HARSH WEATHER

By Paula Furtwangler Plumeria Society Of America Past President

HARSH WEATHER ALWAYS CAUSES PROBLEMS in the plumeria world. We had early freezing weather in October, and fairly mild winter, thereafter.

• When people don’t take precautions to protect from freeze, they will lose the plant tips, and sometimes all the way down to the roots.

• Wet weather will cause the roots to rot. If pots are put away wet, they dormant root system does not take up the water, causing the water to stagnate in the pot…again leading to rot.

CAN DIFFERENT COLORED PLUMERIAS BE GRAFTED ONTO ONE ROOTSTOCK? Yes. Grafting onto multiple branches can be quite rewarding. But donor plants must have similar growth habits.

• For instance, to graft a Jeannie Moragne (insert) donor plant onto a plant, the other donor cuttings should also be lanky in growth habit to match Jeannie’s growth.

• It is best to use compact growing plants as donor cuttings to keep your new “rainbow tree” compact and balanced.

• Some of the most fantastic plumerias available include tried and true favorites such as the Hawaiian cultivars: ‘Duke’, ‘Hilo Beauty’ and ‘Penang Peach’. (Pictured at top of page)

• Other Show Stoppers include Black Purple, JL Metallica, ‘George Brown’ (aka Musk Rainbow) from Australia and J-105 from Thailand. (Pictured above)