| Aloha everyone, From what I have read and from personal experience, a cutting of at least 8" or so to 2' is best. Smaller cuttings are harder to root, while HUGE cuttings can take longer and have less developed root systems in the end. Granted, any plant grown from a cutting will be missing the taproot (if it was supposed to have a "good" one, depends on the plant) and will not be as stable as a plant grown from seed. Same goes with air layering. I've shipped a number of Plumeria cuttings, rooted and not, to the U.S. mainland. Take the cutting and allow the cut end to scab, wrap it well in newspaper or packing paper after it is dry, but don't seal it off completely or it can gather condensation and begin to rot. You're also supposed to have any plant material moving out of Hawaii inspected by the D. of Agriculture. They just check it over and make sure that there is/are no soil, insects, signs of disease, etc. They have you pack and seal it on the spot, and you can take it to the post office afterwards.
I've had bare root plants, seeds, cuttings, rhizomes, etc all pass with flying colors and arrive at the destination with no problem at all. It's not what everyone makes it out to be.
I usually use the longer flat-rate ( 14" x 1' x 3.5" )box to ship a large number of Plumeria cuttings, otherwise, for just a cutting or two, it's a mailing tube. The envelope is alright for hardwood cuttings (Croton, Ti, Hibiscus, Ixora, etc.) with a piece of cardboard or two inside, but Plumeria cuttings have a tendency of snapping under pressure, and on top of that ya get the sap/milk leak that comes along with it =/
I've got some common Plumeria cuttings. Medium flower white with a yellow eye. They're for trade, but contact me if you don't have anything to trade and we can work something out with no worries. Aloha and hope this answers some of your questions! ~Dave |
