I am new to plumerias and live in New England. I have several cuttings and one plant I have had for yrs and it has never bloomed in fact I have forgotten what color it is! I think I put it in a pot that was way to big. I was in college at the time and could not afford to buy anything and the soil was free from the college greenhouse so.. I thought what could it hurt. Now I know!
So yes I am interested in the progress of your plants and if nobody minds ?s they don't teach you much about these in Hort. classes in the midwest.

If you keep your plumi's inside, thats probably the reason they're not blooming. Mine bloom but only in late late summer. Even then after I bring them in they start blooming up until Christmas. Every year I also have freshly started inflo's that never bloom when I bring them in. I leave them alone, and those are ones that bloom all summer from June on. I have four 6 foot by 5 foot (Canopy) trees that I bring in and out. I fertilize every week once they are outside with Schultz's 10-52-10. I do not fuss with them, just the Monday 2 Gallons of water with the 10-52-10. Of course I water them everyday, and stop fertilizing at the end of August. Then fertilize every 30 days once they are inside. I have a degree from U of Hawaii in Horticulture technology... BUT, don't let that fool you. I just let nature do what it does best. I'm basically lazy when it comes to tinkering with nature. What I'm trying to say is that I don't do all the things that most people here do to their plumi's. I'm the same way with all the plants around the house. I also have Koi pond, and again, I don't do much with that either (ie, check water ph, salinity etc). You can see pond pics in the Ponds and Aquatic forum in the Gallery section. I also grow Lotus in Tubs on my deck... Check the link for a pic of last years beauty. Aloha from Michigan.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lotus blossom 2004

Ok That sounds good to me.Actually the plume. that I have had for awhile goes outside all summer(it is out during the day and in at nightbecause we had 26 degree nights last week) and dosen't come in until the nights are about 45 degrees.it is about 3feet tall. When it leafs out it is beautiful, but drops all leaves by late december, should I put I light on it? It is by a west facing sliding glass door.I have other sliders it can go to that could be a bit brighter, but the rooms are cooler. It is the only plant I own which goes dormant there.I may not be watering enough though ...
I am a lazy gardener and have mostly natives in my garden. Except for Arisaemas I have imported from China, they are truly my weak spot.
I love water gardens. I worked at Powell Botanical in Mo. They have a very beautiful water garden there. One pool is 73,000 gallons. Best job during the steamy Mo summers! My favorite water plant, Victoria amazonica, the most dangerous plant in the water! haahaaaha(evil laugh).
Thanks for the advice I appreciate it.

Hey Tommyc, I'm over at the Pond Forum too. Love your lotus and pond pictures.

I bought three plumeria "sticks" I will call them at a flower show in February. I planted them as directed in well draining soil and only watered them once every two weeks. When I started seeing a little bit of green at the end of the stem I started watering them a little more often. I now have one tiny leaf on one and the other two are showing some green at the very top.

I've moved them outside now and for the last several days I've had them in a shade area. When should I put them in full sun? I understand the more sun the better for them.

Ann

Gardens... Yours can go out in the sun right now. It may bleach out/burn the couple leaves that are sprouting but new ones will pop. If my plants go out with no leaves, I really don't worry about acclimation. The new leaves will automatically be acclimated. Maybe three days in shade if you are really that worried.

Chicory... My house is small and dark during the winters. The plumi's are in the middle of the house and get light only from the eastern doorway to the deck. So it hardly gets what it should. Temps... well, my thermostat goes to 59 at 11pm, 62 at 11am, 64 at 4pm, and 65 at 8pm. No excuses for me. Just hate to pay the gas bills.

I hear that on the bills we burn oil and our house is big. I nearly had a stroke seeing how much we used last month.
Well I am going to try watering a bit more in the winter and see what happens .
Buy the way your garden is very nice.
Well need to get we have a freeze warning for in the morning to I have to cart everybody back in for the weekend again.
Thanks and have a nice weekend
Chicory

Saturday... May 21, I put my plumi's out. First week or so, (depending on how sunny it will be this week) they will be under the filtered light of my Gazebo. They are blooming under the gazebo right now. I left the inflo's that didn't bloom last summer on and they are ones blooming now.

Tommyc - congratulation on your recurring inflo. That is the reason why one should NEVER cut off an inflo and just let it naturally fall off.

Kasie

Heres a pic of the inflo's blooming Now. Sorry can't figure out how to link this to my pictures on flickr. Theres more pics to check out in the Gallery.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sept 2004 Inflo Blooming May 2005

Does it smell like peaches?

Kasie

No I don't think it does... but who knows. It smells like a plumi... fantastic.

Hello TommyC,

How large are you Plumi's?

Can you post some picture of the entire plants?

I am in NW Indiana and have my large plumie outside now. I just need to get some more soil to transplant it into a larger pot and then sink it into my garden.

Thanks,

Wildcat

Hi, I'm new to this forum. It's been great to read about different things I can do to care for my plumi. Three weeks ago I recieved my 2nd plumi. (the 1st one I had for 3 years died of the black fungus) This new one was potted rather than a cutting when I recieved it. It is now planted in a large pot and I've had it outside on my deck when it's been warm but it's been in the house for several days now that it's been cold and rainy. Can anyone tell me about how long it will be till the leaves start to grow?

