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Winter flowering of plumerias

DelWH
11 years ago

Has anyone heard or tried this? Or knows what the chemical used is? I found this tidbit in the May 2005 issue of Malamalama, The Magazine of the University of Hawai'i System:

Horticulturist Richard Criley of the University of Hawaiûi at MÃÂnoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has a solution. A chemical used by the pineapple industry to stimulate flowering and uniform ripening is applied to the plumeria tree in September and October. Foliage falls off, leaving the tree unable to respond to shortening days. Warm nights, generally above 65 degrees, spur the plants to regrow, producing flowers of the same size and quality as those normally produced in the spring.

Comments (6)

  • Kimo
    11 years ago

    I saw that article when it first came out. The catch is that you need to be above 65 degrees at night. Very few places unless tropical stay above 65 degrees at night in the winter months. Rick stone and other in Texas have plumerias growing in flower in winter with Greenhouses, heaters and Grow lights.

  • mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
    11 years ago

    I had a NOID white push an inflo in early October and fully opened in November. It lasted until almost Christmas. I do have a greenhouse and keep the nights above 55.

    i dont think anything I did made it do that but it was nice and I hope this fall it does that again.

    Mike

  • Kimo
    11 years ago

    Heres a link to Rick Stones post and pics of his winter set up in TX with grow lights and heaters and actively growing and blooming plumies in the heart of winter...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Heart of Winter Blooming Plumies

  • beachplant
    11 years ago

    what kind of stress does this put on the plants I wonder?
    I mean the chemical not the greenhouse, will it shorten the life span of the tree?
    Tally Ho!

  • Kimo
    11 years ago

    I was told by the ladies at Cstars Nursery that in Central Mexico where they have their growing grounds their plumerias grow and flower all year long as plumerias are indigenous to Mexico through central America. According to the sisters who own Cstars they get about 3feet of growth a year and there are no issues just growth and flowers...

    As for the Chemicals who knows as it is a chemical and they all have side effects...

  • DelWH
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I'm also growing pineapples and found an article about inducing flowering. Apparently they put calcium carbide in water, which generates acetyline (which is used in welding and is highly flammable) and pour it into the top of the plant when the carbide is nearly dissolved. It mentions that acetylene is similar to ethylene gas,which ripening fruit gives off naturally. That's the old trick to ripen bananas by putting them into a paper bag with an apple, tomato, or pear.
    The ethylene given off by the fruit makes the banana ripen faster.

    Of course, since the plumies would also need to be kept above 65 degrees to make this work means that it's probably not really worth the hassle to do it. Oh well.

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