My largest and best plumeria is just getting its spring leaves. It bloomed beautifully two years ago. Last year, I aerated, added composted cow manure and mulched the whole bed and then it rained for three months. None of my plumerias bloomed not even this big, reliable one. Was it the rain? Was it the manure? Should I feed it with something else? Should I feed it now? What did I do wrong?
Here's a picture of the whole plant.
Do some reading here you have really too heavy soil. You are lucky the roots didn't root off from staying too wet. Alot of people here use dynamite fertilizer once in the spring and it lasts for 9 months. With everything you have there does it get alot of sun they are sun lovers the more the better. Your soil should be fast draining were as it doesn't stay wet. A dry, fertilized, sunny, plumeria is a happy one and should bloom. I hope this helps you the others will proably give you there ideas good luck
Reading! Now there's a concept! It does get a lot of sun. It will get more this year since the neighbor cut down his hedge. It's leaning over the pond but planted in a dry area. Last summer was horrible for rain, so that may have been the problem. This spring has been very dry and hot -- good to know that I don't have to worry about it.
Elphaba,
I don't know a lot about plumerias in specific, but it looks like the base of the plant is crowded by other cool looking plants growing there. Maybe their roots are cramping each other. Perhaps pulling up some other stuff and planting it further apart so your plumeria has more space would help. Just a thought. What do you think?
Pam
Elphaba, I do agree with Pam. That bamboo in particular is very invasive and is stealing precious water and nutrients from your plumeria since it is planted so close to it. I would clear a two to three foot area from around the base of the trunk.
Aerating the roots may have broken roots and temporarily shocked the tree, and it may not have had enough energy to bloom because of that. The manure is fine (as long as it was dried and processed) and wouldn't have prevented blooms, and the rains wouldn't have prevented blooms either. Plumerias bloom very well given enough water and nutrients. They love water as long as the soil drains well as Dana said.
They are heavy feeders though so fertilizing is important from spring through fall regularly. The time-released fertilizer that Dana mentioned is nice because it is continuous feeding for however many months it says on the label. There is still time for your plumerias to bloom. Inflo's can come at any time between now and the fall.
I would recommend lots of water since you have the heat there and good drainage, clearing the area around the base of the tree, and using a fertilizer with a high potassium number (the last number) like 5-10-20 or something similar.
All that being said, there are seasons when plumerias just refuse to bloom. I think that is why many of us collectors have hundreds of trees -- just to ensure the presence of blooms throughout the season:-)
Thanks for all your help! The bamboo is actually not bamboo, but I can't remember the name of it. We called it a puzzle plant when I was kid because you could pull joints apart and put them back together. It's actually in the pond, so it's not bothering the plumeria, but there are lots of things planted around it that I can move.
I like the sound of not having to worry about fertilizing again until next spring, so I'll try the dynamite fertilizer!
It was so full and green last year that it was pretty as a foliage plant even though it didn't bloom. I really love the blooms though and appreciate all of your advice!
Hundreds of trees sounds like a wonderful idea too!
Elphaba, there is a free sample deal for Dynamite in the Daves Garden Forum.
Kathleen
Great! Thanks!
