Plumies, plumies everywhere!
Submitted by Chellflower on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 14:20
We have 20 Plumies sprouted now of the 29 that I planted in hydro! All of these are nice and thick and all have their first 'true' leaves...the tallest is about 3"
They all seem very happy in the hydro.. I've been alternating with the air pump on/off for a few days at a time to keep the grow medium well drained.
Its hard to believe we have to wait 3 years or more before these babies mature to see what the flowers will look like! Kinda like raising kids!
Chellflower
Chell, I've been remiss......
Annette/ maw We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between, we garden. Author unknown
Maw, I can't wait till
Maw, I can't wait till they arrive!!! Woohooo! 3 new kinds----you rock Ladybug !!!! Thanks so much!!
Chellflower ~ zone 8
I'm 'loopy' most of the time, but it shows off my 'well-rounded' personality.
Wow Chell that's a lot of
My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
Wombat,I hope you're
Wombat,
I hope you're right about the bloom time...I've heard it takes at least 3 years for seeds to mature enough to flower, but the wait will still be exciting to see how many are like the parents and if any are of a new variety....at least I have the cuttings too which most should bloom this year. I know the colors of the cuttings, but none are named. I'm more intersted in the beauty and fragrance than the types anyway, but it is nice to know your babies names....
Other than a tree I got last year, this is my first attempt at growing Plumies-from seeds or cuttings- I've had such good luck so far. They seem easier to care for than I had heard..
Chellflower ~ zone 8
I'm 'loopy' most of the time, but it shows off my 'well-rounded' personality.
Plumie photos
Here's a photo of our first plumie 'litter' ...these seeds were planted March 23rd....
the photo isn't very clear, but the seedlings are all thick and not at all leggy....so far I must have done things right with the hydro (still keeping fingers crossed).
Chellflower ~ zone 8
I'm 'loopy' most of the time, but it shows off my 'well-rounded' personality.
Wow
Chell you are doing a great
Chell you are doing a great job. Would love to chat with you sometime. Would you host a chat about your knowledge of plumerias? What say you? Dale, Photo Manager & Good Will Ambassador
Dale, Photo Team Leader & Good Will Ambassador
Chell, I can't wait to see
Chell, I can't wait to see pictures! Are you planning to keep them in the hydro? I really wonder how they would do there -- considering I've always heard that #1, plumies have shallow roots, and #2, they don't like to have such wet feet. I think though, that keeping seeds wet (or at least sufficiently moist,) and perhaps warm is the key to germination!
Do you know what kind of plumies they are? (Or what the parentage is?)
Susan, the Texas Yankee, the Texas Rangerette and the Assistant Administrator
SKBeal's Snazzy Tra
Susan,The Assistant Administrator, the Texas Yankee and the Texas Rangerette.
Here's the
Here's the varieties and germination rates....
Abigail - 5 of 5 Brittney- 2 of 3 Chompoo Pann- 3 of 3
Chommpoo Wang -2 of 5 Francoise- 3 of 3 M.H. Eggenburger- 1 of 5
Thai Mixed - 4 of 5 ......that's 20 sprouts from 29 seeds.... so what would that be?..apprx. 90% germination rate or better??? Sorry I'm not great at figuring percentages.....please correct me if you know this one.
It did help to 'plump' the seeds first - I also started some of the same varieties in the little greenhouse on April 3rd( 31 seeds total). Most feel like they have roots, but so far only the Abigails have sprouted (3 of 5).
Also, the fertlilizer and air/water circulation in hydro may contribute to a faster growth rate. I'll be able to compare better once more of the 'soil' planted Plumies have sprouted. My guess is that, like most seedlings, the plumies probably prefer slightly moister conditions when starting out than they do once established. I'm keeping a close eye on them though just to be safe. I may keep one in hydro to compare growth with those that I transplant, and may also keep a few indoors in pots to compare just out of curiosity.
Friday I saw the lady I got my Plumie tree from last year- she had another plant sale. She has a cutting that hasn't rooted yet -said her hubby only planted it about an inch deep, but after hearing how mine are doing she's replanting it deeper...the interesting part is that her cutting has been outdoors in a pot ALL Winter and looked fine otherwise -seems they CAN handle temps below 50 degrees.... So Susan, I'm thinking maybe once ours are established that maybe we can aclimate them to stay outdoors at least until the 'nasty winter rains' show up. I hope so, as I mentioned before, I did go Plumie crazy - I realized today that between seedlings and cuttings I now have over 40 Plumies (and hopefully more seedlings on the way..). Once the seedlings are more established I should have some available for trade-providing they can handle mail transit. Of course, I'll probably be trading them for other Plumie varieties! I desperately need a greenhouse - I'm tempted to setup the frame of our big camping tent and make it into a greenhouse just as a nursery for my 'litters' of Plumie babies!
Starting Plumies from seed is so rewarding- I think its worth the 3 year wait for their maturity. If you think about it, lots of tropicals take a long while to mature.But be sure you have plenty of space -they are addictive!!!
Sorry I haven't posted photos yet...been busy trying to finish the bathroom remodel before doing some major Spring Cleaning. Also trying to get all our 'ducks in a row' to be prepared in time for our vacation ...will post some as soon as I can.
Chellflower ~ zone 8
I'm 'loopy' most of the time, but it shows off my 'well-rounded' personality.
Chell, space is a big issue
Chell, space is a big issue for me here....We've only got about 850 square feet with way too little storage. my hubby gets frustrated because he thinks the plants are taking up more room than the people. I love all tropical stuff. I had some brugs outside, but I brought them inside last night, and now we're under a frost advisory for tonight.....so, I am hoping that all the cannas and other things I have out there will be okay. I didn't think that in the middle of April we were going to have to deal with this sort of weather. I hate it. Now you know why I want to live in zone 11! I've got a couple of kinds of gingers growing, too. I have a rare Maranta Variegata that I still have inside. I don't see my plumies going outside until May sometime.
You sure have a wide variety of plumies...but remember, those planted from seeds aren't necessarily the same as the name of the seed....unless you know the parentage of both parent plants. That's why I prefer cuttings....especially when dealing with named plants.
Susan, the Texas Yankee, the Texas Rangerette and the Assistant Administrator
SKBeal's Snazzy Tra
Susan,The Assistant Administrator, the Texas Yankee and the Texas Rangerette.