Hi Verandah, Greathawks and brissi555......I just happened to check the Australian Forum for tropical plants, is anyone still cultivate Plumerias/Frangipani ? I was actually in Brisbane for a month, visiting one of my sister and her families, she lives in the area of Chermside! Did any of you buy Plumerias at one of your local nurseries or from a website ? I'll be curious to know because I have 10 of them, here in the San Francisco peninsula. Well...good to know you....maybe you can check the GardenWeb Forums/Plumeria !! Hopefully I will find you in the near future, Annamaria

In its first year in the ground, the Frangipani branch still has the programing from the parent tree in its cells and has already prepared for a new seasons flowering. If you let this happen it will pull energy and nutrients for flowering out of the reserves from within the cutting, as it has not got sufficient roots. This will weaken and delay its ability too develop a selfsufficient root system. This could explain no flowers in the second season that happened with Amelie above. Developing sufficient roots can take at least a season or two, but after that you will have an excellent plant. Grub, it may flower first season, but if it was me I would knock off any flower buds as early as possible in its first year. Feed with Seasol or any other root stimulant to encourage root development. That way you will get a much better plant in a few short years. It is a bit like us when we have go down with the dreaded lurgy. We need a bit of time and feeding up to get our energy back, so we can push that wheelbarrow.

OK - as a 'native plant policeman', I'd like to make the following observation : a large number of the posters who have suddenly appeared to support Kirilisa dont contribute to this forum on anything remotely resembling a 'regular basis' (if at all). If the welcome brigade actually took the time to read a lot of the posts in the 'Australian Native Plants' forum , they might realise that it contains some of the most thoughtful and detailed advice to be found anywhere on the Net. Even the 'zealots' dispense reams of valuable advice to those who havve a question regarding Australiian plants, and most of us have 'agreed to disagree' when it comes to the natives vs exotics debate. As someone who tries to advocate a middle ground, I often find myself caught in the crossfire in any such debate, but I'll give the 'natives only' folk this : they know their plants, their soil and their climate. I'd be williing to wager that my fellow 'police' could give Kirilisa more information on her Plumeria than 80% of the welcome committee. I accept that my initial responses to Kirilisa were uncalled for, and I believe that she is genuine, but somewhere in the mix we need to dispense actual advice - I believe that Kirilisa received sufficient advice within the first few posts to have her postpone any 'early retirement' plans for the Frangipani, so I expect that the rest of us can just go back to our rose catalogues and leave this forum to the native police.

Hi Sapphy, Frangipanis need FULL SUN to have really beautiful green glossy growth with lots of flowering. So firstly move that pot now to wherever it will catch the most sun on your balcony. At the start of spring (late autumn in QLD) re pot with fresh potting mix, top with mulch and water thoroughly - decorative stones look nice as a mulch layer for pots like this. Make sure your pot is draining water freely out the bottom as Frangipanis hate too much water / having wet feet. I mix some water storage crystals and fertiliser in my yearly pottings and find that (along with the mulch topping) any rainwater they catch is all they ever need. If your plant can't catch the rain where it is, just water when the soil is starting to dry out - a good soaking once a week would be plenty. Then prune branches back to desired length to shape your plant and you will have lovely new growth each spring / summer - this will also create more branching, which means more flowers. From the photos you have provided I would prune back each branch by a 1/2 this first time and then just take off a 1/3 or the tips for subsequent years to get the shape you desire. I would not re pot / prune now as the leaves it already has are due to drop off soon enough for winter anyway (in SEQ) and pruning this late may cause fungal issues - so hold off till late August. Happy gardening :)