There is another update on the inflo that I am anxiously watching. It is now 2 inches tall with the flower brackets very prominent but I can't see any color yet.
I staked and tied up all 7 of my plumeria plants this afternoon. Maybe they will withstand our fall rains better. The last rain damaged a few leaves.
Louise
It looks like another week or two;-)
None of my others that were rooted at the same time have any sign of an info yet. Would that be caused by just a different variety?
Louise
After all the needs are met -- full sun, plenty of water, room to grow in, and nutrition -- it is up to the plumeria when it decides to bloom! Some cultivars bloom reliably every year; some skip a year or two and put on growth instead. Some are stubborn, reluctant bloomers. Yes, each cultivar is different, but most that are in commercial circulation are good bloomers, given ideal conditions. Also, when trees bloom, not every branch has an inflo. Sometimes just small percentage of the branches have blooms; sometimes the percentage is high. We collectors have hundreds not just because each flower is different and unique but because we want to be assured of lots of flowers. Also, some varieties prefer to bloom early in the season or late in the season. There are so many variables.
Most of mine are in 3 gallon black nursery pots. I repotted 4 plants today just to fill the pot with soil. They were so little when I first bumped them up, that I only filled the pots partly full. Most of them today were almost root bound and the roots are very tender. I almost feel like they need to be in 5 gallon pots.
It is so difficult to keep the root ball intact when repotting. They were mostly dry and only one of them slightly separated across part of the soil. I hope I didn't break too many roots. The size of the plants makes it awkward to remove from the old pot and protect the roots. I mixed a generous amount of perlite with the new soil in the bottom of the new pots. I think I remember reading somewhere that it helped with the drainage.
Considerable learning curve here ---- lots more to go !!!!
Louise
Louise, I'm sure you didn't break too many roots. They will grow back quickly anyway if you did. I repot when the soil is nearly dry and when the plants are rootbound. I turn the plant upside down and shake gently with one hand while holding my other hand against the top of the soil near the trunk to keep the root system from flying out of the pot. Gravity helps when you are working with a large tree. I then remove the pot with my left hand while balancing the rootball with my right hand. The plant is upside down at this point still. I gently loosen the roots at the very bottom with my fingers, and I then turn it right side up and put it into its new pot which is already prepared with some soil inside and fill in the rest with soil. Vitamin B-1 or Superthrive added to the water will help to relieve transplant shock after transplanting.
Clare,
Thanks for all your guidance in these matters. It helps coming from someone who has been there and know what to do.
I have Superthrive and will give all of them a dose tomorrow.
Louise
You're welcome, Louise;-) I've got a little more repotting to do myself. Today, I have to repot a 10-gallon into a 25-gallon container.
Oh! Dear!
I never thought this past-time activity might lead to 10 and 25 gallon pots!
I'll bet in zone 10b, you leave them outside all year. And I thought that a 5 gallon pot was a biggie.
Louise
LOL, yes, but I think 25-gallon will be the biggest container that my plumies will ever see. I'll have to root prune and replant in fresh soil in the same container after that. They do get much heavier too as they get bigger.
Here is an update of the inflo that I am watching to help those who are new to plumerias. It is now 2 1/2 " tall and the crown on top has divided into five knobs, of sort. Each one has 5 or 6 light-colored dots forming with one larger than the others. I think that one will develop into the first flower on that part of the inflo. I can't tell the color yet, unless it will be white or yellow.
Louise
Thank you very much for that post. Mine is now about 24", with 10 or so leaves that are getting quite large. stil just the one leaf at the center top. It is beginning to bed about 3 inches from the top. Is that normal?
LouC,
Some of mine that are 3-4' tall don't yet have the inflo started but seem to form a brown colored droplet in the center between where the new leaves are forming. I don't know what this is, but at first, I thought that was an inflo. Wrong!
I didn't take a picture today, but the knob-things are standing up 1/2" tall now and the spots, that will become blooms, are getting raised up a little. With all this watching the details, you can tell that this is my VERY FIRST PLUMMIE INFLO !!!!!!!!! Now,
if the weather will cooperate.
