I am not that good at this but I bet some one says Liquid Electrical Tape or DAP or wrap it for support? roxanne

Hi there! I agree with Rox, I would say fill it with something to prevent moisture getting in and that's really all you can do. I think DAP (almond color) is a great choice as I know several people have used that with great results for sealing cuts. Good luck and please keep us updated on the progress!

It's unfortunate that your plant has the wounds, but overall the misfortune is slight and will prove to be of little consequence. Your plant has already started to compartmentalize the wounds. The injury is being walled-off, the plant's mechanism to prevent any spread of infection from the wound site to the rest of the plant.

Woody plants never heal in the sensed that they can't regenerate cells in the same spatial planes as animals can, but you can actually hasten closure of the wounds by using a very sharp tool to clean the wounds edges so they aren't ragged. The new callus tissue and cambium will then be able to 'roll' over the wound more easily.

You can see large, intentionally made wounds on the prebonsai material in the picture below - especially the maple and hornbeam in the foreground. Notice the large wound on the maple.
{{gwi:49581}}
We perform trunk chops on trees to build rapid taper into the trunk, which helps endow the illusion of great age. I've actually hollowed out the wound and cleaned up the edges with a grafting knife that is literally as sharp as a scalpel. I hollowed the wound so there won't be a bulge when it closes, and cleaned the edges so the cambium covers the wound evenly. Some growers use Vaseline or even Preparation-H to keep the wood around the wound moist. I often cover the wounds (but not the cambium) with a thin coat of waterproof wood glue. If your tree is in the ground, I wouldn't use any type of wound dressing, because they can actually be counterproductive and cause mechanical failure of the plant years down the road; but for containerized plants, where mechanical failure is unlikely to be of concern, the procedure/dressings I described can be helpful with wound closure.

Al

Glasspass, I just now noticed your soil level in your pot & just my opinion, but I would raise the plant up by taking it out & adding soil, then put it back leaving no more than about an inch of empty pot at the top. That space tends to super heat & can cause the trunk to burn in dark pots. Although your pot isn't black it may or may not still do that, just a thought. Plus, your plant will probably use the extra leg room over the season.

I've had a plumeria get ripped in half and still grow...... So it should be fine. Here's a pic

I have the same issue with my Makaha Sunn. My most treasured plumeria blew over in the wind and broke off leaving a jagged and deep wound. I have never used sealant on a plumeria , but this one is so special to me I didn't want to risk it. Here is a picture. What would you do?

Thank you so much for your advice. It's been 24 hours since I found it like that but no more than 36 hours since I saw it upright. I watered it and kept it inside to stay dry and warm. I will get the wood glue and exacto knife tonight and perform the surgery. Wish me luck. If you have any more tips please feel free to post. I now have a Makaha Sunn cutting that is known to be impossible to root. Most people graft them onto another plant. Its also fall so my next question is weather to attempt saving this cutting or grafting this late in the season.

I'm far from a cognoscente, when it comes to plumeria, but I have a good working knowledge of container culture in general/ soil science/ physiology, so any tips would be limited in their scope and limited to topics that allow me to operate within the limits of what I know. I wish I could help more, and I do wish you good luck.

Al

I just finished sealing the wound. I did as you said and made a clean cut. I made the wound flat with the exacto blade, applied the sealant and will keep my fingers crossed. Thank you again for your efforts /help.

My pleasure. Best luck. Be patient, it will take one or two growing seasons for the wound to close. It would be helpful, at the beginning of the most robust part of each growing season, that you use the Exacto Knife to trim the inner edge of the callus that will be 'rolling' over the wound to expose new green tissue. You'll only need to remove the very outermost layer of the periderm, the cuticle, and expose the epidermis (See picture), so about 1 mm thick. The cut should be as clean as possible. This technique stimulates faster callus development.

Al

This is a good "how to..." example on setting a wound for the best outcome. It is my experience Plumeria will generally heal as Tapla anticipates. Thanks.