A few greenhouse blooms...

This is Gulf Stream:

This is a neighbor's white, which may be Samoan Fluff:

This is Sariah's Curly Pink:

Here are some Adeniums, which are in the same family as plumerias. The blooms are a bit hard to see because the camera is facing the sun.

My adeniums just came out of dormancy.
I sprayed them with neem to kill the wooly buggers
What a shine the leaves have!! it's gorgeous!
I hope to see some flowers soon too.
Mine are on top of the radiator cover and dry out sooo fast!!
These lil gals dont like to dry out at all!

Beautiful adenium plants are blooms are very pretty. I got few seeds from Thailand and planning to grow them.
Kaleem

Hi Michael! I noticed some orange aphids and mealy bugs on mine. That is a good idea to spray with Neem. You are right that they seem to drop leaves quickly when they are dried out.

Hi Kaleem and thank you! My seedlings are from seeds that came from Thailand also. Thailand has many, many wonderful adeniums.

Here is another shot of Gulf Stream today. The fragrance is very peachy like Intense Rainbow, which is not one of my favorite fragrances, but the colors make up for it.

This white, on the other hand, smells heavenly:

This one just opened. It's an unidentified pink rainbow:

Here's a shot of it with the Wonderlite shining right on it:

Here's the Gulf Stream with the white one in the background:

I really really shouldn't have come into this forum! Couldn't resist the lure of those beautiful blooms any longer I guess.

Clare, I have admired your plumerias ever since I started reading the newsletter and started seeing your PF entries. See! Someone really does scroll all the way down to the bottom, lol.

Anyway...since my newest obsession is basically your fault...ROFL...would you mind answering a few questions? Is it possible to grow these beauties in Iowa without a greenhouse? With fairly severe budget restraints? Or is this a pipe dream for me at this time?

Thanks for sharing your gorgeous plumerias, especially in the middle of the snow I'm getting right now.

mg

mg, there are people growing plumeria all the way up to Alaska and Finland - you will need to provide extra light hours and of course winter storage. A good person to ask is Michael Nino (is he on here?) who has a set up in his basement. It can be done.

YEAS I AM HEAH ;)

Plumiedelphia, PA huh? Love it!

Ok then Michael, since you volunteered to be my enabler, lol. If you were just starting your obsession with plumies, what would be your first priority? Mind you I have just started my brug obsession also with 3 cuttings (now rooted).

How much do you think I would have to spend to start? Do you have pictures of your basement set-up? If I waited until spring to buy my first plumeria then I would have a while to get the basement ready for winter, I guess. I do already have some grow lights down there for my geraniums and next year I will have to add to it for my brugs if they live. And that Hibiscus that I have to acquire, lol. (The Path)

Geez, I didn't know DG would have so many hidden costs when I joined.

Thanks for letting me pick your brain!

mg

Clare,
Those pics are wonderful!!! Would be interesting to know what that white is with the heavenly scent if you find out. Esp. since your pref. for frangrance sounds like mine. :)
Chantell

The basement is setup with basic shop lights and a small oil filled electric radiator to keep the temps above 65 degrees.
I use this to start seeds, and keep my cuttings from going dormant.
If I keep them going all winter they still have a 5 week week rest when I bring them in.
This allows a longer bloom season come the following spring.
Since you are just starting out, I would make #1 priority taking care of the rooted cuttings you have and becoming educated about them before spending any $$ on the more expensive ones. This is no poor mans (womans) hobby. You will no doubt aquire several gift cuttings so be patient till you learn a lil about rooting, feeding, soil conditions etc...
I would start with Aztec Gold, Celadine, and Samoan Fluff or another white and maybe some pinks too. Select easy ones. Once you have your plumie feet so to speak, move onto reds like Scott Pratt and Donald Angus, Hilo Beauty etc...
It is a heartbreaker to learn on these and lose them
So start cheap!!
Seed starting is a hoot as welll!!
You cant go wrong there..
Be sure to treat them like Hot pepper plants..
Very warm soil, high humidity and intense light.
I put lights right over them like 1/2 inch above.
anyway...
The heater is under the table so it heats the table surface and thus the seedlings soil as well as the air.
VERY IMPORTANT!! SOIL TEMP IS EVERYTHING!! AIR TEMP IS NOT AS IMPORTANT
chew on all that and keep us posted as you go...
;) good luck to ya! :)


