Should I Prune?

I have 3 plumies, I don't know the name on any of them. They came from a local garden center about 5 years ago.

Every Fall I dig them up and move into the basement or Greenhouse for the winter. In the spring I move back outside. This year they are about 7 foot high. I pruned one about 2 years ago to try to root. This was before I knew about DG and I lost the cutting. The plant developed a hollow place where I pruned it. It did grow leaves but still has the hollow branch.

Does it usually encourage branching when you prune? Any idea what caused the hollow branch?

Here is a picture I made today.

This message was edited Aug 30, 2005 12:10 AM

This is a picture of one of the flowers that fell off today.

Picabo, that's a beautiful flower and a beautiful plant. The branch probably just died back to a junction with another branch. I've had that happen before. If it is all deadwood, you can cut it off. A plumie will branch just below where you prune it, but sometimes, if there are not enough leaf nodes to produce branches, it will dieback to the intersection with another branch. I think it needs to have several sets of nodes (eyes) to produce branches. If you are going to try to root the branches that you cut, spring and summer is the best time to root them because the heat really helps to encourage roots. You have a beautiful tree though, and I wouldn't prune it unless it is too big for your needs.

Thank you Clare, I was just reading back over my post they are about 7 foot not 8 foot high they are very thick.

I think that I can let them grow one more year without cutting them back. So maybe next spring. I just wasn't sure if it was better for them to be cut back.

I will look at it tomorrow and see if it did die back to an intersection.
If they are still there tomorrow. We are begining to get the wind and rain from the storm. Two of my plants are setting buds the other is between sets, so at least there aren't many flowers to blow off tonight.

Betty

Stay safe !!!!

Well we were lucky, No real damage, but all of my plumies in the picture are flat on the ground lots of the leaves are gone. My brugs also took a hard hit. Several are broken and most are bent to the ground. Not up rooted, just bent.

I really feel for the people who took the brunt of the storm. It must be terrible...

Betty, I'm glad you are well and safe. Both plumerias and brugs are very resistant. If you stake them, they will be straight again in no time. Also, don't worry about the leaves. They will grow back. This Katrina is an unbelievable hurricane. Things can be replaced, but people and animals are precious.

Clare, You are so right! I already have everything staked up. The wind has stopped but it is still raining here, I didn't want them to lean more in the wet soil.

We have our share of animals and everything is accounted for except the pet peacock. He often rides a storm out in the barn. I haven't been out to the barn yet.

Awe, darn that darn rain! You guys are getting hit hard with this one. I sure hope your pet peacock is okay. What a beautiful animal. Hopefully, he is in the barn. I'm so glad that you and your animals are okay and send out my prayers to all others affected by this hurricane.

Clare...Thank you. "Regis" My peacock is fine. I found him sitting on top of the tractor inside the barn. He is getting quite old and I am sure that he was in his tree when the storm hit. He was on the patio this morning for breakfast. LOL

It is so hard to watch TV and see all that the other people are going through. My prayers are with them.

Ah, so glad to hear that:-) What a great name for a Peacock!

We had "Kathy Lee" but she left. I have always had at least one Peacock "Kathy Lee" is the only one to leave on her own. Wouldn't you know it she left about the same time as the other Kathy Lee. We would see her several miles from here for a while and then she just vanished. I hear she got envolved with a wayward peacock on the other side of the tracks. LOL

Betty

LOL! That is too too funny! Regis will just have to entice another "Kathy Lee" with his beautiful feathers. Maybe the next one should be "Kelly Rippa!" LOL!

Well he did have "Rosie" for a while, that didn't work out well. We are begining to wonder about Regis. He is pretty old.

Thank you again for the advise on the Plumies. One is still quite bent at the main stem. I am afraid to pull it too hard, I don't want to break it. I am trying to just inch it up as the day goes on.

Betty

This message was edited Aug 31, 2005 4:22 PM

Sure, Betty. My pleasure. When I want to straighten out a bent plumie, I tie it to a stake tightly at the bottom and loosely at the top, and over time (weeks), I slowly tighten the top one until it is straight. Here is a picture of some of my plumies last June. If you look closely, you can see that some are staked. I've received cuttings that looked like boomerangs before. They are easy to straighten out over time this way.

I felt like it would straighten up. That one branch must have really taken a beating. I had tied it at the top, and was pulling it a little tighter every few hours. I'll tie at the bottom tomorrow.

I just cringe when I look at my plants and think about the poor people in the wake of the storm.

Thanks again for your advise.

Betty