Materials: Instructions for Rooting Plumeria • One gallon black plastic nursery pot (good for most 18-24" cuttings) • Cactus Mix Soil (Wood chips optional) • Root Tone or other rooting hormone powder (Clonex) • Bamboo Stake and green plastic tie • Perlite/Pumice • Hand shovel • Watering Can • Well callused cutting
Procedure: Prepare soil by mixing 50/50 perlite and cactus soil before getting started because plumeria need fast draining soil. A good test to see if you may need to add perlite to your mix is grab a hand full of soil and squeeze it to see if it balls up or you may have to add a little more perlite to the mix (and or wood chips). Next add the soil mix to the pot to bring the volume up to 1-2 inches from the top.

Dig up a hole with your hand to create indented space into the center of the moist mix that is 3-5" deep and 2" wide. Dip the cut end in the root tone powder (optional) then position the cutting into the middle of the pot so that it is 3" down from the top of your mix. It’s also helpful to mark on your cutting 3-4” so that you do not plant the cuttings to deep. “Plant it high it won’t die, plant it low it’s sure to go” is a quote I always repeat when rooting or potting my plumeria. Add more of your mix to bring the soil line up to 1-2” from the top of the pot or where you marked off on your cutting. Place a bamboo stake to support the cutting and tie it with green plastic nursery tape in 2 -3 spots as needed.

Complete the process by watering the staked supported cutting gently. When looking for a home while it roots in your garden is to remember that it does not need light to root just constant heat to promote root growth so filtered sun and protection from direct sun light is key. The energy to root the plumeria is in the cutting and over watering at this delicate stage can lead to rot/root rot. The next time you will need to water is after 4-8 weeks after it has been potted and new growth has appeared.

Once you see a few sets of leaves that are 4-6” long is a good indication that the cutting has rooted and a weekly watering can start. It should be noted that in the first year of a rooted cuttings life, flower formation usually does not start unless an inflorescence (Inflo) bud is present on the growth tip when the cutting was taken from the tree. The main focus for the newly rooted cutting should be on developing a good root system. With that being said many people will cut off any inflo off a rooting cutting so that all energy will go towards rooting the cutting however there are varieties that will bloom and root at the same time.

Friendly tip:
Remember not to pot the cutting too low in the pot (pot on the left) and keep it close to the lip of the pot to avoid sunburn at the base. The heat can radiate from the pot and end up burning the trunk which can kill the tree if it is not established enough or severe sunburn.
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