I can't believe it. I am having such luck with them. I am so thrilled. This one has a HUGE flower head. Just HUGE. It is the size of an overgrown pummelo. I haven't killed any either. So easy!!! All have rooted for me too.
Oh Clare I sure hope you have not created a monster. This one takes my breath away. How many times can a branch flower in a season??
Rainbow Starfish.
That's it!!! I'm moving to CA - enough with this crazy VA weather...plumies out...plumies in....GRRRR!!!
Kell - those flowers are magnificant!!! You should be very proud!!
Oh Chantell, I didn't do anything to deserve those flowers either. I am just amazed. I can even miss a few waterings and they do not care.
Isn't that one just a great gaud girl. I love it!!
LOL, Kell! Congrats! I think you are seeing now why I love them so much and exactly why I tossed out about half the brugs in my collection. Brugs are so high-maintenance. They need so much water and fertilizer and require so much attention and repotting and are so prone to insects, spider mites, and diseases. Plumerias are a breath of fresh air after growing brugs! LOL! They are very drought tolerant and don't need your attention every single minute. I think you are a believer now! Congrats on a lovely bloomhead. You got your gaudy pink all right! You rooted them in winter even! Good girl! I knew that you could:-)
A branch flowers just once before new branches grow from that tip. That inflo could last several months as old blooms fade and new ones open. Meanwhile, new branches will grow around the inflo, and you could get bloomheads on those branches either later this year or early next year. You need to be fertilizing on a regular basis now. Hugs and congrats!
Congrats Kell!!
What a nice first bloom!!
I have just recently seen a plumie that while in full bloom threw 3 new tips and an inflo on 2 of them at only less than 1 inch!!
Pretty cool!!
Congratulation on your gorgeous blooms Kell.
Patti
Beautiful Kell! I just love the color; I'm a sucker for anything in pink. Oh to have that size of blooms on my plumerias--no wonder you're excited...
Oh Kell, I am so envious. I bet you don't have to worry about black spot or rust in CA either. Maybe we should all move out there. a
THANKS!! I am thrilled. It is so gorgeous. So do plumerias get rust and black spot? Oh dear.
Yes Clare, brugs are work. They are losing their glitter. Too many mites. And they are always so messy looking it seems. I am not as enamored as I once was. A lot of people think they are too weedy to grow around here. My husband does too. Who knows, I may move on to prettier pastures one of these days!! Boy, that would be stress free. LOL
I don't think you would have to worry about those humidity induced maladies - rust and black spot - as much in CA, if at all, as you would here on the East Coast
Plumies do get rust in Fla and black spot from frost or cold damage.
Mites are ussually spider mites or scale mites,
A hard blast from the hose will do the spiders
I pick the scale mites off by hand.
My brugs are a distraction to the bugs
If you keep a few intermixed with the plumies, the bugs will go to the brugs instead
I garantee it!
Hi Kell, I never get rust. Ardesia is right: California is pretty dry, but rust is common in humid places such as Florida and Thailand. It starts to show up in Florida more by the end of the summer and in fall when the leaves are about to drop. I think many Floridians use Bayleton to help ward it off. Unfortunately, I get spider mites on my plumies as well as my brugs. I bought some killer expensive stuff this year called Forbid. It was about $300 for 8 oz. I know you had problems with the Broad Mite last year. Here is the info about Forbid: http://rosemania.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product147.html You still have to alternate treatments with Neem or Avid or something so that successive generations don't get immune.
They never grow immune to needle spray heh.....
Whoa, I am feeling better...... Bayleton is much cheaper than Forbid. Guess there are some advantages to wherever you live.
We had some unusually warm, muggy weather back in April and that is when the bad stuff hit. Hot nights and high humidity almost guarantee fungal problems here even though I have lots of air circulation.
Funny, I have a friend who puts her plumies out into very crowded flower beds with tall plants crowded all around them, no air, they stay wet and she doesn't fertilize. Of course, they bloom non stop and never get diseases. Go figure.
Treat your soil instead of the plants
Treat your pot soil as well.
