Mike,

Give me more information such as: where is your growing area, climate etc. Are you planing on greenhouse culture if so need to know the setup such as lights& type of lights if the greenhouse can have acceptable heat ranges etc.

Much of what Luke & Carol say I agree with. A plumeria under any conditions will have dormancy period that most will never notice. This can be for a very shot period of time. Many studies have been done with 24 hour a day lighting growing plumeria with much success and flowering.

My position on flowering is very different than Luke's. I have forced seedlings to bloom in seven months and know growers that have accomplished the same in six months. So this fact blows out the maturity theory. If you grow the plant without nutrient support then maturity theory becomes correct. With our research we have accomplished many scenarios never before seen by any growers on the US Mainland. This is all done by certain elements at correct dosages with the target plants. Dewaine I hope can comment about some of our trials as he has been to our place to see this. Get back to me with more info as environmental conditions etc.

Jack

Hi..
I can only grow my pluerias outside all summer up here in Massachusetts since it is the antartic..lol
When I bring them in, they defoliate, then I put them in my cellar in which I have started putting at least 9 hours of plain ole florescent light over them. The temp in the cellar stays about 60 - 65 all winter.
Then when it gets warm enough to bring them outside, I will do so. Till then they stay down there.
I tried to bring them up before the spring last year in a warm sunny room, although they could not get direct sun since all my citrus are in the window. But when they grew leaves, they got so infested with mites, I had to put them back in the cellar until it was warm enough to put them outside. Only a copule grew one inflo.
So no greenhouse, no sun, and no heat until the spring.
Do I have any chances for sucessful plumeria flowering ?

Thanks alot!

Ok,
Since kimisdad probably hasn't seen my response and hasn't givin me hope, can anyone else share there positive experience and tell me if they have flowered their plumies in the conditions that I have mine in..Thanks so much!
None of my cuttings or rooted ones are more than 2 years old.
And none can see the outdoor sun for months from now. What would you do to bring your plumies to flower considering it seems to me if you don't have the MAGIC potion, then there is no hope for anything but leaves for me.
At least I can grow healthy ones without flowers....:-)
Maybe I should settle for this?
Thanks alot..Mike

My buddy Jack has the equipment and science to do some wonderful things with plumeria (and others). But most of us don't have the tools or background to do the same. Despite that, we get plumeria to bloom, so don't despair.

First, remember that seedlings usually don't bloom for at least 2 years, and usually three or more. Newly rooted cuttings probably won't bloom the first year. Both of those statements are dependent on the variety as some will bloom sooner than others. Some will develop inflos on a branch six inches long, while others need 12-18" or more before blooming.

While my growing conditions are different from yours, my plants still go through a dormant period and most shed all their leaves. When night temps get around 50 +/-, they go outside for the spring and summer. Some will develop inflos by June, while others wait until August/September.

I do not subscribe to the "high middle number" philosophy of promoting blooms. I feel a healthy plant, given proper, balanced nutrition regularly will develop inflos readily.

What you can do to help your plants is to set up conditions in the cellar to keep them more active over the winter and jump start them for the spring. Consider getting a heat mat(s) to provide bottom heat. (Although you stated the cellar stays between 60 and 65, so the mat may not be necessary.) Replace the standard fluorescent bulbs with grow lights. You don't have to go to the expense of commercial grow lights. You can buy full spectrum tubes at many home centers. Try to place the lights close to the plants' tops. Put the lights on a timer to give the plants at least 12 hours per day.

But even without those changes, your plumeria will bloom. Just be patient. On another board, there are people in Canada who successfully grow plumeria and have blooms with even less outdoor time than yours.