This message was edited Feb 13, 2006 1:23 PM

Hi MG! I see you are in good hands with Hetty and Michael. Thanks for the compliments that you paid me, and I'm glad that I could help you to have a new obsession! LOL! I think Brugs were my first obsession along with wisteria, lilacs, and plumerias! Well, I'm obsessed with just about any deliciously fragrant and beautiful plant, tree, or vine. Be sure to check out my articles at www.plumerias.com Click on the link that says "Clare's Garden." There is an article on plumeria care that will help you on your way.

When I first started out with plumerias, I was unemployed, and I'm actually still unemployed, but I'm working on that! LOL! Anyhoo, I was cash poor, but I managed to find a plumeria or two at Home Depot for $10 each. And, as Michael pointed out, gifts were given and trades were made for plumerias. I also recommend Packer's Nursery for beginners because that is how I got my start. You can't beat $2 for a plumeria, and it is a good way to start to learn to root cuttings. I bought 13 from Ed Packer back in 2001, and I still have eight of them today which I love. His rainbow, apricot, and reds are not easy to root, but the whites, yellows, and Celadine were easy for me. Here's a link: http://www.alohapalms.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi For $10 plus the cost of shipping, you can get a nice economical start. A plumeria does not have to be expensive to be loved, admired, and enjoyed. They root so easily from cuttings so they can be shared easily if someone has enough growth on their trees to cut. If I had more growth, I would be sharing left and right, but all of my plumies are very small still, and I have cut off all that I dare to cut. In the years to come, I will be able to share a lot.

Michael has a good set up, and you could certainly do the same with plumerias as you do with brugs. You can keep them growing throughout the winter with heat and light, or you could let them go dormant and keep them very dry and let them sleep through the winter. As Michael and Hetty said, there are many people in cold areas that grow plumerias. Paula, the PSA (Plumeria Society of America) Director, digs hers up every fall and stores them in her garage for the winter. Here are some pictures of hers below which will give you an idea of what she goes through every year for the love of plumeria. You can do it so don't be afraid and dive right in. Spring and summer are a great time of year to root cuttings because they root well in heat so get your order in to Packer's as soon as you can. Your order could take about a month or so to arrive. Ed has had some health problems including a heart attack, but he is still reliable, but sometimes, the orders take time to arrive from him.

Chantell, you definitely need Celadine, Singapore, and Samoan Fluff. The white in the picture is Samoan Fluff, I believe.

Here is a picture of Paula's driveway one year:

Edited to fix spelling and spacing.

This message was edited Feb 13, 2006 1:54 PM

Here is Paula's garage:

Here is a shower stall of Paula's being used for storage:

Here you can see the rootballs of the ones in the shower. By the way, many of the pictures that I uploaded into PlantFiles belonged to Paula and were uploaded with her permission. She has many beautiful plumerias and takes fantastic pictures of them. She's a member here too. Maybe she will pop in and give us some more advice about what to do with plumerias during the wintertime.

Here is a link about winter storage: http://www.theplumeriasociety.org/dyncat.cfm?catid=2016

I will issue a caution as to keeping the brugs going indoors.
It can be done, yes, however....
It is a known fact that they give off an odor which is intoxicating to some and deadly to others (me, because of asthma).
I keep mine going only enough to keep them alive. I water them and then let them dry out till the leaves wither, then I water them again. I have only lost 2 out of about 20 some odd brugs.
Plumies are much easier to winter over.
KEEP THEM DRY DRY DRY!!!
Or keep them warm and going strong with lights and a heater. ;)

Clare,
YOU are most definately NOT unemployeed - you just don't get paid for it...that's all. Keeping us newbies up to date on Plumerias for Dummies seems to be full time work. LOL
Ed's rainbow's "hard to root" say it ain't so! OMG - remember? That's what I got from him a Kona Rainbow (leave it to me to pick a "hard to root" one as my first - "here's my sign").

