My first plumerias...do I trim off the old roots?
Sheila
13 years ago
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Sheila
13 years agojandey1
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Very afraid I will kill my first ever rooted cuttings- help!
Comments (6)First of all, don't panic, yellowing leaves isn't usually a sign of impending death unless it goes on for a long time (brown or black, on the other hand, are not particularly happy colors for roses). It could be that they're recovering from replanting, or more likely, from finding themselves with a bit too much water to drink in their new, larger homes. Let them get just a bit dry before watering again (not totally dry, but the very top of the soil should be slightly dryish on top and the pot should feel quite a bit lighter than when it's wet); this often seems to help new plants' roots adjust and breathe after their first transplant, when they're small and fragile, and these deep (but not frequent) waterings help to prevent root rot in most containerized plants. I would also give them as much direct sunlight indoors as possible - remember that sun coming through a window is already filtered quite a bit by the glass, so anything less than that is truly shade as far as the rose is concerned! This will also help them speed up their use of some of the excess water in their potting medium, if there is any....See MorePlease help not sure id to trim roots first time repot
Comments (15)Nice repotting! When trimming you just have to be sure to let the cuts heal a good couple of days or more. I read somewhere a good rule of thumb is one week to every inch thickness cut. If you're afraid to trim the roots, just let it sit shaded for the first week or so for the newly exposed area to adjust. Even then you still want to be careful of sunburn. You can leave the roots as the ones that decide they give up the fight will just dry up and shrivel. They can easily be removed then. The finer roots can help the plant shock if there are still some in the soil to help with it's nourishment intake. It's really what you're comfortable with as these plants are resilient for the most part. I like (and I usually do the same) is leave some of the bigger "fine" roots like Paula did. They do indeed eventually fatten up and add more character. Hope this helps. Kirk...See MoreHelp me with my first foray into rooting cuttings, please?
Comments (16)Hiya goddess - I'm right where you are, having just received my first set of cuttings from Joni also. After way too much fussing (I hope they forgive me), I've rooted four of them directly in clear solo cups in Fafard cactus/succulent mix with rooting hormone in a bright window out of direct sun. They get misted and are in ziplocs. The other two (sipitangensis and publicalyx "Black Dragon") are in a mini-greenhouse outside on a covered porch (where an existing hoya has been extremely happy). Those two are rooting horizontally with the Fafard mix and I mist the soil once a day. I did poke a hole in the bottom of the solo cups for drainage, and I watered the soil in those and let it drain before I put the cuttings in. I'm assuming I wouldn't want to actually water again unless the soil was really dry, especially as long as I'm misting (can the community confirm this?). The reason I'm horizontally rooting two of them is that those came with little roots already sticking out all along the cuttings, and with several sets of leaves. I'm going partly on instinct and partly on advice from this community (thank you!). I'll be curious to see how our new babies turn out!...See MoreHow much can I trim off of my plumeria?
Comments (3)You could cut the branches back and new branches would form just below the cut, but in my experience it's pretty risky to cut off all the growth tips. I've seen plumeria branch when the top is cut off, but it would definitely take a long time to grow back and you most likely wouldn't be seeing flowers for a year or two. The thing with plumerias is they only like to grow at the tips and usually don't force out new branches below that. Could you stake the plant for support? Also, you should fertilize in spring because plumeria only branch after flowering. No flowers, no branching. I would say that you could probably cut those two branches and root them to get better shaped plants and that the base of the original would likely branch, but please wait for one of the more experienced growers on here to voice their opinion. I've been doing plumerias for three years, but there are people with 20+ years of experience that could probably help more. I'm in New York and all my plumerias are in for the winter. I'm surprised it's still growing, mine all went dormant despite heat mats and lights... good luck with this little guy. Do you know the cultivar?...See MoreSheila
13 years agojandey1
13 years agothe_first_kms2
13 years agoSheila
13 years agoSheila
13 years ago
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