Louise
I think faster than I type......meant to say beginning to BEND. It is sitting in full sun light so I know it is not going toward the light. This is also my first. Bought the "stick" last year and had no idea what it was until this summer. Watched some threads and finally recognized it. You can tell what a purist I am.
LouC,
I can't tell you what the problem might be, but from what Clare says, they need lots of heat (think sunshine), water and GOOD drainage (with perlite mixed in with the soil for loose texture). Mine have had all those all summer. I started with 18" cuttings last November, and now most of them are almost 4' from soil level. Only one is blooming. I look longingly at the top of the other 6, but still see no sign of an inflo.
Hope springs eternal, they say.
If they don't bloom before frost (in about 6-7 weeks), I'll move them inside and hope I can keep them alive until spring. I don't know if they bloom in the winter, or go dormant.
Louise
This is probably wishful thinking, but my biggest plumie is showing a swelling of two of the branch tips - is this a good sign? Please say yes. :-) I got this one from a grower this spring who said it might or might not bloom this year. I want a flower!!!
Hope so...
kaperc,
Clare is the resident authority on plummies! All I know is that I didn't notice any swelling. All I saw was that it quit making pairs of leaves and a round thing started forming in the center.
Are there leaves on the branches? If not, I would think that would mean leaves will begin to form.
Louise
There is a 'sticky' at the top of this thread that Clare made that 'tells all' about plumeria. Check it out and maybe find your answer.
Louise
Hey, All! I'm still finding new inflo's on some of my plumerias. Reds like to bloom late in the season especially. If you have inflo's that start late, you can bring them inside for the fall and winter when temps start to drop below 50 -- sooner if you'd like. You can either let your plumies go dormant (and hope that the inflo hangs on), or you can give the indoor plumerias plenty of heat and light in the house or the greenhouse, sunroom, etc., and have indoor blooms for the winter. Indoor blooms can sometimes be pale in color, and they can be small, but it really just depends on your supplemental heat and light set up. Many people extend the daylight by a few hours with high-density metal halide lighting and have great success.
Around November or December, I put all plumerias that have inflo's into my portable greenhouse, where they bloom inside for the winter. It gets up over 100F during the day in there, and I open it up to let the heat out in the middle of the day and close it up mid-afternoon. Having a fan in there in a really good idea also to keep insects away and improve air circulation. I don't have to add supplemental heat because it doesn't get much below 40 in there, and I have blooms all winter.
Clare, thanks for the post about winter care. This is my first plumeria and the only other person I know that has one lives in Houston which is a much warmer place. I do have a gh, but I am considering leaving it in my house for awhile atleast if it's blooming. It has 1 inflo now and I have my fingers crossed that I'll get a flower before frost. It'll probably go into shock when I move it right?
What a FANTASTIC idea Clare! I have a little portable green house and NEVER thought of putting my Plumies in it in the winter. I have JUST the spot for it too! I've been using it basically for shelving in my glass greenhouse (took the plastic off), but that will all change now.
Thanks for this!
I've seen those for sale and thought they wouldn't do me any good - what a mistake! Next time I'll get one.
Silverfluter, if your greenhouse gets some intense heat during the day, you might consider putting it in the greenhouse instead of your house. You will see it perform even better, given more heat. The flowers will be bigger and brighter in the greenhouse than they would be in your house. It won't go into shock, however, if brought inside. Added heat and light will help tremendously. If it is still warm during the day, you could put your plumeria outside during the day and bring it in at night.
LOL, Teresa! I use little ones on my patio too with heating pads inside if I am trying to root cuttings over the winter. See pic below;-)
Kathleen, I got my Flowerhouse Springhouse here: http://www.comforthouse.com/flowerhouse1.html It looks like they are on special right now for $128 -- not a bad price at all. You probably don't need one in your area either, but it does allow you to have flowers all winter long. If I leave a plumeria with an inflo outside all winter, the inflo usually dries up and falls off without blooming. Sometimes, a plumie will hold on to an inflo all winter and bloom in the spring though. All the ones in the greenhouse keep their leaves and keep growing through the winter too.
