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kimmy22berg

Plumeria rooting failure

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

I have tried for years to get my cuttings to root. They always end up rotting or just not making it.

I have six really good sized cuttings that I need to root.

I dipped them in Rooting powder as soon as I removed from mother plant and have been callousing over for a week. I have tried several different ways and they all end up soft and mushy.

Should I cut off the offshoots? I removed all leaves. I have Only been able to root white cuttings only.

I have purple and pink/red also which end up mushy.

Please please please help.

I live in riverside california.


Comments (27)

  • 6 years ago

  • 6 years ago

    Help

  • 6 years ago

    Help again

  • 6 years ago

    #4 pic

  • 6 years ago

    This is a tough time of year to root...unless you are going to use bottom heat matt. Google raw egg rooting method, always works for me. You can also Google baggy method and put in a very dark warm closet for 3 months or so. Trim off all leaves and inflos...leaving a bit at stalk to dry up on its own.

    Kimberly Berg thanked rox146
  • 6 years ago

    Kimberly,

    Here is So. Cal web site may give you some idea.

    https://southerncaliforniaplumeriasociety.com/care/basic-care/rooting-cuttings/


    I do bag rooting and almost 100% success rate. But rox146 is right. it is not good time for rooting. I typically cut my cutting for rooting in late spring.


    Here is a link to bag rooting.

    https://southerncaliforniaplumeriasociety.com/bag-rooting-methods/

    I like it because you know it has rooted and keep the moisture in the bag. I kept in south facing patio door during the rooting period which different from rox146 said. but hey there is so many way to rooting.

    Good luck.

    Kimberly Berg thanked Kawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
  • 6 years ago

    Incorporate: overall warmth, bright shade without much direct sunlight, bottom heat (60-80 degrees). Possibly also supplement in a grow light to counteract the shortening days of fall and winter. As others have pointed out, it tends to be much easier to root in spring and summer as you're going with nature rather than against it.

    Kimberly Berg thanked tunatony
  • 6 years ago

    Is it better to just put in pot with cactus and perlite no water and sit on heat mat in the shade for the next few months.

    I did try rooting in early spring the only to that rooted were white the other four died. I have tried so many different ways to root. I really don’t want t lose three of my cuttings. One is purple the other two are pink the rest white.

    Why is it so hard to root colored plumeria.

    I am obsessed with plumeria they are just so beautiful. I live in riverside california so the weather isn’t to bad.


  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Hey there you have good advice above, definitely do the heat mat at this time of year..unless you’re in the 808 :). An easy way to be sure the tips stay upright is to put the cuttings together in a 5 gallon bucket and do the bag method with ‘portion pack’ size plastic baggies from your grocery store.

    You should have good success in Riverside once you root these, many people have them in the ground there. If you can source it, get coco coir and use it instead of cactus bag soil... 1:2 coir:pumice (or what you have)..let them callous for a minimum of 14-21 days.

    The ones with more brownish bark are better candidates to root Vs the green up and down. It’s optional, but I play steel drum music for my cuttings every now and then ;) none have complained yet, and my rooting % is pretty high.

    -s

  • 6 years ago

    I’ve read so many different ways to root and I understand this is not the time of year.
    The branches had to be taken causing problems with weight. I also read that you plant in 5 gal. Container w/granulated fertilizer no water and put in dry place. Does this mean dark? Once leave starts to grow then mist w/water.
    Do I have to put them in dark place? I ordered a heating mat haven’t received yet.
    Three of the largest branches are pink I do not want to lose them I don’t care about the white as much. I planted a large branch w/ two side branches directly in container that had been dipped in rooting powder and slightly calloused. The two smaller branches are getting soft the main branch is still hard. Should I leave it alone and not water or cut the soft part .....THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME AND ADVICE

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Living in Central Fl I was successful with all of my cuttings that began in Oct. See my post "ROOTING IN THE WINTER". I just put them in a well draining soil as everyone suggested. And left them in my office (the warmest space in my house) until spring when they started to show life. At that time I had them all lined up on the east side of my house where they received the morning sun. Once they had leaves I put them out on the patio in direct sun where at that time they could get rain & full sun. I did loose 2, And my dogs broke off a branch by knocking 1 of them down this summer. I tried to root that 1 as well. Sadly without success due to the damage was already done to the broken piece instead of callusing it shriveled to much and rotted. But on the bright side where it broke off I now have 2 branches instead of 1. You got this!!

    Kimberly Berg thanked Rachael Cowgill
  • PRO
    6 years ago

    All the ideas and advice posted here are tried and true.


    In my opinion... the red container in the images above may be too large to adequately keep warm. I typically use narrow containers 1 quart or less in size which are easy to warm up and keep dry.

    Kimberly Berg thanked the_first_kms2
  • 6 years ago

    I was checking the prices on heating mats they are very expensive especially for how small they are. The 10x20 mats I would need 5-6 start at $10. Does any body have a source or different option. I don’t have a extra $100 to spend.

    i tried the bag rooting last year followed to the detail with no luck. What size ziplock or plastic bag? The cuttings seem to big for quart size baggies.

