Is it too late to prune my plumeria?

9 years ago

This sounds stupid, but I was too nervous to prune my one rainbow plumeria that I got from Tom before the bloom.
So, I hacked away at one of my big white ones, gave away about three dozen sticks, and the main plant is coming along nicely, might even blossom by the end of the summer.

So now that I'm more confident about it, is it too late?
I feel like it should be fine, although I know I may not get any more flowers from the remaining stump this year. Do I wait until these flowers die? Or are they taking away from the energy in the sticks that they need to re-grow after I cut them? Am I making any sense?

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Comments (19)

leahrenee1
9 years ago
As long as you will not be expecting more blooms it is fine to prune.
tomncath
9 years ago
Looking good L!

Depends on if you want further blooms now or not. The ideal time to prune is after blooming is over but if the tree is big enough there may be enough new growth to bloom again before the leaves fall, it just won't be anytime soon.

Tom
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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
9 years ago
Take cell/tablet photos in landscape mode, bottom of your phone to your right, and you will never have orientation issues.

This post was edited by love_the_yard on Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 17:03
c9pilot
Original Author
9 years ago
Yeah, I still have to learn all the functions of my smartphone camera, and the smartphone itself. I know I could do thousands of amazing things with it (Galaxy S4) but I actually do about a dozen.

Tom - do you remember the name of this variety? A few people have asked and I don't remember!
puglvr1
9 years ago
Not Tom, but I think he said it was called Plumeria 'Jeannie Moragne' if I remember correctly?

It sure is beautiful, the colors are SO pretty!!
tomncath
9 years ago
Hi L, N is correct, that is a Jeannie Moragne!

Tom
Pieonear
9 years ago
Hi Tom, the next time you trim Jeannie Morangne, I'd sure love a start. Thanks!
wanna_run_faster
9 years ago
Hi C9Pilot,

Why do you want to prune? are you trying to encourage branching or keep it a certain size?

I had plumeria fever when I lived in So Fla...had about 25 different named varieties. Quickly realized that each one had it's own characteristics...some grew really tall or had really long arms before branching out, etc.

Now I only do "compacts" as I like the way they stay reasonably small (i.e. allowing me to have room for more in a small yard!) and making it possible to camouflage the plumeria when they are bare in the winter :)

Helen
tomncath
9 years ago
Hi Tom, the next time you trim Jeannie Morangne, I'd sure love a start. Thanks!

You don't have an email link from your (My Page) so you will have to email me from my (My Page), then I'll add you to the list.

Tom
chinchette
9 years ago
What are some ways you disguised them in the winter?
c9pilot
Original Author
9 years ago
Helen-
I need to keep it below my roof - you can see the gutter in the upper left corner of the picture, and the picture is one of the lowest branches.
I didn't even realize that you could keep them compact until I saw them at Tom's house, where he has sort of a short hedge of them in front (that was years ago, to my recollection, which could be completely wrong)
I'll take one of the cuttings and put it somewhere that it can grow as much as it wants and see what happens.

My neighbor has a white one that's about 20' tall with a 12" diameter trunk and quite full - gorgeous in full bloom, and mother to many of the others around the yard.
They are so easy to grow here - branches have fallen off that big tree and start growing right where they fell in the mulch.

I'm looking for a deep, dark yellow one still. I've seen a couple driving around and I'm always tempted to just stop the car and run and break a piece off, but I don't have the guts to do it.
wanna_run_faster
9 years ago
C9, some of them are selected for their compact or dwarf characteristics. I have thumbalina which is a beauty ...repeatedly branches after 3" of arm growth so you end up with a lush small tree. Google jungle Jim's divine, thumbalina, etc but be forewarned it may feed your addiction!

Chinchette, if you have a small tree, you can plant in a winter blooming bed or place flowering pot in front and the bare sticks are less noticeable because they are not so tall

I have limited space so I try to limit myself only to things I love and that are compact so I can fit in more stuff lol

Helen
wanna_run_faster
9 years ago
Lol sorry that's jungle jack and divine is my favorite of the two (had to Google it)
wanna_run_faster
9 years ago
Lol sorry that's jungle jack and divine is my favorite of the two (had to Google it)
tomncath
9 years ago
I didn't even realize that you could keep them compact until I saw them at Tom's house, where he has sort of a short hedge of them in front (that was years ago, to my recollection, which could be completely wrong)

It is fairly big now, I hard trimmed it two years ago and it needs another hard trim when the leaves drop, then it will be time to cover the dead-looking thing with Halloween lights ;-)

I took the others out to put in plants to attract hummingbirds.

Tom
puglvr1
9 years ago
Wow!! Tom that is an amazing Plumeria you have there...just beautiful!! Its very well shaped and HUGE!!

So when do they start going dormant and dropping their leaves? thanks!!
tomncath
9 years ago
So when do they start going dormant and dropping their leaves? thanks!!

For me here since I rarely get frost the leaves usually don't drop until late November to mid-December.

Tom
puglvr1
9 years ago
Thanks Tom!!
tomncath
9 years ago
N, yours should be about a month ahead of mine since you get colder sooner than we do here....