EVERYONE:
Has anyone heard of a Kona Rainbow - I can't seem to find anything on that type anywhere. Ed said it had one of the spicier/sweet fragrances. Opinions...anyone?
Now that I've stopped hyper-ventilating (sp?) can you all tell me the pros and cons regarding the different planting techinques? Clare, I believe yours (my notes aren't within reach) was the layering method (sand/soil) - correct me if I'm wrong. Plumeria101 lists just soil - then the pea gravel (which I believe you said could burn the cutting - read that AFTER I'd ordered about 30lbs of it-UGH!!!). Then I read some place that sand retains water...yet everyone says don't over-water the cuttings esp. HELP!!! There's still time as my pots didn't arrive today...so they'll be here definately tomorrow.
I think I need the 12 step program for Plumeria Stupidity...anyone know where the local meeting takes place? LOL
Chantell

Oh *WOW*!

So much great info here, so much more in those links! Even found some books recommended to read. If I go missing, call a librarian to the 580's!

*pets brug cuttings* "Look at what I found, my pretties!"

mg

If the cuttings arent rooted dont water them at all!!
Spray them with a light mist everyday.
Water with no roots to drink it up = ROT :(
I oughtta know....

LOL, Chantell. You are so very nice. I just lap up kindness like a little puppy dog. Thank you so much, and you are no dummy, and everyone has to start out somewhere, and I'm really just a newbie too compared to others who have been growing plumerias for 25-30 years. I've only been gardening for about ten years, and I've been growing plumerias now for only four of those ten years so I'm learning all the time too, and I change what I'm doing constantly. Sometimes, you do something one way for a while, and then you try something else to see if it works better for you, and then you might tweak your methods one way or another, based on something another grower says so it is an evolving learning experience. I really enjoy talking about plumerias and other plants that I enjoy so it is really not work at all:-)

Rainbows and reds, in general, can be hard to root, and of the 13 that I initially bought from Ed Packer, 4 of them were rainbows, and they rotted in short order. Others have reported the same thing, but I tried to root them at the wrong time of year, and had it been in the heat of the summer, I might have succeeded. I have zero trouble rooting cuttings in the summertime when it is hot out. Heat makes all the difference in the world. If you don't have the luxury of rooting cuttings in warm weather, then a heat mat, a strong light with heat radiating from it, or a heated greenhouse will have to do. You can order some now and wait until it gets hot out to root them if you don't have a heat pad. When I was first starting out, I would put them on the hot concrete during the day and bring them in and put them on the warm stove at night. I did this in the springtime, and when summer came, I just left them on the hot concrete all summer long. Michael is right that misting is beneficial. I root my cuttings in regular well-draining potting soil in my portable greenhouse where the air is very hot and humid. It was 109 in there today. My "special" ones are on a heating pad in the greenhouse. I do water them lightly when and only when the soil looks dry, and I mist them frequently. Potting soil is my preferred method of choice, but I have water-rooted occasionally. See my article here: http://www.plumerias.com/2005/05/09/story.html?xrap=y&story=ClaresGarden.xml&title=Plumeria%20Pals%20:%20Clare's%20Garden I have never layered a cutting, but I'm sure it can be done. Grafting is a good way to go to propagate a plumeria as well.

