Here's one more, too close for comfort?

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Moonie,

Do these stakes go all the way down into the pot?
Are these brand new cuttings?

If they go all the way down into the pot and they are supporting a new cutting then your alright.

They might be a bit too tall as stakes only need to be placed up to the cutting and not go past the new growth ( green end/tip ) of the cutting, unless your using small planters bamboo.

As far as I can tell, they might be too tall?
Hope this helps? Stuart

Stuart - the stakes do go all the way to the bottom. A few are new rooted cuttings that I just got in the mail yesterday and a couple (like the one in the first pic) are cuttings that I just potted up from the clear plastic bottles.

What I was most afraid of really was the stakes rubbing against them or the roots growing around the square stake. It's easier to pull a rounded stake from the roots when it's time to pot up.

Moonie,

What you can do next time is take sandpaper and smooth out the rough edges of the stake that goes into the dirt around the roots.
Not to worry about rubbing unless they're outside in the wind.

Just remember a stake is only use to support while rooting.
So to have the stake taller than the cutting is not needed.

The only other thing I can think of is when the plumeria is fully rooted and you decide to pull it out, it may leave a deep hole. I feel your roots will be fine as they'll grow around the stake. You'll just have to sprinkle dirt into the holes when you replant.

Stuart

Thanks, Stuart, I feel a lot better concerning the roots particularly. It made me feel terrible that my husband had taken the time to rip those stakes and I did so much grumbling... inwardly.. I would never let him know. :)

If they are a little too tall, I won't stress over that. There are more stakes left, to be used at a later date. I'll have him take the sander and round them out a bit. Maybe a lot. LOL

That Celadine in the pic I got for him. He will appreciate the scent. It is a right beefy cutting so maybe that's why he made the stakes so large.

They are fine! Thank your husband for taking an interest in your plants! Keep an eye on the ties. You may need to loosen them after a year or so as the trunk gets wider.

Moonie- this is so no problem. The roots will be fine. Sometimes when I transplant a plant with thick roots I take a razor and slash at the roots to encourage new growth. My larger plants have ten foot conduit driven into the ground right next to the stems. Never any problem. There are other methods for those who want to avoid piercing the ground. You can take pieces of styrofoam and place between the stem and the sides of the pot. You can poke or drill three equidistant holes around the pot edge and put wire loops then string three wide plastic plant tape up to the stem like tent shrouds. You can attached three plastic plant ties about 5-8 inches up the stem and bring them down like tent shrouds and clothespin them to the pot edge. You can put two stakes down the sides of the pot opposite the stem and then stretch plastic tie between the two with the stem in between. I have used all of these with success. I have also used house wire to holes in pots for larger plants that later want to lean. My next thing is to make hooked stakes for 5 gallon pots (pounded into the ground outside the pot but hooking the pot edges) so they do not blow over. Necessity is the mother of invention in the plumie world too.

I wouldn't worry that it may cause detremental damage to the roots. Velcro cable ties also work very well for staking. You can find them at Electrical supply stores, HD/Lowes, and even larger computer stores.

Pre cut 3/8 inch diameter steel rebar can also work as a stake. My local HD carries them in 1-4ft lengths at about $1-3 each. And when you dont need them as a plant stake you can use them as tent stakes or as stabilizers for potted plants.

Hi Moonie - I use styrofoam to keep cuttings straight all the time. And when it is well rooted, I just remove and reuse.
Kasie

I have used the rebar through a pot a few times in the past to keep something large from blowing over. The tent shroud idea I think appeals to me most aesthetically but we all have that horrible styrofoam laying around. What better way to recycle!