Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[Neetster]

Hi,
We live in Scottsdale and have two plumerias in pots now for about 2 years - each has grown taller and produced lots of leaves but have never bloomed or branched out. They went dormant for the winter and are just now starting to produce new leaves. They're currently indoors to protect them from the cold.

How can we get them to bloom? We have a south facing balcony that gets very hot in the summer but we have some ability to block direct sun.

We're not sure what type of plumeria they are - my husband bought them at Lowe's.

Can you give us some advice?

[phoenixtropicals]

I think there are four important things to consider when getting a plumeria to bloom. Sunshine, water, fertilizer, patience

Sunshine:

I believe it is important for them to get lots of direct sunshine in order for them to bloom. So, starting about right now, late February you want them out of the house and in full sun. Yes, mid summer when it gets really scorching you will want them to have late afternoon shade, but it does depend on variety. You just have to see how much your plant can take. A little bit of sunburn is not a problem. Even the branches will sunburn some on occasion. If growing your plumeria in a pot, another important part of putting them in full sun is to make sure your pot is white. A dark colored pot will cook the roots. White or very light colored ceramic pots are the best.

Water:

Let the soil dry out between waterings. Too much water will discourage the plant from blooming. My potted plumerias are in large pots and I only water them once a week in summer. Having a high quality well draining soil is also good. The soil should be light and fluffy but still have the ability to retain water. "Sunshine - Proven Winner Premium Potting Soil", sold at Harpers, is my favorite right now. Yes, its expensive but you'll have your plant in it for years, so its worth it.

Fertilizer:

Use a bloom boosting fertilizer, preferably water soluable. Use a moderate amount. You can't really force a plumeria to bloom with fertilizer. Fertilizer helps but proper watering and sunshine matter more.

Patience:

I didn't get many blooms the first couple of years. Some years I have gotten nothing, but the longer the plant is in the ground/pot the more blooms you will get. Also, it seems that this years blooms are a result of last years treatment. Its almost like the blooms for this summer are already lined up to go the from the previous year in the dormant stems. If you always trim back your branches you will never get blooms.

Hope this helps.

[gul123]

I'd really like to have a plumeria but would hate to waste my money if it's not going to flourish. I'm also thinking that maybe it's better to start out with a smaller tree so it has time to get used to our climate as opposed to getting one of the bigger ones I saw at Home Depot? Does that matter?

[phoenixtropicals]

A newly planted cutting will take a while to bloom because its still growing its roots. However, once a cutting is established, after about a year, I don't think a larger tree is any more likely to bloom than a smaller. Make sure you don't get anything too big because you'll want to move your potted plumeria inside when a freeze is forecast, and no plant is worth messing up your back over.