and do the job. Doesn't help if your trying to get a pollination between certain plants though unless you can isolate the two you want. Just a thought. Peg

Thanks pcput, I don't spray, I've got these little tiny spiders that live on my plants & eat the bugs for me.....lol

YOU are so right Peg!!! :-)

Good luck, Jason!!

Laura

Thanks Laura,
So theres no sign of pollination yet, I think it takes about a week to show signs.

P.s. I got your seeds & they're floating in 80 degree water as we speak. Hopefully ill start seeing signs of roots tomorrow...... :)
Thanks again!

Jason

Very few pollinators come to plumeria--or at least return--after they discover there's no nectar.

It's believed that thrips are responsible for a lot of pollination in plumeria. Mine are covered with them, and yesterday I found my first seed pod.

Jim Little talks about it a bit in his book. Very interesting techniques and timing needed to hand pollinate these flowers.