One of my plumerias has been blooming on 3 inflos. All of a sudden, it stopped blooming and the unopened buds are falling off. Any idea what is wrong, or what I should do?
Bloom advice
We have been in a drought and we've had a little rain...
No...I think I know what it is...I fertilized it too much. :(
I have seen (not on DG) that they shouldn't be watered much, but it seems like the advice here says they need water. Is there a rule of thumb to go by? I know growing plumeria in Ohio is different than TX or FL, so maybe the watering is different for Ohio, too.
Cuttings should not be watered too much. There are different schools of thought on that. Some say don't water and some say water. It depends on your circumstances. If the weather is dry and the rooting medium drains well, you may need to water. If you are in a humid climate, it may not be necessary. The cuttings will give you an indication. If they are plump and healthy, they may not need much water. If they are drying and wrinkled, they may be telling you they need a watering or a misting. The above pertains to cuttings.
Once plumerias develop a good root structure and have full sets of leaves, they need to be watered. In fact, they like water, however, they do not like to sit in water. If you have a good potting mix that drains well, watering is good for them. It may be a good idea in your area to let the plant dry out between watering.
The plant will tell you when it needs water. The leaves and flowers will droop. Your plant may have lost its buds because it was too dry. It may have gone into survival mode to conserve its energy.
I assume you have your plant in a pot. Don't be fooled by the rain. It may rain, but the pot may not attract enough water, especially, if it has a full cover of leaves. The rain may not reach the surface of the pot. Feel the soil to see how moist it is.
I have pebbles on the surface of the pots. They are all (except one) about 3 to 4 feet tall. Only one is a first year plant. Last year was the first flowering and only on one plant. I have 8. They are getting sun in the morning until about 3:00 pm. Should I move them to all day sun?
I have inflos starting on two of the other plants. The one that was blooming was Lei Rainbow.
I'm not sure if you can see the size of the plants from this picture or not.
Thats weird ( to me...lol) but I had a Lei Rainbow drop all its buds, on two inflos about a month ago. I could never figure out the reason why-none of the obvious reasons for bud drop applied.
I have been not watering every day like I usually do and finding that my potting soil gets drier than dry. I think not enough water could definitely be one reason for bud drop. Once the soil gets too dry, it can become hard, and then water just rolls off the top and down the sides, and it is hard to rewet the rootball again. Lack of energy to bloom could be another reason. Increasing your fertilizing regimen could help. I don't think the problem is too much fertilizer, which exhibits itself in other ways.
Oh come on Clare!!! lol Just admit it....that Lei Rainbow is jinxed!!
LOL, Terry! Nah! I'm actually not getting bud drop. It is more like some buds are drying up and turning black so maybe mine is a different problem. This is only happening in a couple of places, but it is enough to make me mad! LOL! I bet as the heat of summer progresses we will both see an end to this problem. Fingers crossed for you!