Tommy, I don't know how you do it! I'm going on my 4th summer with my plumies, and none have bloomed yet at all. Where you are and where I am are similar zones. What do your temps get to and how much direct light do they get?

For the last two years I had them out all the time all summer, from about May 20 to end of September, but the last two summers were cold and wet...temps didn't get in the 80's much. I had direct sun from about 7 am to 5 pm.

This summer I moved to a new place and do not have any outdoor space at all. Instead I have all my plants in my covered balcony/solarium on the 10th floor. I will admit my leaves are better so far this year because the solarium easily reachs 100F daily in the sun for the last few weeks or so. It's a southwest exposure, so there is sun (threw a window) directly on them from about 10 am till sunset.

With those temps, should i be watering daily? I have been watering weekly with a 10-50-10 full stength, the soil is usualy dry within 2 days...

any thoughts?

Hi... I really don't know what I'm doing that others dont. I really don't do anything... Remember I don't fuss with these at all. Every Monday 10-52-10 ferlizing. Full Sun. Water Daily and in middle of summer Morning and dusk watering. I spray the whole tree too (Doesn't it Rain on Earth?). I bring them in about the 3rd week of September. It just all depends when the temps start dipping into the low 40's at night for more than two days. I have two 6 foot high trees... maybe 5 feet wide. One that is 4foot tall, and a Rooted cutting (from Trim Last Spring) that is 24". One thing I do notice. Once I have a bloom on a branch... it usually doesn't bloom the following year, but the next. Takes about 12 inches of growth. So Simply, Blooms every other year. Again leave the unblooming inflo's on. This year one of my 6 footers will have blooms on every branch, starting soon because I left the inflos... AND last year's bloom branches in tack. They survived and now have buds ready to bloom. I live in Detroit... I really don't have a pic of a full tree. Once I get them out from under the canopy, I'll take a pic. They also LOOK like Trees. They don't look like some of the pictures we've seen in the gallery. They ARE TREES in every way. The six footers are big, and I will have a problem with getting them back inside this fall. I'm debating on cutting a branch now or wait till fall. I usually cut now because then the new branch will have a much better chance at rooting (Outside in Full Sun) if I leave it outside all summer. So Probably in the next 10 days I'm going to have to make that dreaded cut. I may have to rethink after next summer because they will probably too TALL to take in or out. I'm going to have to rely on some info from others here on how to "top off" the Canopies and encourage growth below the trim job.

Sue,
They will need full sun and warmth to wakeup. Indoors, even with sunlight through a window may not be enough to stimulate leaf growth. As the days (and nights) get warmer so you can leave them outside, you should see leaf claws developing.
Mike

To RachaelDavina, Tommyc, (and more...)

I live in a small flat with a north facing window:
My plummies bloomed and branched last year, and this year I have an inflo on progress just now.

My 'secret' : Grow lights. and to help your plummie set inflo, you MUST Water them - RachaelDavina ! If your soil is OKay, (say 50 - 70 % perlite) they can't be too wet.
The error is to underwater in the growing season. With these conditions, Plumeria are semi-dormant.
It is written everywhere that plumeria don't like wet feet. But you must read between those lines. they don't like heavy soggy soils but will love fast draining wet soils in the growing season. The More heat, the more water they need and can stand. Too much water with low temps are a killer ! but they can stand better too much water with heat conditions !

Again the miracle formula in the growing season is : Good Draining soil - A basic key to success

Water regularly available for growing and setting inflos. Plumeria in their native countries have a rainy season. A Plumeria in a pot may need 2 waterings in the same day depending on size/heat
Regular light (sunlight if availaible, HID grow lights as an alternative, as they provide the equivalent lumen - light intensity -
Regular heat : No drop downs that will tend to generate dormancy. I try to avoid temps. under 20C in the growing season.
Fertilizer, regular, allowing a deep Wash to the rootball once in a while, to rinse the excess of fert. Like any other plant, an excess of fert can kill, even plumeria.

According to what you describe, RachaelDavina, your conditions now (sun from 10 am to sunset) seems to be more adequate. The only thing you may need now, if your soil is fast draining like it should, is Water on a more regular schedule. In the growing season, the plumeria shouldn't be starved too long from water otherwise it will tend to go dormant. Leaves pending are the way plummies cry : "WATER please !
If you can, increase air circulation and air moisture : mist leaves daily, or at the same time when you water the soil.

To Tommyc, be honnest when you say you don't do anything to your plummies. If you have inflos and blooms, you must be doing the right things, maybe by intuition, but you do indeed do the right things.
The first basic thing you do is information and observation, what I did myself : you try to give your plumeria the same conditions they can have in their native environment. You need first to have information on these conditions, concerning many parameters : soil, day thermal amplitude, relative humidity, water amount available...
When you get these infos, success is up to you, up to how tight you can get to natural conditions for plumeria. The scheme to remember is : wild plumeria in their native's bloom naturally because Mother Nature provide everything they need. So inside, you MUST be a Replacement Mother nature and you're done !

that's exactly what you do Tommyc, and this is why you have success, like I do.

