by johnah on November 2, 2020
How To Prune A Plumeria
Plumeria are not only beautiful plants but they have many useful uses. They need good care so that they will thrive.
Some of them are used for their flowers which provide food for birds and other animals, while others are grown for their fruit or leaves which can be eaten by humans. The most common use of plumeria is their flowers, which are very attractive and attract insects and birds. However, it’s the fruits that make them special.
The plumeria flower is actually a single stalk with several petals. These petals are edible when cooked like spinach or sautéed in butter or oil (see Cooking With Plums).
The plums themselves contain high levels of vitamin C and potassium, both essential nutrients for human health. Other uses include making jam, jelly, syrup and wine.
There are two main types of plumeria: those growing from seeds and those that grow from tubers. Seeds can be planted directly into the ground or they can be sown in pots where they sprout within a few weeks.
Tubers are usually grown in rows or beds and require more space than seedlings because they must develop over time before blooming.
How To Prune A Plumeria
Plumeria trees can grow to be very tall without pruning. This is why they should only be planted in back yards where there is sufficient distance between them and the house.
They have a tendency to shed their bottom branches which can damage anything that it might fall on. One must also ensure that the tree does not overgrow the area in which it is situated. Overgrown plumeria can be a problem because it shades out grass and other crops below.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell when a plumeria is overgrown. It’s only when the tree is pruned it begins to look ugly and loses its natural shape.
It also stops blooming altogether for many years because plumeria dislike having their roots disturbed in any way.
How Can I Prune A Plumeria?
There are several ways to prune a plumeria. The first is the most popular and involves cutting branches off at the base. This method can be used for older, taller trees that have outgrown their space. Care must be taken not to dig up the tree while cutting the branches off at the base. This is because cutting roots can cause a tree to die.
The second method involves digging up the entire tree and trimming it like a shrub. This is only necessary if the tree has grown out of bounds or developed holes in its trunk.
After trimming, the plant can be replanted and will begin growing afresh.
The third and last method involves cutting back a plumeria so that it develops multiple trunks. This process takes several years but it’s worth the wait because plumeria trees with multiple trunks develop more flowers than those with a single trunk.
What Is The Best Time To Prune A Plumeria?
Plumeria should not be pruned during the summer, especially those that grow in pots. This is because they need time to rest and restore themselves after all the blooming is over. Pruning them too often will prevent them from blooming at all. It’s best to prune them in late spring or early summer.
Other Types Of Pruning
Plumeria can also be layered to produce multiple plants that are identical to the parent plant. This process involves digging a trench around the plant, pruning off all the branches and replanting the stems.
It takes several months for the layering to take affect but it is an effective way of producing more plants at a faster pace.
Some people also practice bark pruning. This involves peeling away parts of the tree’s bark to prevent the spread of rot and disease.
It also has the added advantage of exposing more nutrients in the tree’s core for better flowering.
Interesting Facts About The Pruning Of Plumeria
Plumeria stems have been known to be as strong as copper. Native Indians used to make knives, arrowheads and other sharp objects out of them because it was more durable than flint.
It was also used for making tattoos in the Pacific Islands and was even chewed upon to relieve toothaches.
Thank you for reading this article about pruning.
The Best Time To Prune A Plumeria Is After It Has Finished Blooming
Pruning a plumeria at any other time of the year will result in it not blooming again. This is because pruning encourages the plant to start over and re-establish itself, which takes all of its energy and prevents it from developing flowers.
It is best to prune them after they have fully bloomed and withered. Most types of plumeria take around 6 to 8 months to completely bloom and then wither, so it is best to wait a few months before pruning them.
Don’t worry if the leaves begin to wither and turn brown, this is completely normal.
The Most Popular Types Of Pruning
The first method is known as “hedging”. Hedging creates a rounded shape that provides privacy and blocks excess sunlight in a certain area.
This is especially good for blocking your neighbor’s window if they happen to be an early riser or if you simply don’t want them looking in. To practice this type of pruning, cut down the top of the plant until the first set of side branches begin to grow. This type of pruning takes around 3 to 5 years before a good hedge can be formed.
Loosening the plant will allow for more sunlight and air to reach the middle of the plant, this is considered to be the most natural way of pruning. This method should only be used on smaller trees because it can result in them falling over if you loosen the branches too much.
Start by cutting down the top half of plant and making a 45-degree angle cut on the main stem. This allows more light to reach the inside of the plant. This method can take up to 3 years to fully bloom.
