Plumeria Flower buds falling off
Hi, I couldn't find this info on the forum so I'm asking the community. I used to grow plumerias in Hong Kong for a few years when I lived there, now I live in Naples, Italy (10a). I purchased a California Sunset a month ago (together with a Gina and a Desert's sunrise, but they're just waking up now) and it's in a pot, on my terrace, exposed to SW. My cali sunset had two inflos, one was at the very beginning. The other one seemed to be developing buds, but one after the other, the buds darkened and fell off. Eventually that entire inflo fell off. Now I'm looking at the surviving inflo, and I see that a few of the bigger buds are starting to dry up/darken and I found two on the floor. What is going on, and how can I fix this? I water it when the soil dries up, every 3/4 days average in the summer. The temperature is 65-86 right now. I suppose it may be a lack of root development (the plant is young, probably her first bloom) but I am wondering whether it may be getting too much sun. It's exposed to direct sunlight from noon to 6:30pm. I wouldn't say that the pot gets too hot from the sun either. Should I protect her from too much direct sunlight, or is the issue altogether different? Thank you!
Comments (19)
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoVincenzo Bavaro thanked Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, VirginiaRelated Discussions
Buds fall off before flowering!
Comments (8)Granola Gardener had a similar question, but your symptoms sound more severe. Take a look at my reply to Granola (I linked it and also pasted it at the end of this message)... But in addition, it really sounds like your plants are root bound. Gently lift them from their pots to see what the soil and roots look like. You may need to pot them into a larger pot (see my notes on potting soil for hibiscus below) and/or prune the roots a bit. Also, in the fall go ahead and prune the plants, very drastically if you like. Make sure the roots are ok in the pot and that you haven't been overfeeding or underfeeding. Hibiscus generally bloom on new wood (especially tropical) so pruning before winter not only helps to overwinter but also gets new wood growing by spring. Since you're in Winnipeg, put them in the brightest room you have, and maybe supplement with additional plant lights. -- Here's what I wrote to Granola: Let 'em dry out a bit (just a bit). Hibiscus don't like "wet feet". Also, many so-called hibiscus fertilizers are horrible for hibiscus (way too high on the phosphate). Try a tomato fertilizer or dig some Osmocote into the soil. A low middle number (7-2-7 or so) is a pretty good route. Also, how long have these plants been in the same pots? They may be root bound, in which case you can root prune (trim a bit of the root ball all the way around, and do normal root bound procedures to encourage new roots) or simply pot up. For hibiscus potting soil, I mix regular potting soil with perlite, bark, and some cactus soil if I can find it -- also a little potting charcoal if I've got it. That makes a very well draining soil. Finally, since you say you keep them moist, you may have salts built up in your pots from the tapwater. Let the soil dry out and then run the hose on the pot with a gentle stream til a good amount of water runs through the bottom. This should help wash any salts out. Here is a link that might be useful: Granola Gardener's hibiscus question...See MoreBuds on inflow falling off
Comments (4)This is not uncommon with young plants. When you see people around here with beautiful blooming inflos on newly-rooted cuttings those cuttings were always taken from big, mature trees in Florida or Hawaii (usually) that had the makings of a good inflo growing in the tip before the cutting was ever taken. Don't worry about the weak one. The plant should grow more mature, especially with good Texas sun and heat, and give better inflos next year or maybe the year after when it gets some size. I'm looking at a cutting I rooted last spring, that's tripled in height in that time, that's putting out a surprise tiny inflo here in Austin. Looks like if I'm lucky there'll be one bud, lol. Good luck with your others and welcome to the forum!...See MoreHelp: Orchid buds falling off/dying off!
Comments (11)It looks like all of the buds that are falling are in the same area? The plant could have fallen over damaging the buds or if they were stacked close together in the store the stems could have been tangled being damaged when pulled apart. Sometimes a plant will drop buds when the environment changes but that would usually be all of the buds or moving from lower buds to upper buds. The ice cube thing is another story altogether. Most people here, (myself included) will say it wont work, its just some marketing gimmick to sell plants. We have always been told to use lukewarm or room temperature water to prevent shock and how most orchids would never encounter ice in nature. But then there is my mother in law with her huge plant that's always in flower telling me I should just throw ice on all of my plants, I just shake my head and walk away. By the way, I will NEVER have her house sit for me....See MoreBest to cut flowers/buds off when fall-planting?
Comments (10)I guess I would like to see a scientific article confirming the very common (and admittedly reasonable!) idea that a plant diverts energy from growing its roots in order to produce flowers and that it's just a one-way transfer of energy. It makes complete sense, but I'd like to see more of the botany and biology of it. I'm just not 100% convinced that producing flowers is a net loss to the roots, end of story. I wonder if it's possible that any growth process of the plant also grows the roots, and that there are other variables involved. But maybe I'm completely wrong. Clearly growing the leaves sends energy to the root, but maybe growing flowers just results in a net loss to the roots, and that is the end of the story. Maybe I'm just self-justifying because I want to see flowers on my plants -- yes, even the first few months after I plant them in September! I just can't stand the idea of cutting them off as soon as I put them in the ground. :-(((...See MoreVincenzo Bavaro
8 years ago
Jeff Sharp
8 years agoVincenzo Bavaro
8 years agoLoveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
8 years agoMediterranean_Zon10b
8 years agoVincenzo Bavaro
8 years agojp49erfaithful
8 years agostu span SF bay area 9b
8 years agoVincenzo Bavaro
8 years agostu span SF bay area 9b
8 years ago
it is about 6 years old and is about 7 feet tall I sprayed ilast night with some 3 & 1 spray so let's hope this will do the trick I still have plenty of buds left on the inflow I just picked it up from a grower here in the Bay Area so let's hope that was the problem. the move and the recent heat.
veradzn
7 years agoHi all, I am Joe from Redondo Beach Ca. South Bay Los Angeles Ca.
I planted two Plumerias that I think are Franji Panjis, one plant is sending up inflos and buds but they are not opening. Here it has been 79-85 degrees, they get afternoon sun for about 6 hours, I water and fertilize about once a week. But the buds don't open, it's been three weeks. Any suggestions?
moonie_57 (8 NC)
7 years agoveradzn
7 years ago
PROthe_first_kms2
7 years ago
Alicia Gifford
4 years agoThis is EXACTLY what’s happening with my Rainbow plumeria. The buds aren’t developing and a few have shriveled and dried up. I had some insecticidal soap on hand and sprayed it this evening. Here’s hoping. Thanks all for this informative thread.
nutsforplants
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoI think I am facing the same problem with bud dropping. The info in this thread may have saved me from thinking the chewed up petal margins is just the variety, lol.
Now I suspect spider mites and sprayed with neem oil yesterday evening. Thanks for the helpful info everyone!
Vincenzo BavaroOriginal Author