Plumerica Care Advice - Pictures Inside

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Heya,

Here goes - Live in Michigan Zone 6B.
Yep my Plumeria are strictly indoors (until I move somewhere south,
sunny and warm). I am 100% new to
gardening and plumeria. So need some
help from the pros... I guess this post may sound common sense to you all - but
that's how you learn (the nurseries here couldn't help me - guess it's not
common here in Michigan).

Last year August I bought 4 Plumeria cuttings. 2 of them turned to mush (inside of cutting
was liquefied).. fungal infection I think?
Either way, planted 2 cuttings back in late September using Cactus Mix +
Some Perlite + Osmocote Plus. In
December they grew leaves, which shriveled and fell of. Last month, leaves grew again - and these are
the results (see images). Unsure which
variety they are. Both are planted in a
1 gallon pot. I water them when the soil
gets dry to touch ~1-2 times/week

To me the plants look healthy - the smaller one had a small white powder
pouch (removed it manually thinking maybe fungus... been a couple of days still
looks healthy - fingers crossed). Then
there is the other plant - it looks extremely leafy to me and I worry that
might be a bad thing considering how young the plant is and whether the roots
are developed enough. There is a question of some "green"
developing on the soil - see image (see the same with my Michelia Alba plant) - these
"green" spots (more prominent on the Alba) seem to happen around the
Osmocote Plus pellets... not sure what to make of those (see last image).

Anyway, I'm not sure if I should be cutting anything, fertilizing it again/worm castings, adding more soil etc. Any
advice here is appreciated. I killed of
my Orchid... so really worried about these since they are my first "tropical-like"
plants.

Thanks!!

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Comments (5)

elucas101
11 years ago
Hi there! To me, your cuttings do look healthy, I don't see any issues with them at all, not even the leafy one, I think that's a good thing! You will face some challenges growing in a cooler climate with a shorter season but it can certainly be done. Your soil mix sounds good, you want well draining soil. The green could be from the fertilizer or possibly surface mold? Hard to tell from the pics but if your moisture levels are good & your soil is well draining I wouldn't worry about it.

I wouldn't fertilize again since you said you used Osmocote - that's a time release, correct? If so, it should have all the fertilizer it needs for a while. What your plant needs most now is sun. Give it as much sun as you can. I wouldn't cut, fertilize or do anything to it but get it some sun & keep it warm. What plumeria dislike the most is cold and wet.

Plumeria will go dormant in the winter time so your leaf loss and difficulty with those cuttings that rotted have a lot to do with the time of year and temps at that time. When you start cuttings that late in the year I would definitely recommend a heat mat. Springtime is a little easier to start cuttings since it's naturally their time to grow.

This year when the temps begin to dip down below about 50 you'll want to bring the plumeria inside for the winter & either water only about a cup a month, if even that much, and let them go dormant otherwise you'll need grow lights to keep them going.

I'm sure others will have more advice for you, please keep us posted on your progress!
moonie_57 (8 NC)
11 years ago
Excellent advice from Emily!
Like she asked, Is the green on the soil surface mold?
Think over your watering practices.
Are you putting your plants outside while it's warm?
Remember to not just take them from indoors to full sun. Acclimate.
The edge of the soil around that last photo looks like the soil is dry and crusty
That could be caused by both old soil and watering problems.
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mystearica
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for all the good advice!!

If it is surface mold - what do I need to do about it. My Alba plant has a lot more green on the surface (plant looks healthy too).

As for the soil... not sure - I just moved it around with my fingers - it seems the surface is "crusty" - when will I know if it's time to replace the soil?

Thanks
phalanx_viridis
11 years ago
Great advice from two experienced growers! Give them as much sun and heat as you can. Green growing on the surface may be an algae, most are harmless but only grow in constant moisture, which may be an issue for plumeria and m. Alba. If it is algae, be sure the soil dries completely before watering. It may be algae growing on your fert pellets bc of their concentrated nutrients, just bury them to cut sunlight to the algae..but if it is fungal (looks like mold or hairy growth), at your next watering add H202 and/or chamomile tea to your water. Both can help get rid of fungus but won't harm your roots. good luck and keep us posted on their progress!

-stephen
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
11 years ago
Great advice..

Laura