Fantabulistic idea Clare..... I'll be going there - for sure!
Thanks, Teresa! I wish I could take credit for it;-) It does keep the plumies toasty warm inside. Do be careful, though, about clear plastic in full sun. I actually had a shade cloth over mine during the hottest parts of the afternoon because sunburn can occur easily. This can happen the most easily with clear plastic, but sunburn can happen with white plastic also. I think you will see a big difference.
Clare, I was thinking of last winter's cold snap. Something like that would give me somewhere to stash things for a little extra protection if we get cold like that again, plus somewhere to start things in spring. At the moment I'm saving any large pieces of insulating material that I can use if needed.
Kathleen
Clare, I'll definitely keep it in the gh then. It does get quite warm in there, probably 20 - 25 % warmer than it is outside if I don't have the vent on. It operates on a thermostat that opens the window and turns on the fan automatically and I set it at 90% in the winter. I hear it running alot in the afternoon.
Kathleen, during the cold snap last year, I just had one greenhouse, but I bought two more, and they arrived in less than a week so I was setting them up in the middle of the cold spell last winter. Luckily, they are practically pop up and no complicated set up is required. Unfortunately, I still had damage on the ones too big to move. It is a great place to start things in in the spring.
Wow, Silverfluter! It sounds like you've got a really nice greenhouse!
Clare, yes I do have a great gh. I bought it with money I inherited when my Dad died, so it's kind of a gift from him. It's been alot of fun to have and work in.
Oh, I just realized I used the % instead of the degree sign.:) I forgot I don't have one of those.
That's really neat. What a great gift from your dad. I knew what you meant;-)
Here's the long-awaited inflo, about almost 5". At the base of it, the plant seems to be making three other branches. If true, I hope they have inflos quicker than this one.
Louise
I think my camera focuses on the leaves and not the center of the picture. I don't know how to correct that. Someone please advise!
This message was edited Sep 20, 2007 7:01 PM
Oh goodie! Another week or 10 days and we'll see the flowers!
I can't wait!
I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas. Seems like it will never get here !!!
Louise
I think my camera focuses on the leaves and not the center of the picture. I don't know how to correct that. Someone please advise!
I Haven't read the whole thread, but assuming this is a digital camera go into the menu there should be a setting called AF Frame which stands for auto focus frame.
If you want the center to be in focus just set it to Center and don't use the setting AiAF which stands for Artifical Intel Auto Focus.
The AiAF will cause the Auto Focus frame which is the little box in the center of the viewfinder to randomly focus on a different spot..
Of course all camera's are different but basically work the same..
This message was edited Sep 21, 2007 2:07 PM
The question wasn't from me but I benefited from the answer. Thank you.
I just zoom in and use the AutoFocus on my camera. If you press the shutter half way down, you either get a green light or a red light. The green light means the picture is in focus.
My inflo keeps growing and looks good, but the leaves are turning yellow and dropping off. Why is this. I thought it might be because I wasnt' watering it enough, but I'm keeping it moist now and they are still falling off.
Silverfluter, is it getting cold in your area at night? You plumie could be getting ready to go dormant. Some yellowing leaves is natural. As new ones come in and as growth occurs, old ones turn yellow and fall off. If you are seeing more than the normal amount, it could be because the nights are getting colder.
Thanks, lopaka and Clare, for the help with my focusing problem. I have just
returned from our East Texas Round Up, unloaded my car and plan to get to bed
early tonight. Our plant swap was a wonderful event - old friends and new plants -
what could be better.
I'll tackle my camera settings in the morning.
Louise
Clare, it is getting a little cool at night here, but this yellow leaf problem has been going on since the end of July or so. The inflo still looks good though. Should I set it up with a drip instead of using the hose? I don't have anything else on a drip and it would be kind of a hassle to do that because of where it is. It's in a 16 inch pot. Is that big enough?
