hey dennis. welcome to the club.

my first thought was, "that soil looks like dirt". what is it made of? If its dirt from the landscape or topsoil we need to focus on changing that first.

does it get good light? Its a bit tall and scrawny which to me says it is stretching for sun.

did you buy it with the multiple tips. Plumeria branch after flower, after a cut, or sometimes just because.
If it hasnt flowered i assume that maybe it broke at one time and branched from there.

plumeria can also go a few years before flowering. So that isnt something to be too concerned about just yet.

let us know a bit more about it and we can get it going good.

mike

hi mike,

thanks for the greetings.

i will try to answer the questions you havve for me.

the soil i use is soil for cactus plants.
i bought the tree like you see it on the picture. because i live in a cold winter/ good summer climate it has been sitting in a corner with day light. now that the spring is kickin in i moved it toward the window and i am waiting untill the night temperatures are also good enough to leave it 24/7 outside.

like i already told, i bought the plant like this. I did ended up buying last year august some fertilizer super blossom. 10-50-15.

also i have four little trees without branches but they give nice leaves but also no flower. so i think i am doing something wrong.

the fertilizer that i bought is being used today for the first time again as i saw some fresh leaves popping.

hope this answers your questions and i am very curious what to do.

greetings,

dennis

Plumies require constant fertilizing to bloom. In my experience, unless you heavily fertilize them, they will not bloom.

Mine do much better with fertilizer with low nitrogen but high phosphorus AND high potassium, rather than with just high phosphorous (the middle number.) and low nitrogen & potassium. I use Grow More Orchid Fertilizer that is 6-30-30, so-po-mag (contains more potassium!) in the spring & occasional fish emulsion. This year I'm going to fertilize mine more than I have in the past.

Also, cactus mix is good to root plumies in, but it doesn't contain any nutrients. I transplant mine to regular potting soil after they are well rooted. Yours looks like it might benefit from transplanting.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Role of Fertilizer on Plumerias

thanks ashef for the tip.

i have read that it was important to use a good cactus soil. but i will take it in consideration about the transplanting option.
maybe you can brief me more about the constant fertilizing.

how much in quantity and days are you giving your plumeria?

second: which soil combo do you use?

i put in another picture to let you see the tip of the tree

You mentioned that you keep the plant outside when the weather is good, so I'm assuming it gets good enough light.

The fact that you use all those sticks for support tells me the root system is weak, which would also contributes to poor flowering.

As per other suggestions, the potting mix needs a major overhaul. If you can find perlite, mix it up about 3 parts perlite to 1 part of the soil you have in there. Also start with a much smaller pot.

I would remove the plant completely, wash off the soil from the roots and inspect the root mass. Remove dead and rotted roots and replant into a newer, lighter and more porous mix.

By the end of the summer, you can consider potting it up back into the larger pot, depending on the quality and quantity of growth you get.

x

I think you were off to a good start with the cactus mix, it is better than straight soil but I agree, you should probably switch to something like potting soil amended heavily with perlite.

In addition to the soil being well draining I just want to make sure the container is well draining also? (as in, it's not just a decorative pot, when watered the water can run out of it freely?)

I think with lots of sun and a regular fertilizing schedule you will do well. Once it fully breaks dormancy it should really take off. Please update us on your progress!

well, thank you all for the tips.

i will change the soil to potting soil mixed up heavily with perlite.

is a normal potting soil good or do i have to use the gritty mix??

because i tried to find the turface also in my country but it is not available anywhere.

so if another potting soil with perlite is good i will change to that this week.

thank you in advance

Don't worry so much about exactly what ingredients you have for the famous gritty mix. That's why I suggested perlite. It is easy to find and works just as well as anything else to amend an existing soil mix. It's also very light so it will make it easier to carry the pot around. Gritty Mix is designed to be long lasting and provide excellent aeration and drainage. Perlite will do both those things, and by using some of the existing soil you will provide the necessary water holding capacity to sustain the roots.

x

Welcome Dennis!!

I agree..

Looks like it is breaking dormancy.. Needs to be in the sun and in a better fast draining mix. It will really take off in a lighter mix, sun and good fertilizer.

Good luck!!

Welcome to the forum!!

Laura

Dennis, welcome to our crazy world! I'm amazed you were able to find a plumeria in one of your nurseries, but the word must be getting out about how wonderful they are.

You got some great advice. Your plant will need as much sun as you're able to give it, and now that the days are long it's a great time to re-pot and put it in a sunny spot in the garden.

Keep us posted!

I would suggest a large spoonful of common drugstore epsoms salts to give your soil magnesium so the plant can process the fertilizer. Just water in once and this will help the plant. Use the rest in baths for yourself. Plants in soil where the magnesium has been depleted, usually will not flower or will meekly flower. Most of your plumeria books will recommend epsoms salts. Bill

Hi all members again,

im still amazed how much people here are loving the plumeria.
i took all your advice and make a new soil today. with perlite, cactus soil and some soil from orchid as well. just to get close to the gritty mix i have been reading.

and to make sure everything gets well i also gave it some blooming power.

as you can see on the picture it looks different and i hope it will work out fine. cant wait to sniff on those flowers.

i keep you all posted.

thanks you community!!!!

Looks much better...I would add even more perlite to be honest but it's hard to judge from the photo alone. If there are some bark nuggets in there from an orchid mix those work well too

The goal is to have soil drain so well that you can safely water as much as you want without worrying that the soil is clogged. Most water should drain away quickly. This keeps the roots healthy, but also means that nutrients are washed away so supplemental nutrition will be needed.

x

I do believe I can see it smiling. Good job Dennis! Peg

just wanted you to keep updated.

my newest soil overhaul for my plumeria's.

ps: so whats the frequency off giving water to these little angels??? because i dont leave them out in the rain at the moment. and they are indoors at night because off the cold nighttemperatures.

can they stand severe rainshowers now that they have there new drainage and soil???

thanks in advance for any advice.

This post was edited by stormneon on Thu, May 9, 13 at 7:02

No leaves = be careful with watering
hot weather + lots of leaves = water as much as you want

...all the in-between stuff is a judgment call. Plumeria are drought tolerant so if you're not sure it's usually OK to wait. When plants are very thirsty leaves will start to wilt.

x

General rule of thumb for plumies is "if your not sure them wait a week". The amount and frequency of watering all depends on your individual climate. I usually tend to water every othe week in the beginning of spring, once a week at the end of spring, 2-3 times a week in summer, and back down to once a week in fall.

-Jennifer