Superthrive or B-1 with water is important to reduce transplant shock. A fast draining soil is important. A cactus mix cut 50/50 with pumice, perlite or Dave from Nova has a product he uses from Va.(chime in Dave) Use a small, black pot usually a 1 gallon and do not over pot as too much moisture is the one big danger beyond frost. Misting the top and leaves in early morning is very good. Water and then let dry for days. Plumerias are naturally set up to take long periods of little moisture but not for soaking wet feet for long times. After you p[ant, keep in filtered sun for the first week increasing the amount of direct sun each day until you get to about 8 hours. Reds prefer more filtered sun and their color is richer with less hot sun. Bill

Thanks! So, I can't use just plain cactus potting mix? I need to mix it with perlite? Where can I purchase Superthrive?

Thanks so much,
Sandy

Sandy, don't know if you have OSH (orchard supply and hardware) in your area but they have it . Or try eBay, also can be ordered from Jennifer at MPG.

Many cactus mixes are a bit too moist or contain items that hold too much moisture. Cutting it allows air flow to dry the mix. Years ago growers used sand but it was found to compact and not dry quickly. Over time, perlite and pumice were used because they worked well. The product Dave uses because pumice is hard to find out east is called Shultz Aquatic Soil which are little fired clay beads. The point is, if you use straight cactus mix be very careful not to overwater your plant. Pots look very dry but a water meter will show that until a plumeria is fully leafed out it draws very little water from the soil and frequent watering puts the roots in an unhealthy condition of too much moisture. Superthrive can be bought from many garden suppliers and if you google it you should find a source. Home Depot and big garden supply stores out west carry it but I can't speak for the east coast. B-1 works too and is a common product. Bill

I'll chime in. At the very least I'd pot it up with 1/2 good Miracle Grow potting soil (not the one with the moisture-control crystals), and 1/2 perlite, since perlite's easy to find. That much perlite should solve your drainage issues. Yes, I usually mix 1/2 potting soil, 1/4 perlite, 1/4 Aquatic Plant Soil (in pond supply area). All found at local Home Depot. Wish I could find pumice here. Place your plant in part sun for several weeks or until it really gets going. The tender stem can sunburn in full sun.

This year I'm going to try potting up some of mine with the addition of 'Clay Buster' (or Breaker, or something like that) -- which consists of gypsum and pine bark fines, and is used as a soil additive to loosen up clay soils. It's cheap and will make the potting soil go a lot further. Anyone tried that?

Yup, I'd use a one-gallon plastic pot and then pot up around late July/August if you see roots thru the drainage holes.

Thanks so much! I did end up adding Superthrive to my order with Maui Gardens. I appreciate the help.

Thanks,
Sandy

Hi, I always get my superthrive at WalMart here in Ohio. I can't find seaweed extract though. I ordered it online and it cost nearly double to have it shipped. Does anyone use the powdered version of seaweed extract? Is it as good as the liquid? Crafty