I usually cut in the spring when the plant is ready to come out of its dormant period. It will be later for you in Detroit. I have a problem my 7 year old broke off a 3 foot branch, which has 3 branches, off my 12 foot plumeria tree (20 years old). I don't know whether to root the entire thing or cut it into smaller pieces and root many stems. Do you know if both top and bottom can be cut?

Mommyof2,
To me it depends on how long the branches are. If they are 12" or longer, you could cut it up into three single tip cuttings and a center cut (the bottom piece).

If the branches are shorter than 12", I would root the entire piece as it is. The larger the cutting, the easier it is to root, in my experience. So if it were mine, I would tend to root the entire thing. It should give a head start to a nicely shaped plumeria.
Mike

I agree - the larger the piece the better the odds for success. Is there another website outside of this forum that discusses proper cutting techniques. Seems to me there should be...

Yes David, you can prune your plumeria to achieve a better shape, and to harvest cuttings; new branches will sprout from the scar locations where prior leaves were.

PSA has a link for making a branch inducer from lanolin....whatever you do, use a sterile knife when cutting plumerias!

Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plumeria Society of America

Thank you. I will give it a try - but will probably wait until the spring.

David

Hello everyone,

I am from Quebec, Canada. I would need your precious advice if I could cut a branch, which is starting some buds of flowers, from a very old plumeria (20 years old). Will the flowers continue to bloom after i have replaned it in a small pot or I will loose all the flowers? It seem like I have no other choices since most of the strong branches start to have flowers

Please give me some advices ASAP, before the owner will change his mind...

Thank's in advance
Diem

They'll probably drop due to stress and lack of water. Maybe you could leave the cuttings in water for a while to see if the flowers will hold on. I'm not sure if that will cause the cutting to rot though. Another problem with a cutting that blooming is that the energy that goes to flowering also retards root development. Are the inflos long enough to cut off and stick in a vase? That way you can take cuttings to root and keep the flowers separately. Even if you end up losing the blooms you'll eventually get more when your cuttings grow, maybe even next season.
Karyn

Hi Karyn,

Thank's for your advices...Before the owner changes his mind, I think that I will take the risk of loosing all the flowers and hopefully save the branch for next year blooming as you said ...

Thanks again
Diem

plumeria101 tells you how to do it good

I'm new at this I started three small plants last year two have three branches one had two but a falling tree left only one branch on that one. Only one flowered last year.

The branches are over three feet on all the plants how far down do I cut so new branches form