Dying Plumeria Hopeless?

11 years ago

I had a plumeria that was growing too large so I sold it locally. The guy did not care for it and, to make a long story short, I got it back. It had rot on the main stem at the base. I performed surgery scraping the stem but a lot came off. Now it is shriveling and not doing well though it does have new leaves. Can I take a cutting from this plant do you think? I'd hate to lose it entirely. I watched a video where the guy soaked a dying plumeria in water for a week to plump the stem save it. Any thoughts?r

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Comments (13)

ajbelf
11 years ago
Seems to me several cuttings are a good idea. Hard to say odds on saving the mother plant without pics. Pruning paint or liquid electrical tape over the surgery area would may help heal the wound.
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks, ajbelf, I had no idea liquid electrical tape existed. Pruning paint would have helped I think when I first did the surgery. I will try to get a pic today and post it. I would say half of the diameter of the base was rotted. It's bad.
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jandey1
11 years ago
You have nothing to lose by soaking the rootball in rainwater and Superthrive for a few days, right? If anything, it will give your cuttings a better start even if the mother tree doesn't make it.

Mature plumeria trees can bounce back from a lot of damage, so you never know!
PRO
the_first_kms2
11 years ago
The "scraping the stem" statement makes me wonder if what you are experiencing was sunburn versus root rot.?
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
the_first_kms2 - It was rot. I felt so guilty for abandoning her!!! The guy had it in shade on his covered porch in this PA winter and watered it. It was mushy at the base all the way to literally "hard" wood. I scraped it off to good wood and disinfected it. I repotted it leaving the wound exposed to air above the soil line. It had about 3 small roots just forming.

I will take a pic tonight for you jandey1 and all of you so you can see.

Today, the trunk looks more hydrated though. Maybe it is growing roots. The small leaves are slowly growing, too.
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago

There is a blue cast due to the fact that I took these in twilight but hopefully it will help you see what's going on.
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago

This last one is all 3 of the plumerias here so far. The sickly one is in front. I know what I did wrong pot-wise so the new ones coming will be planted in black 1 gallon pots.
ajbelf
11 years ago
If the tree is girdled all the way around the trunk as the pic seems to show it will not survive. If there is some tissue left on the back side that the pic does not show small possibility of survival. Take cuttings and hope for the best is my advice. Good Luck
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
ajbelf - Yes, it is girdled all the way around. I am rather surprised it made it this far. Thanks for the advice to make cuttings!!!
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
11 years ago
I have had some re-root like that with the girdling - especially if you cover that area with soil, but more often they just die.

Take cuttings off the top of it. Then cover the stump with soil and see if anything happens.
treehugger101
Original Author
11 years ago
I had the scraped off area covered with soil and it threw the leaves as shown.