Moved my Dwarf Singpore Pink to a full-sun spot, near where dianthus, lavender, lilacs, roses, and peonies thrive. Watering it every other day unless it rains. Today on some of the tips I see purply things coming out. New leaves (there are leaves already on these branches) or could they actually be my first inflo's? (it's a little like being pregnant, this waiting for my very first plumie bloom).
What do inflo's look like?
I was also wondering what an inflo was. I found this info...
Inflorescence. 1. A characteristic arrangement of flowers and buds on a stem. 2. A flower cluster.
Beverly, this is an inflo on one of my DSP plants.
Clare,
Thanks so much for the close-up of what an inflo looks like at first. I caught the 'plumeria fascination' last fall and now have successfully rooted 6 cuttings. They now have several leaves at the top but I didn't know what to expect for the inflos. How long does it take to go from a 1 1/2' cutting to having blooms? As expected, I am overly anxious to see a bloom. They are all NOID ones, but I have high hopes!
thanks for all the advice,
Louise M.
Clare,
Thanks also from me for the pics. And Hetty, when you wrote "little claws,"I knew then that they were new leaves.
Better give it more bloom booster food then.
Beverly
Louise, rooted cuttings can bloom right away, even while rooting. Here is my article found in the FAQ's Sticky Thread: http://davesgarden.com/articles/view/45/
It's for certain, they are leaves. They did a lot of unfurling today. I just gave them bloom booster (10-35-15) food.
Clare,
Thanks for the link. Yeah! I may see blooms soon! When I do, they will be my first plumeria and I will post a picture on the forum.
I think I'll enjoy growing these beautiful flowers.
Louise
Before the inflos are as big as the ones in the photos, do they look like teeny round dots? I've had one plumeria for over a year now, and it's never bloomed. I've had two others since last fall (started from cuttings), and they now have healthy looking leaves and some teeny, teeny little round thingies. LOL Do I sound like a novice or what? I was told to use a tablespoon of Epsom salt in a gallon of water in order to get blooms, so I've started do that.
bivbiv, I would only do the epsom salts once a month-6 wks. It is magnesium and it is a micronutrient-but a salt as well in the epsom salt delivery. Just a bit is needed, and it won't push your plumeria to bloom-only be healthier ( in small amts). But...a healthy plumeria will bloom faster than a unhealthy one! lol
Thanks, tigerlily. Is there something else I could use in conjunction with the epsom salt to push them to bloom? I think a year is long enough to wait! :) Now I'm impatient.
I know the feeling! but no, not really. You can give them a good slow release fert that has micronutrients as well as the 3 major nutrients, that will help. I don't think giving them a bloom booster will speed it up though ( triple phoshate, the middle number) because most blooming plants cannot utilize, thus do not need a lot of phosphate in order to bloom. Time is your best friend here-the older the plant, the more it will bloom-and you should see an inflo this year or next. I started a bunch of cuttings last summer and this summer the majority have inflos or are blooming, some aren't yet.
I talked son into giving me ,a much neglected plumie, he had tucked in some shady corner of his yard. Lol. I have the plumie now, first day I cleaned out some weeds it had at the bottom. also removed two tiny frost rotted babies, one third baby , might just make it, I replanted that one little cutting. the mama plumie is doing fine after giving it a drink of water, and a little miracle grow. after a few day`s of loving care, I am seeing an inflo.
Oh, sowmo, I'm so jealous! I've given loving care to my older plumeria for almost two years now (I thought it was one, but DH reminded me that it's now spent two winters in the garage). It's about 5' tall and still flowerless. If nothing happens with the two newer ones that I started from cuttings, then I'll quit hoping. I'll give them a year; then I'll give them to a friend who can coax flowers out of rocks!
bivbiv-don't give up hope! I guess I should ask you-are the plumerias in full sun? That will help the most.
Some plumerias flower faster and more than others-so it isn't your loving care or lack of that is the factor here. I have 8 cuttings from last year-some have inflos, or have bloomed and some don't -but they all recieved the same care thru the year-its that some of them bloom faster than others.
What you could do is find out which ones are reliable bloomers and buy those. Or just get more of them, and the chances of some of them blooming the next year will increase!
Tigerlily, thanks for the encouragement. I have them in large pots, and they get full sun part of the day. Here in FL full sun all day is usually too much for most plants.
The older plumeria came from my friend who can make rocks bloom. Hers always bloom, and I believe this one has before...but not since I've had it. The other two were given to me by a lady whose garden had been done by a well-known local landscaper; so I imagine he used good bloomers. I have better hopes for these.
The other day DH came in from mowing and said, "I hate to tell you this, but Ms. X has a plumeria in her yard, and it's blooming." Ms. X is a neighbor whose small yard is an ugly, unplanned mishmash. She has bougainvillea, cactus, plumeria, lantana, an orange tree, a pine tree and unmown grass. I doubt she ever fertilizes or does anything to care for them. First, it took my bougainvillea three years to bloom while hers was laden with bracts from the beginning. NOW HER PLUMERIA IS BLOOMING!!!! She and her son aren't ideal neighbors, so this is adding insult to injury! LOL
Well my plumie just puts out more and more leaves, even with bloom booster once a week. guess it wants to grow instead of bloom. Don't want it to outgrow its pot though.
lol are we starting to personalize this bivbiv??
Too much fertilizer will just cause a lot of linear growth. I would find a full sun; all day spot for it. You may not realize this but some plants such as bougainvillia respond well to neglect. You just care too much and pamper them and they won't do anything! I know I have the same problem. I have lots of plumies and have given up on the bougainvillia. My best bloomers are in full light and in the ground. Try aztec gold, Lauderdale Lilac, they bloom for everyone and can even be found in parking lots and vacant lots in certain areas of south FL. I only fertilize with bloom booster every few weeks and when I plant them I add bone meal once a season to get them going earlier in the season. I don't know all the chemistry of that but an elderly man whose property was full of huge blooming plumerias told me to try that and so I have stuck with it and I get good results.
Here are some of my earliest inflo's. They are a little blurry because I had to zoom in so much and the digital camera doesn't know what I want to focus in on. The inflo is the tiny white dots in the center of the braches where the leaves originate from the growing end.
Another view
A False inflo or "Nub"
A much more advanced inflo with tiny bloom buds
Sun, Sun Sun, I believe 'SUN' is the best booster for plumies.
I agree -- full sun, six hours or more. Many people in Zone 10 in Florida have theirs planted in the ground, and they can take full sun there, provided they get lots of water. You should go visit Luc and Carol at Florida Colors Nursery in Homestead if you are ever over that way: http://www.floridacolors.com/
This message was edited Jun 22, 2007 11:57 AM
Here is an inflo on a Pink Singapore Dwarf. They are tiny compared to most. Unfortunately I can't show you the flowers. The inflo broke off during the reconstruction of part of my backyard.
Davie
This message was edited Jun 26, 2007 8:39 AM
Another
davie - glue it back on! bummer!
By the time I noticed it was already dried, had people helping me move things. Not all people are as careful as I am when moving my plants around. But when the helps free, who's to complain?
Davie
Hi All;
Plumies is making inflo. in my zone. My pink one, unknown name, will have to get it I.D. so I can get its official birth certificate. :-)