Re: advice please
>The best way to root frangipani from a cutting - the parent plant has kicked the bucket so this is a salvage job.
Take a plump health branch tip - ideally 8 - 12" long, cut the base
cleanly with a sharp knife and dip into powdered charcoal to stem the
flow of sap. Leave the 'cutting' in a dry, sunny spot for several
days to enable the cut surface to callous over and encourage the
leaves to fall. Insert the cutting in a very free draining compost
consisting of sharp sand/soil-less compost (ie coir, peat etc.) water
thoroughly and allow to go dry between waterings. Base heat of around
25 - 28C will encourage more rapid rooting. Plumerias are sun lovers
and in our comparatively low light intensity, need as much sun as they
can get for as long as possible. Rooting can take several months and
basal rot is your biggest enemy. If in doubt, do not water. Over in
parts of the US all they have to do is shove a bit of branch in the
ground for a near instant 'tree', but I'm afraid over here we have to
resort to more cautious methods.
>Is there any chance of Echium fastuosum surviving the winter in my garden
If growing in a perfectly drained soil in full sun, it should survive
although you may get problems with a combination of low temperatures
and winter wet. Cold winds can also blacken the leaves in winter so
you may need to provide some protection. The best spot for it in all
but the mildest areas of the UK is against a south facing wall where
it will benefit from radiant heat at night and the naturally dry
conditions that usually occur in such sites.
Frost tolerance in the UK would appear to be minus 2C, although it
will just about cope with colder 'snaps' for very brief periods. I
agree its a lovely thing in leaf alone. Mine is more than 6 feet
across and nearly 4 feet high now and those violet tinted leaf stalks
and veins are exceptionally attractive. My only problem with this
plant is that it likes conditions here rather too well and I'm having
to move everything else out of the way - Arthropodium cirrhatum and
Polygala x dalmaisiana disappeared under its 'skirts' a while ago and
had to be rescued last weekend.
Dave Poole
TORQUAY UK