Well, inside, facing north, I could'nt have made it without HID grow lights, but watch out for the bills ! I have now 12 seedlings, plus more seeds on their way, plus a rooting cutting, all inside, all healty growing.

good luck with your inside (and outside for the luckies) plumeria.

Klodec... You're right. I used to live in Hawaii and I saw how beautiful and huge these "trees" grow. So I just imagine what they would love if they were back home in Hawaii. Three of my plumi's are direct cuttings off of trees in Hawaii, and one from Bali. Watering is important, and many here seem to forget that. My soil is right from my yard, I do nothing special with that. I wished I would I would have lightened it up a little, because the pots are really heavy. I think the only reason Mine doesn't bloom fully each year is that I simply run out of Summer Sunshine. If I could leave them outside another 6 weeks, I would have super blooms. Michigan just doesn't have enough summer to enjoy. My plans are to retire in Hawaii, soon but not soon enough.

Mike,
The leaves on my new plumi. are just starting to grow now. We've had a few warmer sunny days after a week of cloudy rainy days. It has been unseasonably cool here for the last several weeks. I guess I just need to patient. My old plumi. would have had many leaves on it by now, but I suppose a new one just needs time to adjust to it's new environment. Thanks for your imput. Sue

Its June 5th and the Plumi's are out from underneath the gazebo. I put them out on June 1st. So its full sun for the summer.

The Buds are starting to open on June 14th. I used to see trees in Hawaii that would bloom with no leaves. Now this is happening this summer for me. See my latest pic in gallery.

Hey TommyC,

How about an update on you large plumeria?

Wildcat

Hello everyone, I am new to this fourm. I am thirlled to find people living in northern climates who are successfully growing plumeria. Until today I have only found people from warmer climates talking about their successes.

I live in New York City and have two 17 year old potted plants. I bought them as sticks at a garden show and rooted them. They have flowered every year and I didn't do anything special to them. I didn't even give them fertilizer until recently. I am not a gardener so I don't really know why they thrive and none of my friends can get theirs to flower. The local nursery never heard of plumerias so they are no help.

I have about 5 cuttings from my two big plants that get lots of leaves on them, but never flower. some are indoors some are out doors. I have been reading about lots of sun, well draining soil and high middle number fuerilizer. I tried this a on all my plumerias. Guess what! The two big 17 yr old plants continue to thrive and are beginning to bloom the others are not.

What am I doing wrong?

Usually it may take two seasons for inflo's to peek out. So continue the heavy fert, and water, and things should be alright...

I FINALLY brought the Plumi's in on OCT 6th 2005... took them out May 21st. So they had 139 days of fun in the sun. Poor babies... they had 365 in Hawaii and Bali.

They are doing fine indoors. No artificial light... just in my east facing kitchen with a doorwall. Still blooming. I also put two applications of Orthenex into the soil before I brought them. This helps killing all the bugs and prevents mites from destroying them in January. This was their best blooming season I've had in 8 years. Gonna have to some major pruning next spring when I put them out on the deck. The lateral branches are too wide to bring in through the doorwall. They are not reaching the ceiling yet, so thats ok... just getting too wide.

what is orthenex and where do i get some i brought in a palm i had outside and i see little worms coming out the drain holes what are these things and will that stuff kill them

Orthenex is made by Ortho. Its a systemic.

I've had some leaves falling, but I still have around 95% of them left. No Bugs, so the orthenex is working. Now I've got to bring in the Lotus.

Hello Tommy C I found you. I was just wondering if you are still here. I noticed the comments are old. Any how I read them all and thanks they're very hopeful. Hope you are still enjoying plumerias!

I think he moved from his house in MI, but is somewhere close..

He posted not to long ago and showed us pics of his trees if im not mistaken...

Hopefully he will see this and respond to you!!

Take care,

Laura

Love to hear that there are some lazy gardeners out there...i am also fairly lazy...Monday is my big watering day..i water the garden and the pot plants and hanging baskets out the front and a couple of pots out the back. I water the strawberrys every day coz they like to keep moist and the rest of my pots including citrus trees and plumerias i water every 3,4 or 5 days depending if it has been hot days or rainy days. They are all under cover because it spontainously rains so much here that i dont trust that i may leave from work with the weather fine and get home and they have been drentched in rain. Not good. So yeh thats all i do...the patio gets sun in the arv so despite them being under cover they get sun in the arvo and they seem all happy...i dont fertilize or anything...see ...im so lazy...and all my plants seem to be fine ...i did fertilize a cactus i had once and it died :/ so i guess that scared me off...i dono...anyway also someone mentioned leaf burn earlier...my fruit salad when i first got it i put it out in the sun the first day and came home and most of the leaves had gone black in some part :S I was HORRIFIED! I had done the same with my white and yellow when i got it and it was fine? Anyway its all good now. So yeh id definitely recommend giving them filtered sun first n then going out into full sun...

Sarah