Michael, I spray my leaves with water every time I water, and that doesn't seem to deter them. It might blast a few hundred off one leaf, but another hundred remain and multiply! With hundreds of plants, it just isn't practical to blast the leaves with water on the topsides and undersides too. That is why I got 'Forbid.' You can spray the top of the leaves, and it works on the bottom of the leaves too. I know Kell has hundreds of plants too. We've both used Avid and Bayer systemic, but the mites are impossible to get rid of completely, but they can be controlled to some extent. I think they are worse out here where the air and climate is very dry. They are everywhere and on everything.
Ardesia, I think Bayleton is a fungicide, not a miticide; right? Or is it both? Forbid is a miticide, not a fungicide. Safer makes a produce called 3-in-1 or somthing like that, which is a fungicide, insecticide, and miticide in one, but you still need to rotate it with something else.
Well, spider mites are a problem on azaleas around here but I have never seen a mite on anything else so I will count my blessings and cross my fingers that I never do see any.
Hehe, Kell - - - sounds like you have plummie luv really bad! I have one "oh my goodness - look at the size of that infloresence" that I am anxiously watching.
Have you started any from seed yet? Very easy!!!!!!!
Your right Clare,
I forgot what a big part humidity plays in deterring them.
When my infestations are bad enough I defoliate all old leaves.
I use the needle spray as a deterrrent also.
Im all for chemicals as you know.
If it works and doesnt hurt the environment (as I do veggies too).
Hi Michael, I end up stripping the leaves once or twice during the summer too when the leaves start to show unsightly damage, but I am hoping this new stuff will work well, and it is relatively non-toxic, which is a bonus, and I won't have to strip them this year.
Ill be w@@tching!!
Yes, I'll definitely give you an update after I've had a chance to observe whether it is effective or not. I hope you are doing well and feeling better:-)
Thanks Clare,
Oh much, thank you.
I never realized what 'normal' sinuses felt like till I took a pain killer and realized I had no pressure or pain in my face.
Doc says 8 weeks to full recovery so im enjoying the ride as best I can.
I sprayed my garden with messenger and forgot the package warns it is environmentally hazardous. Some of my lil fishies died in the pond and others were sick for a few days.
Looks like the ones who made it are gonna be ok.
I want to find out how long that effect will hold in the pond before I add any other fishies or bugs.
Very glad to hear you'll feeling better, Michael!!! I'm forever fussing at the kids to watch what they're spraying in the kitchen esp. into the air. I've got a 55 gal tank up against the wall in there with 2 good size Jack Dempseys...would have more fish but they're not good sharers...LOL I swear the kids spray stuff on purpose hoping it gets in the water...not nice I tell you!!
Michael, I'm so glad to hear that you are recovering quickly. Eight weeks is a walk in the park when there is light at the end of the tunnel. Too many platitudes? LOL! No pain is good. So sorry about your fish that died and are sick. We've had a few accidents with the Koi Pond with algae killer and with the pond motor dying and lost many Koi and Goldfish this year and last year too. The ones that lived have been through some rough times. We just emptied out the second of three ponds and gave away the fish that were in it, and now we have just one left with some small goldfish. In my opinion, having a pond is like owning a boat; it is a good idea in theory only. It probably dissipated fairlty quickly and is safe to add more fish or bugs.
I HATE mites. I only get them on my brugs. I was trying to remember if I got some on my plumies last summer. I do not think so. I use Neem first then if a bad case I also put the systemic in the soil.
Michael, I had no clue Messenger will kill fish. That freaks me out. What in it would be toxic?? You know I asked the Messenger guy that showed up on Dave's last year if it was harmful to humans. He said no but I have got to tell you everytime I use it I get a sore throat so now I use a mask when I spray. I am afraid of it.
Oh Nathalyn, do not tell me that. LOL. Curently I am starting a lot of clivia seeds. I jumped into clivia with both feet and suddenly I have lots of rare and beautiful clivia. I was getting so bored with brugs. I have so many seed pods on my clivia ripening, I had so much fun making crosses. Of course all my crosses were made in ignorance but I sure have some pretty ones to use.
So how long from seed to flower in the plumies? LOL. And so it starts.