    If I try again bagging method with no luck can I recut cuttings try again?

    I will remove cutting from red pot. Should I cut off offshoots or leave them. Do I need to cut off end again?

    I thought my cuttings were rooting and then they got squishy and that was it dead‍♀️

    All of my other 15 plumeria are doing fabulous finally. I will post picks So now I just need to work on rooting.

    Thank you again I know I am very wordy you Should see my texts lol

  • 6 years ago

    I read that your plumeria can get squishy from being dehydrated even though they are getting water. I may have this problem on a couple of established plants maybe that’s what is happening with my cuttings.

    i am a type of person who needs extra details even with the link for rooting. I’m hoping their is a post that has pictures step by step.

  • 6 years ago

    One other thing when I took cutting from five different plants only two bled. The other ones were dry?......

  • PRO
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Alternatives to heat mats are a bit hard to come by. Perhaps an old electric blanket or a some old incandescent Christmas lights (C-9/7/5 sizes) placed in a plastic tub. Another benefit of using smaller rooting containers is you get more containers on a heat mat.

    I have not used the bag method but from what I have seen from others that do is they use a sandwich size bag with about 1/3 to 1/2 full of rooting media and then the bag is pulled tight with a twist tie or something to keep the media stable. I would defer to the posts or online info about it specific to SCPS reference above as the ultimate source on bag rooting.

    I wouldn't cut off any "offshoots" (assuming that is the forming leaves). Squishy by itself may or may not be a death sentence. Color change and squishy is definitely a bad thing. Sometimes the best thing to do is take a step back and let nature take its course. Keep it warm, dry, stable and if needed mist occasionally.

    Taking a step back from your questions...are you letting your cuttings form a full callus before attempting to root? Its a 2 week or more stint in a humidity chamber or buried in pine bark.


    Here are two cuttings that were in a bin partially buried in bark and perlite mix and on heat mat for about two months over winter 2018.


    2018 · More Info



    2018 · More Info


    Kimberly Berg thanked the_first_kms2
  • 6 years ago

    I failed at bag rooting. I will try on two cuttings the rest I’m going to get the one gallon pots you suggested. I will end up buying heat mats. I was going to put in cactus mix perlite and I will go buy bark. I dipped in rooting powder and have been letting them callous outside in the shade. I won’t water and should I keep them in garage when it starts getting cold November or so. I don’t want t wait till spring because I don’t want to lose these cuttings.

    So does this sound like a good plan? I will wai for your response.

    Thank you you’ve always been very helpful when I post I appreciate you.

  • 6 years ago

    You can also use a heat lamp and a cheap thermometer. This is how I have done it and had success. I put the thermometer in the pot and adjust the distance of the heat lamp until I get a stable 90 degrees in the pot. Heat lamps are pretty cheap and you could use the bin method that KMS just shared and use the lamp to keep the bin warm.

    Kimberly Berg thanked Chris Harkey
  • 6 years ago

    A few cuttings here in a barky mix similar to what K has in his bin and a cheap clamp on heat lamp. This isnt even a heat lamp bulb. Just a regular flood lamp bulb. Once it gets colder I'll swap it out with a heat bulb. But I'll I'm doing right here is getting a good callous going and letting the rooting process start. I pull them and check every couple of weeks and once I start to see roots similar to Ks pictures, I will individually pot them up.

    Kimberly Berg thanked Chris Harkey
  • 6 years ago

    Kimberly,

    Sorry to hear that you do not have successfully root using bag method.

    I like bag method because keep the soil moist for long time.

    few weeks ago, i was cutting dead branch of plum tree and somehow broke off one of my Sierra Madre branch with seed pot...... I made tree cutting out of this broken branch and last week, I bagged it.

    I keep on the south facing kitchen patio door.

    Kimberly Berg thanked Kawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
  • Kimberly Berg thanked Kawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
  • 6 years ago

    Why did you cut the tops off? Should I cut mine off see pictures above. The cuttings have calloused I think. The bottoms of mine look different maybe I should not of dipped in rooting powder after I cut them.

    My problem is I’m obsessed with plumeria. I research then can’t decide what to do. I’m tired of losing my cuttings.

  • 6 years ago

    When I repot plumeria cutting in red pot should I cut off side branches? They are soft. I should not of watered I can’t help myself. ‍♀️

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago



    Do these look ok or should I give them more time. I cut 2-3 weeks ago.

  • 6 years ago

    Please help are these ok or should I cut off and start Over?

    last question that’s it.

    thank you

  • 6 years ago

    They look calloused to me. I only waited 2 weeks then i stuck in the pot with dry well draining soil & left them alone for the winter. Don't stress. You got this!!

    Kimberly Berg thanked Rachael Cowgill
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