Mike

Hi Mike,
What I have found growing the plants..if you start from cuttings that have roots.. It take at lease 3 years for a plumeria to grow, trunk to grow, limbs to thicken and branches to get strong enough to hold up a flower. This summer I waited 3 years to finally have flowers. I had 12 bushes finally produce flowers. I was thrilled. Now some, two year old plants will bloom, but might wear it out and you have to wait a year for it to catch up. Spring to get to grow.. summer warmth to grow ..etc.. there are plants that need time.. and patience. which I don't have, but we have to have the patience..I have one is 4 yrs old..no blooms yet, it has not got there yet. So grow in the summer.. to fall, rest and go again, will produce the beautiful flowers we want.. you will get there.

Karen B

Thanks so much for the encouraging words...Guess I was looking for instant gratification...bad me....
Patients it is. Just as soon as I get inflo's, I will let you all know then I will have a big bash outdoors in my beautiful yard this spring with plumies all in flower surrounding the deck...:-)
When you get someone talking about how sucessful they are and that they have all the knowledge and special tricks such as kimisdad to flower plumies so well, some of us feel like failures, such as I when I am left in the dark as too their secret proceedures and special fertilizers that they use in which I have no access to or knowledge of what their product is.
Kimisdad did send me links to plumeria care, so maybe in there he, will have shown me what his fertilizer regimand is , and what product he uses...maybe I will get some coaching by the what seems to be the best plumeria grower on this site.
I would never have a problem having a mentor on my side..:-)
Thank to everyone here who gave me at least hope...and great ideas!!

Aww don't feel like a failure. Plumeria are usually easy to grow, but they do die through no error on our part. Kimi's dad has been doing this for many,many years and Im sure he's lost his share also. Trial and error and patience. Sometimes I wonder if Im getting carried away with all the special ferilizers, treatments for fungus etc etc etc when I used to just stick them in the ground and they'd grow. I still dont do a heck of a lot, and get beautiful blooms. Living up north you need even more patience because of the shorter season. Hang in there, it will be well worth it!

:-)!!!! To all of you kind members here!

I have 2 plumerias growing they will be 3 years old this march or april. I live in upper michigan so I take them in when it starts to get cold. they have never bloomed either. I don't even know what color they are! I was starting to feel that I was doing something wrong. thanks....I guess I just have to be more patient.

can someone help me... they lost all their leaves by christmas--this week they started to grow leaves again...is this good or bad??? Last year they never leafed out until June! any help is appreciated!

I wonder if extra light and heat, earlier in the year, to get a jump start on your plumies growing will make a difference in getting them to flower?
I mean lots of sun in a window, in a warm room, or even lots of grow lites. Bringing them out of dormancy earlier, to get them to leaf out sooner?
The ones down south don't stay dormant as long as ours do. In fact, they start to leaf out by March!
You said they generally don't leaf out till June. Wow.
Maybe the key is, is that we will have to force them to leaf out alot earlier than the warm days of spring to get the results we would like.
Now I am curios. I hope someone chimes in on this one korryzn! :-)
Mike

the funny thing is that they don't get alot of sun light. It's the only room in the house that has some so I just try to keep them "alive" till spring with my other tropicals. I just hope they don't drop their leaves again and I won't even have leaves this summer. They really grew alot last summer. When I would see pictures of plummies 2 years old I would feel sick because mine are so small--I guess they just have to mature at their own rate. Maybe this means we will have an early spring!YEA! this winter has been brutal!

Hi,
to Korryn5a.. The plumeria drop their spring/summer leaves, they die go yellow, brown ugly and go dormant..go to sleep through fall.. then in spring grow new ones and take off again. that is how the plumies grow. I am now waiting trying patience to let them sleep.

careful on ones inside. I have one, singapore inside. when it came in washed the leaves, no bugs. then left it alone. I do not spray the leaves, can bring mites. I check the plant with a moisture meter when it hits dry..add about a cup of water..lg plant. and leave it alone until dry.. It has to make it to possibly April or May.. This one can not tolerate cold night temps, will get huge black spot and black ozzie tip. Did the same last year to 30 plus plants.
Karen B