Just to Confirm

My brother asked me if you could take 1 cutting from a plummie and divide it 3 ways to make 3 cuttings.

I didn't think so, because I thought you would need to keep the nubs on the end intact for the new start. Am I wrong and can you do it the other way?

Thanks,
Molly
:^)))

Plumie101 tells you how to start a cutting but not how to cut a cutting.

Well, yes, you can if the cutting is a long one. It can be divided into three equal parts. The first one will have the leaves at the top, and the other two will be what is called "center cuts." This center cut will heal over at the top, and new branches will appear from below the cut. I'll post a picture of a center cut later to show you what happens.

Clare,

Thanks so much! A new piece of information. My brother will be very pleased to hear this.

I will watch for your picture here.

Molly
:^)))

Molly it does take a long time to root. Maybe not there in the sunshine state but it does here. I rooted the two I have from cuttings that someone sent me and then one of the limbs broke off in a wind storm and I rooted it. It took forever.

Thanks Jim,

Hey, I'm not going to make it to the GARU and will miss seeing you and Bobbie, but I am putting something together for you both and will email it to you. Could you send me your outside email address?

Molly
:^))))

Mine didn't take longer to root than usual, but it does take longer for branches to form than it takes a cutting to form leaves.

This is a center cut:

This is another center cut. You can see two branches forming around the cut area:

Both of those last pictures are cuttings which I rooted this past winter, but this one is a grafted Dwarf Singapore White, which is known to get Black Tip Fungus in damp, humid, cold weather. When mine got it, I removed it from the greenhouse and brought it inside the house and cut off the tips. You can see branches forming around where I made the cuts.

Clare,

Thanks so much. Those are great pictures and there is more info in the photos than I asked for. Brother will be very interested in seeing the new growth as well as your potting techniques. I sent him Plumeria 101. He has 2 plumies in pots and now wants to do cuttings and new starts.

I need to get him signed up here so he can look for himself. I love talking to him and his wife about all this stuff, but I'm getting behind in my forum reading. LOL.
I think he's afraid if he signs up, his wife will never let him use the computer again, she will be at Dave's.

Again, thank you.

Molly

My pleasure, Molly. One last thing that I forgot to mention is there is a size limit. Smaller pieces of trunk are difficult to root, and a cutting should be a minimum of six inches to root. People have been successful with four or five inches of trunk, but I think that is rare and can only be done under ideal conditions. An ideal cutting size is 8" to 12" or longer, I believe. Plumeria 101 is a great source of information, and I go there all the time to learn stuff.

Thanks Clare,

I will tell him about the 6" minimum. Very important for a novice to know. Any info to increase success rates is appreciated.

Molly
:^))))