Hi - I'm not sure what the leaf on leaf thing is, but my puu kahea had the same growing pains. I really can't explain why, when everything else grew so well.

I can see the beautiful English countryside, BTW :)

Hi Gill,

Your seedlings are doing so well!! Only one year old?? Good for you.
As to your Celadine; I hope one of the experts can help you.
Indeed I can see your beautiful lush english backyard (haha) but that makes me wonder... can you tell me what you do with your plumies (seedlings and cuttings) in colder periods? This will be my first plumeria winter and I live in Holland so would like some advice!!

Martina

Sorry for the lack of reply...I did do a post but it doesn't appear to have worked, and I never checked it? Maybe it's somewhere else, who knows!!
Martina, as to your question....I have just the 5 plants and they are all in the g/h during the warmer months, they were put in the kitchen window as we were away for a few days and I was afraid the g/h would get too hot...yes too HOT here in the UK!! It's surprising how soon it can reach well over 100f in there. For the winter I do bring them into the house as its easier to keep an eye on them where they are then kept on the dry side with no feeding. Have to watch for spider mites as c/heated air can be dry and ideal for the pesky little critters to do some damage. This was the 4 seedlings' first winter and they held onto most of their leaves as did Celadine till the very last minute. The leaves that were still on them all at the beginning of spring were rather worn out, limp and dull looking so I cut them off apart from a length of stalk, this eventually dried up on its own and fell off leaving no damage to the main stem. They then started to leaf out nicely again once I began to increase the water/feed...all except for Mme Celadine who is still reluctant to put on a new flush of leaves.
Hope this helps you somewhat, if not, I'm sure one of the experts will help as I'm not one of them!!!
Anybody have any answers as to why it (Celadine) refuses to leaf out yet again??
Gill.

Hi Gill - have you tried foliar feeding? It would not hurt to give Mme Celedine a dose on her crown. Good luck Gill.

Kasie

Gill- Watering around the edge is for plants that are rooting so you can keep the soil around the stem dry. Once a plant is well rooted and once the weather is no longer cold, it is better to drench and then let dry out. I would suggest you water and then the next day water with a water soluable fertilizer or if you use dry fertilizer make sure it is worked into the top of the soil from about an inch away from the stem and then outward to the edge of the pot. Never put pellet or dry fertilizer against the stem. Kasie's suggestion of foliar is good with water soluables. Your plant still looks healthy so it might just be slow. Bill

Hi Gill,

your seedlings do look wonderful! As for your Celedine, it looks like (looking from the bottom of the stem to the top)the leaf scars are equally distant for a bit, then for a portion they are really close, then far again. I believe that is an indication that you've changed the nutrition of the plant, maybe a couple of times? If I understand Jack correctly, you should change the nutritional formulas gradually when you change them at all. Maybe Jack will poke his head in and explain it better. Technical expertise is not my strong suit. I agree with Kasie's suggestion of foliar feeding as well. If you have any seaweed extract or spray n grow, give her a few blasts every few days or so and I bet you'll see a difference.
Good Luck!
Karen R

Bill, thanks for the clarification, I must have remembered it incorrectly. Have given the 1yr olds thorough waterings for some time now as they are in full leaf but wrongly gave Celadine lighter drinks around edge as it has almost no leafage to speak of...will do it correct from now on...thanks for your help once again.
Hi Karen...yes I can see what you mean re the leaf scar spacing. Celadine has had a few ups and downs since I rooted it. It started out as a 6inch cutting, the first year, 05, it grew no leaves just stem length and roots, in 06 it lots of leaves and an inflo, 07 it grew more stem and few leaves and so far this year the top green portion has elongated and its just had these tiny leaves once again. So this is what you can see in the pic I guess. I've always used the same type of liquid fertiliser but our yearly weather conditions have been very different, for eg: last season we had almost no sun during the growing season wahtsoever....maybe that could also go some way in explaining the different growth rates? Anyway, with the help and advice above I'll take it all on board and keep my fingers crossed....tightly!
Gill.

Hi Gill!
I think your Celedine will be fine. You could be right about the weather affecting the different growth rates. By any chance do you have a growlight or sunlight in your greenhouse for those cold spells? At least the seedlings are thriving.
I've kept all my plants & cuttings going through the winter with a sunlight growlight right over the seedlings, and 2 sodium lights spaced in the GH. They are really responding to the natural warm weather and sun now that they are outside though.
And how are your palms doing? I managed to kill my phoenix roebellini's! every single one of them. :( The little adeniums are doing good, except that they grow as slow as plumeria and I have no instant gratification with them as well. Anyway, keep plugging away at it. If anyone can grow trops in England, I know you can!

Hope so Karen! Weather here is roasting, for us anyway!!!....very high 20's c.
Not got one of those lights, will pobably get one for the worst of the weather as we do have low light levels for a considerable part of the year I guess.
Palms are thriving, now on 7th leaf which is dividing nicely...8th should be really good, adeniums are fattening up and I have flowers on the BoP at last, have done some posts back on the Trops forum but here's the DR's so far.
Gill.

Gill, I don't know why exactly, but some of my plumerias don't start really growing until mid-July! Even with our hot temps. I would be very careful not to overwater it. I had a few plants that seemed stalled out at two or three small leaves. I popped them out of the pots recently and found most of the root system rotted! I ended up throwing them out. You may want to check the root system.

Hi there Dave, long time no chat! EEEEK! rotting roots, hope that's not the case with Mme Celadine, there were plenty when it was re-potted back in early spring. Will do as you suggest after it's next watering and then check as I fear if the compost will completely fall away as it's very friable when dry. Crikey, it took long enough to root, I would be devastated to loose it as it has great sentimental value...I would just HAVE to return to Oz again for another cutting or two...now there's a thought!!
Gill.

Gill, good luck with your Celadine. As I've mentioned to other people, I've been growing plumerias for over 10 years and STILL do not have them figured out!

Boy, those adeniums are cute little fatties, aren't they?
I'll have to get mine together for a photo op soon - then you will see mine range from fatty to really skinny. I even tried topping off a couple, and like I mentioned before, they grow sooooo slow, I lose patience. Of course I will be hitting the trop forum soon. Just got a load of trop cuttings and seeds in yesterday to try my hand at. Ginger, poinciana, hibiscus etc. Just like you say Gill, gotta try to grow it all! Best of luck with Mme Celedine.
and Dave, get it figured out already! the rest of us need to know!! lol :)