This message was edited May 16, 2006 10:51 AM
This message was edited Aug 29, 2006 11:34 PM
Kell always wear a mask no matter what you are spraying, even food.
Youll turn into a pickle on us!!
I have major respitory trouble so I am the varitable canary in the coal mine.
Trust me, if its in the air you dont want to be without a mask! ;^)
If those clivias dont work out just shipem down here and ill get genetic on them.
WUAHAHAHAAAAA.....
Plumies ussually take 2 or 3 years to throw a mature inflo.
I have had many inflos at only 7 and 8 months but they all withered
I did get branches out of it LOL!!
Also, keeping them warm and bright all winter in your home and dissallowing dormancy will shorten the bloom time.
I recently read of a 22 yr old seedling now blooming for the first time.
I call that kind of tree kindling..... :^P
"I call that kind of tree kindling" - ROTFL!!! Told you I threatened my Peony last year with a shovel this year if she didn't step up to bat! TWENTY-FIVE buds/blooms at last counts....whaaa whooo!
And what would you call that owner? LOL
I believe Chantell understands my gardening philosophy "Thrive or die". Pointing to the compost pile, following by a stern talking to a reticent plant can do wonders!
I call that owner a person who has enough land to be that patient lol!
If it can be tucked away and allowed to go that long without taking up needed space then hey why not?
It could be a magnificent flower ya?
And what better tree to plant than a plumeria tree? Most trees dont flower long anyway soooo...
I have only bucket space here, so if it no bloom... it go boom!
I am a patient man, if the seed parents were magnificent then a longer wait is in schedule.
but that looong? LOL!! I better have acres to allow it.
Here a pic of my plumie pen.
and bug pond
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Property/05150007.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Property/05150006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Property/05150005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Property/05150008.jpg
I also use the strip down the side of my house
and a small square up ontop of my trash bin.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Malestrom22/My%20Property/Pooped.jpg
Who put that there?
Keep in mind this is all new to this year,
I have also planted over 200 bulbs here and variegated 4 oclocks as well.
The bulbs are all planted according to bloom season, once they start itll be a non-stop show.
As they thicken I lift and gift LOL!! lots of trading.
I have a 7 foot plumiein the one corner which I planted royal purple and gold ipomonea at the base.
I will twist them up the trunk as they grow and get a totally dazzling show when they bloom together.
My buddy Micah is buying some candy striped ipomonea today $7.- for a packet of seeds sheesh!
I hope the next generation of seeds come true.
Waitll this all bloooms!! Il post plenty of shots 4-sure!! ;^)
This message was edited May 16, 2006 2:30 PM
You guys are funny! I seem to have the opposite problem at the moment. I just removed about half of my collection of brugs, all of my Buddleias, and all but one of my passifloras. If it grows six feet or more a year, it is too high maintenance. If a plant is judged by me to be too high maintenance, it is coming out! My compost bin was so stuffed with plants that I thought that the refuge company would give me a warning, but they didn't. I do agree though that I have tossed more than one plant which didn't perform well or which was more prone to insects than others. A few years ago, I wanted to save every little thing, and now I'm thankful that I've gotten past that.
Kell, Michael is right as usual! Wear a mask when spraying anything. Eye protection is a must too. I've gotten spray in my eyes more than once, and some of these sprays can cause permanent eye damage. Michael is also right that seedlings generally take two to three years to bloom from seed, and some can take even longer. Out of my 40 seedlings, only three bloomed at 20-, 21-, and 22-months-old respectively. Those 40 seedlings are now two and a half years old, and 37 of them have yet to bloom. I hope I see some more of them bloom this summer. Many of them did what Michael's did and put out what is called a "false inflo" in order to branch but not bloom.
I too heard of that person who waited 20+ years to see a plumie seedling bloom. If that plumie was receiving ideal conditions and fertilizer, it should have bloomed much, much sooner. It sounds like it was a defective plumie and should have been tossed after Year 4 or 5 in my opinion. The last thing we need is another HG in the plumie world being circulated.
