Well, atleast I consider myself new. I've had one for about a year and a half and it's done really well. It's a Slaughter Pink that I got at a RU. I hesitated to take it because I was afraid I would kill it, but it's been surprisingly easy, that is it was easy to root and flowers well. So now I am spoiled and I want another easy one.lol I have drooling over the ones offered on the Marketplace, but I don't know what to get. I'm also on a very limited budget.
new to plumerias
How do I know which ones are common? None of them look common to me. They are all awesome.lol
Silverfluter, Hetty is right that some of the more common ones are awesome! 'Celadine' is a gorgeous yellow/white with a great fragrance, and 'Singapore' has to be one of my favorites. I think there are many wonderful Thai ones too.
You'll have to decide which one you like best on the Marketplace and why, or you can go to PlantFiles and look at all the pictures and decide which ones you like best. You can decide what is most important to you and go from there. For some, fragrance is the most important thing; others are drawn to a certain color or flower size. Some people are concerned about tall growers and want more compact ones or dwarves.
If you want to ask about certain ones, I can tell you what I know about them. You could pick your favorite one in terms of colors and then narrow the choices down by rating the fragrance.
Ah, that's a good idea Claire. A system for narrowing the field. I would eliminate orange first. I am definitely attracted to dramatic colors like cherry red, hot pink, purple, and color combinations of those. And it will be kept in a pot so I guess something that won't grow too fast. And don't some of them branch faster or more often than others?
Yes, the more compact one don't grow long limbs before branching again. You can search Florida Colors Nursery in color categories: http://www.floridacolors.com/ and then compare prices to the Marketplace. You will only find the purple one in their Thai category and the Thai ones on the Marketplace as there are no purple ones that were hybridized here available. The closest might be 'Mr. Ambassador' on the Marketplace, which is a pink purple. I'll have to look again what's on there.
Edited to add: 'Purple Tigress' looks awesome on the Marketplace. I have that one, but it hasn't bloomed for me yet.
This message was edited Aug 4, 2008 12:49 PM
I guess I could find out from PF, but it just occurred to me that maybe Slaughter Pink is a dwarf. From the top of the dirt it's only 3 feet and it's branched atleast twice. I really like the shape of it.
I'll look up the ones you named. Thanks.
'Slaughter Pink' is not a dwarf. It will grow large in time. I know people with big ones. You might also like 'Teresa Wilder,' which is a bright pink.
So I may be needing a bigger pot next year? I guess I can root prune it every year, but if I do that I have to cut back the top right? Sorry for all these simpleton questions. I have read the sticky at the top, or most of it, but I can't store all of it my head. Is it ok for it to root bound? I think I'd rather get a bigger pot than have to cut it back.
I would go from a 5-gallon to a 10-gallon or 15-gallon to a 25- or 30-gallon over time as the tree grows. A plumeria can live for a while in a 30-gallon container very well.
Yes, you can root prune and trim every year or every other year. I wouldn't start doing that until you get to a minimum of 15-gallon size though. In essense, all the people that dig up their plumerias in the fall are root pruning, and then they replant in the spring.
You don't always have to trim the top when you root prune. It really depends upon how much of the root ball you are removing.
Here is a picture of Paula's trees on dig up day. I saved it because it shows brilliantly how to treat tropical trees when you live in an area that freezes and when you don't have a large greenhouse. You can see all the plumerias that have been root pruned, and they will be stored this way until the following spring.
Plumerias are very tolerant to being rootbound, but they may not perform their best in terms of flowering or growing when rootbound for a long period of time.
OMG, that's quite a picture!lol They look like casualties after a battle. Where does she store them?
Also, I have been thinking of questions about seeds. I read everything (I think) in the sticky about them, but... I have very little experience with seeds and even less success than that, but when I did try it, I started them in 16 oz plastic cups. Is that a good idea? That way I don't have to dig them up to separate them. I do have a seedling tray also, but they are so shallow. Once they sprout, how long before they need more room and need an actual pot?
I am trying to figure out how to arrange a warm place for them to grow for the winter. I have a gh, but I can't afford the electricity bill I'd have if I kept it at 60 degrees. I do have a guest room, but not a heat pad for plants. I remember reading a thread about improvising a set up for raising seeds inside, but I don't remember what it was called. I think it was in the Tx Forum. I don't remember anything in the sticky about how far to keep the lights from the seeds. Don't they need to be a certain distance for it to work?
