So you bought that new plumeria cutting. The question now is, will you will have a beautiful, flourishing and flowering plumeria tree or a dead plumeria stick? The answer is whether you root your cutting properly. This is the first step, and arguably, the most important one. After all if the plant does not grow, whats the point.

So what is the best way to root a Plumeria cutting? First and most important, Plumeria cuttings do not like water. Many people confuse this with the thought that Plumeria trees do not like water, but that is not true. We are talking about un-rooted cuttings. Do not water your cutting while waiting for it to grow leaves. Why, you ask? Cuttings will get stem rot if they are damp or wet too long. Without roots the cutting is just sitting in wet soil and it cant do much with the water while it has no roots. The cutting does not need wet soil to form roots. The warmth of the soil and any available moisture will be all the cutting needs to begin forming roots. Once the roots have formed the watering schedule can begin.

So, let’s get to the ABC’s of rooting.

1. Mix up a batch of very porous soil. 1/3 perilite, 1/3 sand and 1/3 soil works great. A bag of Cactus mix will do well too.

2. Put your soil mix into a 1-3 gallon plastic pot. Water the soil and pat it down so it will be compact and help support the cutting when you stick it in the soil.

3. Mark your cutting 3 inches from the bottom. This will be your soil line. Stick the cutting into the soil up to the line. Roots grow out of the bottom of the cutting so you don’t want to stick in too deep.

4. You can put rooting hormone on the bottom of the cutting before putting it into the soil but most Plumeria cuttings will easily root without it.

5. Once you have the cutting in place you might want to place rocks around it to add support and keep it from tipping over when you move it or accidently hit it.

6. Remember that cutting will not root well if it is not at least 65 degrees. It is recommended that you not try to root your cutting in the late fall or winter unless you have heat pads. These will warm the soil to around 80 degrees and stimulate the root growing process. Cuttings can be placed in a dry, cool location for many months and still root and grow when the time comes to plant them.

7. Now, the next thing to do is wait! Do nothing. Don’t water. Don’t fertilize. Just wait. If the cutting is outside and it is very warm you can water sparingly when the soil has become bone dry. Just be sure the soil is lightly moist to dry most of the time.

8. Once you have 3 or 4 small leaves (about 1-2 months) you can begin to water lightly once or twice a week.

9. Once the plant has 4 or 5 well formed leaves (about 3 months) you can water regularly.

10. Plumeria trees with a developed root system needs to have regular watering. The trick is to water the plant and wait until the soil has become dry before watering again. In the early spring that may be 1 time a week. In the mid summer that may be 2 times a day! If you keep your Plumeria in a pot it will need more watering than if it were in the ground.

That’s about it. Caring for a Plumeria is quite easy. The most critical time is from the time you plant a cutting to the point that the plant has a strong growing root ball. Follow the tips above and it will work every time! For more Plumeria information see how to root Plumeria cuttings

So, you spent hours searching for the perfect Plumeria tree. You found the perfect color and made sure it has just the kind of scent you will love. Don’t make the mistake that so many people are doing every day. What is that? Sticking that expensive little cutting in a pot of dirt! Plumeria are very sensitive to water when they are newly planted cuttings. Some may say, ‘well they are a tropical plant, so they should love lots of water, right?’ Not really, in fact a newly planted cutting is very susceptible to stem rot. Stem rot is caused when the Plumeria cutting is in constant contact with wet soil. It’s not that watering the little guy is necessarily a problem, the problem is watering it in soil that does not drain well. Regular potting soil from the store or dirt from the back yard usually stays much too wet for the likes of a Plumeria cutting.

So here is what you need to do. The best mix I have found is very simple to make and inexpensive to get. Just find or buy some sand as your first ingredient. Then go to the nursery or Wal-Mart and get some perlite and composted bark. Mix one third of each ingredient in a 1 or 2 gallon plastic pot. If you are really in a pinch 50% sand and 50% soil will also work. The key is getting a porous soil that will only hold moisture but not be saturated with water. Go ahead and soak the soil mix to prepare it for the plant. Notice how quickly the water passes through the soil. From this point on do not water the cutting except when the soil has become completely dry.

Congratulations, you now have a happy little Plumeria cutting that is well on its way to becoming a beautiful flowering tree. For more information on how to care for your plumeria visit www.Hawaii-Top-Ten.com