Chantell, there is no "Kona Rainbow" cultivar per se. There is a "Kona Hybrid," but yours is probably a rainbow which comes from that area? Here is Ed's web site in which he has a rainbow listed: http://www.alohapalms.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=4414669.14228*N25MZ3&product=PLUMERIAS I would just use a very well-draining mix like a regular potting soil mixed with pumice or perlite. You are right that sand does retain water initially, but it dries quickly so it is often used in cactus mixes. You can use that pea gravel at the bottom of the container to weigh it down so it won't tip over as easily and to increase drainage. It won't go to waste, and it would be very helpful to have an inch or two of it at the bottom of the container. Yes, I wouldn't recommend keeping it at the top as you can't see when the soil is dry, and if those rocks heat up hot enough, they could cause burn to the tissue. Michael is right that, when you first try to root a cutting, frequent misting is best until you see leaves start to come in, and then you can water lightly until you have leaves. My friend Scott over at PlumeriaPals has frequently said that the soil temp should be 80 degrees or higher when rooting plumeria cuttings. LOL! Not stupidity, but the 12-step program for becoming an addict is right here! LOL! Hi, my name is Clare, and I'm a plumeria addict. {{{{Hi Clare}}}}}

Michael, I oughtta know too, darlin' :-) I think we've all lost a few here and there.

Mg, LOL! You go girl!

Ok...so let me see if I've got this right (again) don't water, but mist the little sucker and the soil should be VERY warm (aren't ya'll glad I'm a quick study...OMG, not!) IF I do not have the availability of keeping the soil warm (yet) my cutting will be ok just sitting on my shelf until the weather cooperates? Hmmm, I guess I could pot it and take it into work - I have huge cathedral windows in my office - south facing windows...it would be plenty warm (and how) except at night time. Thoughts? (other then "Go away, Chantell...you've become a forum stalker)

Chantell, the soil needs to be warm, ideally 80 or above, day and night, when rooting cuttings. Cold and damp equals rot so I would think that the cathedral windows would not be ideal. Can you put them outide during the daytime in the bright sun and then bring them in to a nice stovetop at night? Is there anywhere, say above the water heater, that stays nice and warm all the time? You can water the soil when you first plant the cutting, but then you don't have to water again until you see little leaves forming, but misting is a good way to keep the plumeria hydrated. The plumeria can become desiccated while rooting so some moisture is needed. LOL! We would never, ever tell you to go away. We love plumie questions and answers here:-) Here are some good links for you: http://www.theplumeriasociety.org/dyncat.cfm?catid=2023 and http://www.plumeria101.com/cuttings101.html

Clare...you're brilliant! :) Ok...so I'll put the baby in front of my windows at home and then to the stove top. Oh...I can just hear the tribe (aka my four teenagers) now...mercy...I'm in for it. Ummm, Clare what do I cook them at? Kidding....seriously what temp do you keep the oven on? Guess the George Foreman grill would be out of the question, eh? Alright...I'll behave now...the houseplant forum "insects" has me on a roll...dang fungus knats!!!

Chantell, when I lived in England I successfully rooted plumeria cuttings by placing them on top of the computer. Just any nice toasty place. The top/back of the refrigerator is usually nice and warm too, and as Clare says, the top of the water heater. A heating pad for terrariums can be bought cheaply off Ebay and I used that for a while as well.
Just put them there and then, in the immortal words of Yolanda 'go bother something else for a while'. As a new plumeria grower you tend to fuss over the rooting cuttings (I know, we've ALL been there). Once you see those little leaves start to emerge you know you're looking at a rooting cutting!
Good luck

Hetty - thank you so much!! You all are wonderful - I feel like I did with my first child. Relieved to hear everyone's "been there." I work for a psychiatrist...was beginning to think maybe I should be the one in for an appt. LOL

Hi Chantell, you give me way too much credit, but thank you. My stove top has the two gas pilot lights going all the time and is nice and warm because of those two pilots so I don't turn on the regular gas burners, but when I want some extra heat, I put a cookie sheet on top of one or two burners (or a pancake griddle would work too), heat it to warm, and then turn off the burners, and set the plumeria containers on top for the night. Yes, we hear all sorts of comments when carrying for our plants, don't we? I think the GF grill might get a little too hot!

For fungus knats, I put about a half inch of sand on the very top of all my houseplants. It works!

Hetty is quite right, we've all been there so don't worry and have fun!