Thanks much for all your advice.
I typed out a whole long answer and hit send, and then my Internet connection went out, and it was all lost. I'll try to re-type it all over again.
Paula stores her dormant plumerias in her garage for the winter.
I've started seeds in 16-oz plastic cups in the past but didn't really like them because, even with a hole at the bottom for drainage, they didn't seem to drain well, but they work as a temporary thing.
Shallow seedling trays aren't great for plumeria seedlings which have tap roots, but it really depends on the particularly seedling tray. Seedling trays that are four inches deep are fine.
Seedlings should have their own one-gallon container after their second set of true leaves.
Your seedlings would be fine in the greenhouse if the temperature was kept above 40, but it really depends on the age of the seedlings. If they are one year old or older, the greenhouse would be fine as long as it is kept above freezing. Obviously, above 40 is better. I've even kept younger seedlings outside for the winter where I am, and it doesn't get much below 40 here in the winter.
As an alternative, a warm room by a sunny window for young seedlings is fine. You don't need a heat pad for seedlings that have sprouted and that have root systems. You could use supplemental light to keep them growing through the winter, but it isn't really necessary if they are in a warm house by a sunny window if you just want to protect them. For more about light set ups and recommendations, check out the overwintering section and winter care section of the Sticky Thread.
Oh Clare, I'm sorry you lost all that stuff and had to type it again. That's got to be frustrating. You are one very dedicated person to retype all that again. Thanks
I'll keep an eye out for deep seedling trays, but being August, I kinda doubt I'll find much. What I do find will probably be on sale though.
I'm glad they won't need a heating pad. That eliminates one big expense. The guest room has an east facing window and I can put something there to put them on. By the time it gets cold enough to be a problem (probably October) I'm thinking they'll have root systems. I do have a floor lamp I could use for extra light.
I'll read the overwintering stuff on the sticky.
Thanks again.
LOL! I didn't want to type it all again, but I couldn't leave you hanging with all those questions!
Yeah, the heating pad is more for cuttings that you are trying to root in the winter or cuttings that were just recently rooted. You could put seedlings on them, but if the containers are shallow the root systems could fry. I just depends upon how large the container is really that they are in, I guess. It's not a bad idea if you monitor the temperature of the soil, but it is not a completely necessary thing. I've used just a desk lamp in the winter in the past over my seedlings to extend the daylight hours, but I know that there are much more sophisticated lighting that you can use that are full spectrum, etc. I think the light has to be fairly close to the seedlings to make a difference.
If you can't find any deep seedling trays and you don't want to group plant them, you can start each seed in individual one-gallon containers, but you'll have to make sure that you water sparingly at least initially.
If I plant in 16 oz cups will they be able to stay in those til spring? I know you said transplant when they have their first or second set of real leaves, but I don't know how fast that happens.
I'll definitely skip the heating pad. I believe in keeping things as simple as possible.
And Hetty thanks for the cuttings and seeds. They look really great. DH was teasing me about planting a sling shot.lol I forgot to get perlite, so I can't plant it yet. Hope I can get some tomorrow. I had to put it outside in a spot that gets no sun for now because my kitten thought it was just the neatest toy ever. BTW DH wanted me to ask you if you have catnip because the kitten keeps chewing and crawling around in and on that box.
I never ceased to be amazed at the generosity of people on this site. As I walk around my yard and see all the plants that I have that were gifts, trades or coop buys I just feel so fortunate. I wish there was something I could do to promote DG other than tell everybody who will listen and put the bumper sticker on our cars.
i dont want to contradict anyone, but mine have all rooted fine in normal miracle grow soil. imho, you dont really need to get perlite
They would probably be fine in 16-oz cups until spring. I would fill the cups to just under the rim of the cup.
If you have a crooked plumie, it is really easy to straighten it. Check out the info in my article if you haven't read it yet: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/45/
I root cuttings in well-draining soil that already has perlite mixed in, and I've used MiracleGro potting soil as well. I know some people use half mix and half Perlite, and some even use 100% Perlite. My opinion is that, if your soil is well-draining, you don't need to add more Perlite. It probably isn't necessary, especially in warm weather, but it may give you peace of mind during the colder months.
Thanks for all this advice. It sounds so easy and probably is as long as I don't over water them. I will get some perlite. I usually keep some on hand anyway.