So... my brother sends me a box of goodies today from Hawaii. Two of the items were Plumerias. Plumeria ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Notice his note... "his favorite and hope they grow in TX". They aren't hardy here in zone 8 so I'll have to put each of them in big containers and move them inside over the winter. Just like his Star Fruit tree. Why does he do this to me?? Torturing me with more work. But gotta love him for sending me flowers. So... from what I can tell from online searches is that they should be okay in a container as long as the soil is very well draining. With sand or vermiculite added. And to let them dry out completely before watering again. Is there anything else I need to know to get these to live and flower? Oh yeah... the other goodies in the box were my sea shells. For my souvenirs from his 'round the world journey, he has to find/send at least one sea shell from every place he goes. Well... he's been pretty good about it and sent me four baggies of shells from the French Polynesians. sea shells ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Here's a sampling. The one with the crochet is pretty cool. Can you make out that it's a "turtle"? At least with the shells I don't have to worry about keeping them alive!
How nice! Plumeria is my favorite flower! I don't grow them, but I have a friend here who has a big plumeria tree in a container indoors. His blooms in summer too.
Both sand and vermiculite will ruin the drainage in a container. The vermiculite collapses when wet, and the sand will fill the tiny spaces where air pockets should be. If roots don't have oxygen and moisture at the same time they can't function. When a pot has tiny air pockets throughout the soil, drying (except for cacti-type plants that actually like this) is a stress that's not necessary for avoiding root rot. It also helps to not tightly pack whatever kind of soil one is using. When it's time to trim this plant in any way, know it has latex sap that can cause serious misery to those sensitive to that. Those look like nice-size cuttings! A friend gave me a couple from her greenhouse plants last fall, similar in size. One maintained some foliage over winter, the other looks like your 'sticks,' firm and greenish but no leaves yet. I'd stuck them in a pot with a Philodendron that had space to spare but need to separate them now so the Plumies can get in more sun now that plants are outside. Definitely didn't let that pot dry out while inside for winter.
Purple... what kind of soil should I use? It said it really need to be well draining. Can I add something to regular potting soil? Or do I have to go broke buying that cactus mix? I read that these will need to be in fairly large pots. Or can I put them in regular size one's now and then transplant to larger one's in a year or so?
I have been growing plumeria for many years now and get more in love with them as I learn more! I decided to start an "Hawaiian Collection"-- I have many Thai varieties (seeds) but am worried about their authenticity. Living in South FL, I have extremely good luck with Plumeria. Hawaii seems to have agreeable weather for me so I am giving their plants a try. That and infamous Jim Little who is the father of plumeria lives there. They also take pride in their horticulture. So I ordered 4"Red Plumeria" cuttings from Hawaiian Gifts. I call them "Ula 'ula", meaning Red in Hawaiian. I also ordered a rooted "Duvauchelle" which is a Hawaiian cultivar but I ordered it from 'Brads Buds & Blooms' here in FL. Red are considered hard to root but not Duvauchelle! (It's a slow grower tho). I have fantastic luck growing seeds and rooting cuttings in Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix. Basically, let the cutting scab over, stick it in the dirt, water once and leave it alone. (For here in S. FL anyway). I also use Bayer advanced All-in-one Rose and Flower Care. It's a systemic that takes care of most problems. Rust is my enemy here.
