Florida Colors Nursery
23740 SW 147 Ave, Homestead, Fl 33032
305-258-1086
Plumeria Care Sheet
Cuttings: Cuttings should be allowed to dry for 2 weeks in a shady, dry place. They have been dipped in a rooting hormone to help the rooting process. When ready, pot them in a well draining soil mix, such as Cactus mix. Lightly mist about once a week. Soil should be dry. Place in a sunny warm dry place. Plants will be rooted when they have about 4 full leaves. Once new leaves emerge, spray a complete 10-30-10 fertilizer over the entire plant.
Grafted Plants: Grafted plants have been slightly bare rooted. The roots have been padded with sphagnum moss for shipping. Remove the moss; repot in a 1 or 2 gallon pot with a well draining soil mix. The leaves have been trimmed to prevent stress. The only fertilizers that can be mixed in the soil when planting are Dynomite or Osmocote types. Keep the plant in a light shade until it has about 2 leaves. Once the new leaves emerge, spray a complete higher phosphorus water soluble fertilizer (such as 10-30-10) over the entire plant.
Example of a grafted plant:
Plumerias are native plants of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They require dry soil in winter and early spring, and more water for later spring, summer and early fall. Too much water will induce growth and prevent the flowering process. They require a fertilizer low in phosphorus, an ideal fertilizer should be in the 4-1-4 ratio of (NPK) Nitrogen – Phosphorus – Potassium. Slow release fertilizers are best for the plants and the environment.
A rust fungus lives in symbiosis with the Plumeria plants. Under wet conditions the fungus that lives throughout the plant will "bloom" and produce an abundant crop of orange spores on the underside of the leaves. They are very similar to the spores of fern plants visible on the underside of the fronds. The rust that is living on all Plumerias of the world will induce defoliation of the plant. It is a natural process that allows the plant to enter dormancy during the dry season of the year. Funginex, Bayleton or Plantvax fungicides can be used to control the rust symptoms.
