Re: Plumeria Cuttings

They are very forgiving here. I've always taken a short branch for a cutting--maybe 8 or 9 inches long with a dozen or so nodes. Some times I've planted them right away; other times I've let them lay around for a week or longer before sticking them in the ground. I had one large branch on the trash pile for a couple of months before Ms. Fatma rescued it and I planted it. Some times I've used rooting compound, but mostly not.

I've never rooted them in anything but the ground or a pot of topsoil. I've always buried them about halfway. Stick a shovel in the ground, wiggle it back and forth, stick the cutting in the slit, close the slit by stepping on it. Sometimes I've watered them, other times not.

I think the cuttings will probably survive a long time without being potted. When you go to a flower show, there's always some guy selling cuttings that look well calloused on the cut end. They may be waxed to slow transpiration, I don't know about that, but you can bet they are at least 2 or 3 weeks old.

If your plants are huge, you could dismember them--cut them apart at each branching--and take a lot of cuttings with you. Since they regularly sell them at the Philadelphia flower show, they must survive as house plants in temperate zones.

One last observation: All but once, I've taken cuttings in the winter, when the plants are dormant. The one time I took a cutting with leaves on it, the leaves died and the cutting seemed to estivate for a long time before putting out new leaves. I thought for awhile it was dead.

On Aug 20, 2005, at 8:35 AM, hodgesaa@earthlink.net wrote:

Jim in particular, I want to take cuttings from my three plumerias that
I have. They are HUGE and I doubt they will like the indoor Illinois
winters so instead of dragging the whole thing with me, I thought I take
cuttings.


I know you sent me some on the past of the Rubra but they didn't make it.

How long should I make the cuttings and how deep should I plant them? (I'm only using vermiculite)
Should I use rooting hormone? How many cuttings should I take? Just below a node as usual?
THANKS!
A


Andrea H
Beaufort, SC

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT


Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.0 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index