Good evening all... I have been avidly following and reading (lurking?) the many different threads on Plumeria since I came over to Dave's Garden. I even posted a thread a while back on what variety would be good for me, as I live in an apartment. Dwarf singapore pink was suggested, and in the process, I found I have a "neighbor" who is in to plumies as well! Chantell was not only kind but very gracious and shared two of her cuttings with me - a dwarf singapore pink, and a celadine.
Well, it has been a couple weeks now since I potted them up, and I tried to follow the many suggestions and tips... read and re-read the cuttings articles... they are each in a clay pot with part sand, part perlite, part cactus mix. Rooting hormone on the ends, placed approximately two inches into the medium. Full sun, warm temperatures, sitting in the warmest spot on my balcony. Watered well when set up, then only when dry. They did get a full day of rain on Sunday, but then the sun came back out bright and hot Monday morning.
To me, they just don't look "good". Some wrinkling (or shriveling?) on the stems... not firm and green like those I see you guys post photos of. So, I ask... what am I doing, or what did I do wrong??? Or am I being impatient to expect to "see" something after only 2-3 weeks?
It's too dark for a photo tonight, but I will try to post one in the morning before I leave for work. Thanks to all for sharing any and all advice. I'm sorry Chantelle, that I let you down... :-(
Karen
Rookie with plumie cuttings
Karen, you are in the process of taking plumeria lessons. You may expect to lose a few at first. Don't let that discourage you.
First of all I'm not fond of clay pots. Secondly, the unrooted cuttings have no way to take up moisture so please do not water anymore until you see leaves emerging. BOTTOM HEAT is what will make the roots start. In your area you may consider putting them on a heat mat or other heat source. A little misting every now and then is ok.
Oh - and yes, you are being impatient, but then we all are.... LOL Dwarf Singapore Pink is one of the slowest varieties to root and can take as much as 6 months...... you had to start with a difficult one!! The Celadine should root pretty soon in the right conditions.
Good luck and don't give up.
I just did my first cutting and had a similar experience but with patience it came through. For awhile I was sure it was going to die but it came throught and has added leaves. I was told to keep in bright shade and damp for the first few weeks by the woman who I recieved the cutting. That was different than suggestion I got here. Now it is in sunshine and watered only when dry. Good luck, Tim
Thanks for the help and support already... I really appreciate it. And here are the photos as promised. This is the dwarf singapore pink....
And this is celadine... I think it looks the worst. :-(
I can confirm that Dwarf Singapore takes as much as six months to root. I am coming uo on six months and it still has not rooted. Not a leaf on the plant, but I can see where it is adding growth to the tips. The ends of the tips are a shinnier green than when I got it.
In this case, patience is a virtue. I have been tempted so many time to cut a tip to see if there is something inside I am not seeing.
Your Celadine is gone. It is rotten. That is very certain. There is no saving it. Your DSP needs water. It looks dehydrated. As long as there is heat, there is no reason to hold back water. The roots will dry up and fry if they don't have moist soil to grow into. Cuttings especially need water when on a heating pad. People who live in places with high humidity can get away with not watering their cuttings because moisture is in the air, condensation builds up on the cutting, and the soil remains moist for longer periods of time; however, in dry areas, watering needs to be done more frequently. I water my cuttings nearly every day, and I never have rot in the spring, summer, or fall. If it is cold and the soil is wet, then that is a bad combination so the soil temperature shouldn't be allowed to get to below 50. A constant, even 80 degrees is the ideal soil temperature for rooting. Please see the FAQ's on rooting cuttings for further info.
I forgot to add that black plastic one-gallon pots are the best pots to root cuttings in. DSP takes about 3-4 months to root for me outside in the summer.
I agree with Clare that Celadine looks like it is a goner.
Varying climatic conditions will demand different approaches which is why the difference in recommendations between my post and Clare's can sound confusing. As I said, you are taking plumeria lessons...... you will soon find your optimum rooting system. Chantell is probably your best help since she is nearby.
Good luck!
Thanks to all of you for your help and advice, and for confirming what I was afraid of with the celadine.
In regards to temperatures, central Virginia is a quirky little area that blazes in the summer time. Except for Sunday when the remnants of TS Barry went through and provided a much needed, gentle rain for nearly 24 hours, we have had sunny, hot days, in the upper 80s to near 90, with the nighttime drops in temps to no lower than the 60s.
Are you suggesting that I should transfer the DSP to a black plastic pot from the clay it is in now? And how should I go about giving the cutting more moisture? Do I water the medium daliy as long as temps remain where they are now? (I don't expect anything but hotter weather from here on out...) My balcony is facing true south and gets sun all day long.
I will read again, the FAQs... and as always, thanks to all for their time. I love all of the blooms I get to see on your daily threads, and I only hope that one day I will have something so pretty to show off!
Karen
Didn't see this till you dmailed me, Karen...you're getting the advice from the ones that know. I told you when we spoke originally that I was a little sad about the size of the DSP...I was accustom to large cuttings to root - they seem to be less fragile then the smaller cuttings. I'm so sorry about the Celedine - maybe i should've held on to it for a bit longer for you :( I was just so excited that you were so excited - and I already had a larger Celedine. Please don't be discouraged...as I told you when we met...if I can grow it anyone can grow it. The sticky has a list of good ebay sellers as well as other nurseries i.e. Florida Colors. It might be worth it to invest in a larger cutting or a grafted one. Maybe even post on the trade forum - someone might have something they'd be willing to trade or if they have a surplus maybe even for postage. If it turns out any of my unknows are duplicates, I'm happy to share with you. No worries - they're ALL rooted already. :)
Thanks Chantell! I appreciate your kindness! And I'm keeping a hopeful eye on the DSP!
Buy a rooted cutting, its even easier.
Ya know??? As I get older, I find that I have become a less patient person... I did just that, the day they told me the celadine was rotten. Should be here Wednesday!
Thanks for the advice! 8*)
Karen
Smart gal, you are!!! Can't wait to hear what you got!!!
Yes, I would transfer to a one-gallon black plastic pot and water daily. Your DSP cutting looks very dehydrated. Mist as you water. Don't tug on the cutting in case it has started rooting. Just scoop out the soil from around edges of the pot.
Thank you Clare... I will do just that this evening.