Michael, those are great pictures of your plumies and bug pond! You look very relaxed in that hammock! I love all your adeniums too. Michael, do you mean Ipomoea, Morning Glory seeds? I think they do come true. Beware of the annuals though because they self-seed aggressively are keep coming back every year and are hard to get rid of. Don't even get me started on the perennial Morning Glory, Ipomoea indica. That is a vine from hell and as invasive as Ivy -- really bad news but beautiful.
I do mean what you said! 8^)
I have volunteers everywhere with mornin glory.
I pull what I didnt plant as they appear.
Yikes...I'm thinking I need to pass on my morning glory seeds to someone else after reading that!!!
LOL Micheal, you are doing what i do best..............nothing! I would love to lay there and issue orders to someone else to do all my work. You look so comfortable.
You do have a few plumies. I sure want a 7ft plumie. I should plant at least one in the ground this year. I think I will in my little rose square.
I think I will live thru yours Clare, as far as plumie seedlings go. I have so many clivia seedlings going and they take at least 5 years to bloom. I am nuts, that is way too long to wait.
I love MG too and at least the babies are easily pulled. Oh Clare, Ipomoea indica is a monster.....it will cover a town!!
Kell, I would love to see a picture of your plumie when it is planted in your little rose square. Once you plant your plumie, Kell, you will see lots of growth quickly. You are right that the annual MG's are easily pulled. The I. indica has been the bane of my existence. I let it grow in the way back about three or four years ago because I thought it was pretty, but it became a monster and started growing up my fruit trees and extending to the neighbors, and it rooted everywhere it touched, and I have spent the last couple of years trying to pull it up, but it rooted in cracks that I can't reach and Total Vegetation Killer only slows it down a little. I was stupid to ever plant it. Live and learn!
OK I am now convinced I will plant one of my best plumies out back....can it take part shade?? I bet they will hate all the water I give my roses though.
I talked too soon when I said plumies loved me. Whenever I get a swelled head I am soon slapped back down. LOL Last night I was looking at my seedling rack and 2 pink ones I bought at a show, have gone soft. Not from the base but on the top. One actually was bent over. The base was still hard. What would cause that? They were the ones I spent more for too because they were rooted. Poo to me.
I have Ipomoea indica in a pot, Clare. It is so smart. For 2 years it was sending out runners from the back where I could not see it and across concrete looking for dirt. As soon as it found it it ran along the fence, rooting as it went. I live in fear some escaped to my neighbor's side and will soon devour us. Here is some that has totally covered a ravine near here. It is so seductive with its many and big blue flowers and how it changes colors, but that is just to lure you in.
Holy Schnoikies!!
That is frightening!!
No kidding!!
My golly you need a hard winter with about 3 weeks below 20 degrees f.
WOW!!!
Or you could buy a few goats and fence them in there and dont feed em LOL!!
This message was edited May 17, 2006 8:52 PM
Hi Kell, you can plant it out back, but if you get freezing temps during your winters, you will have to pull it up again and store it in your greenhouse. You might want to plunge it instead of planting it. Plumies actually love water, but they need good drainage so just make sure the soil in the pot drains well when you plunge it, and before you plunge it, fill the hole with good garden soil or small pebbles or Perlite or Pumice or a combination of these to ensure good drainage and easy removal. That is what I would do. Others may have some different opinions. If you want to actually plant it and leave it there, you will have to throw a frost cloth or something over it to protect it from freezing temps this coming winter. Yes, part shade is fine. Six hours of sun is usually ideal, but plumies will flower in less sun.
So sorry about your rotting seedlings. Sometimes they rot from the bottom, but it starts showing at the very top first. It might be rotting beneath the soil too. Sometimes that happens when the soil becomes cool or cold and damp or wet, but then the rot stops and new ones grow. Seedlings are usually pretty tough. Bottom heat will stop the rot immediately. Put them on a heat pad as soon as possible. Cut off any rot that you find at the top and cut until there is pure white wood. New branches will sprout from the nodes beneath the cut.
Kell, I just went to look for my new cat over at the neighbor's back yard as I lost sight of him for a minute and was horrified to see one strand of it over at their place. I hopped the fence and pulled it. The base was in crack of cement. I've heard it said before, and I believe it is true: Ipomoea indica is pure evil! That picture of yours is incredible. Michael is right: frightening!