Clefting is a very common way of pruning and involves cutting the plant at different levels. Start by cutting off the top half of the plant, followed by cutting off an additional one-third of it.
Clefting can be repeated a maximum of two times, any more than that could cause death to the plant. This method takes around 2 to 3 years to bloom.
Forcing the plant to grow thick and wide is another pruning technique. This is most effective on trees that are around 1 to 1.5 meters tall.
Start by removing the top half of the plant and pruning the side branches so that only four or five remain. This process can take up to two years before you see any results. The final size of the tree depends on how wide you pruned the branches.
The final and most complex method of pruning is known as the elberfeld method. This requires an experienced hand and should only be used on trees or plants that are between 1 to 1.5 meters in height.
Start by removing the top 20cm of the plant and then turn 45 degrees and remove another 20cm of the main stem. Turn 90 degrees from where you made the first cut and make another cut to leave only a stump of 20cm. This process is then repeated until you reach the bottom of the plant. This method can take up to 5 years to bloom.
Which pruning technique is best for you?
That’s up to you and your circumstances, so try a few different ones and stick with the one that gets the results you want.
The Best Time To Prune
You might be wondering when exactly the best time to prune is, well wonder no more.
Spring is the best time for most plants because this allows them time to re-shoot and leaf out before summer. However, some plants like poinsettias will bloom better if you prune them in the summer.
Summer is also a good time, but most plants will not shoot back as much as they would during the springtime. Fall is reserved for ornamental grasses and biennials that die back every fall anyway.
Fall is also good for plants that you want to divide, such as daylilies.
Regardless of when you choose to prune, remember to water your plant well both before and after you do it.
How To Keep Your Houseplants Alive Through Winter
Once fall starts creeping in, the leaves will begin to change color and drop off the trees. This signals that winter is right around the corner and it’s time to take your houseplants inside if you live somewhere cold.
Leaves falling off the trees
Some plants can handle a little frost and snow while others will just die off. Even if your plant is capable of handling the cold, you should still move it inside if it isn’t already.
This will give it a longer life and keep it healthy.
Moving your plants inside is quite easy. Just dig up the entire clump of it or cut off the top portion and pot it in a container or bag filled with potting soil.
Keep it in a place that gets a lot of sunlight, but not in direct sun for too long. Most important is to keep the soil moist at all times, but don’t water it until it starts to dry out. It should survive just fine.
You can also cut the plant back by at least a third and replant the top portion somewhere else to give it a head start for spring. This also works well with outdoor plants you want to bring inside for the winter as well.
Be sure to cut the stems at an angle so water can easily flow down into the top of the plant. It also prevents bacteria from traveling up the stem and into the plant.
Watering at an angle also helps prevent any fungus or mold from getting into the plant. This is very important when bringing plants into close proximity in a home.
Water at an angle
Once all risk of frost has passed and the ground begins to thaw, you can dig up your plants if you had to move them for the winter. Cut off all the dead or weak stems and buds and replant them.
If there are only a few, then just cut those out and replant the healthy portions with a little more spacing. They should help your plant a lot next year.
Spring and summer are the best times to repot any houseplant because the roots are starting to fill the pot they’re in. For this reason, it’s also the best time to prune them as well.
This will allow more energy to go towards growing rather than having to sustain the plant itself.
A lot of people think they should fertilize their plants during this time, but that isn’t always a good idea. Too much nitrogen can actually encourage soft growth instead of the thick, strong stems and roots needed.
If you want to fertilize at all, stick with a fertilizer that has a higher phosphate content rather than the nitrogen content. This will help promote stronger growth.
One important thing to keep in mind is that home growing isn’t the same as farming. You’re not going to be able to produce an abundance of plants like you would if you had several acres of fields.
You’ll be able to grow a few plants, keep them healthy with a little work and patience, and reap the benefits.
As long as you keep your plant in a sunny location and maintain the soil, you shouldn’t have to do too much to get good results from your harvest. Happy planting!
Thanks for visiting! Good luck and good growing!
Your friends at Humble Seed
Sources & references used in this article:
Cytokinin and ethephon induce greater branching of pruned Plumeria by E Kwon, RA Criley – … digest-University of Hawaii, Cooperative Extension …, 1991 – agris.fao.org
Pruning landscape trees and shrubs by EH Thornton, SH Thornton – 1985 – Plumberia Specialties
Pruning Landscape Trees and Shrubs by EF Gilman, RJ Black – 2005 – iphoa.com
Promoting branching of a potential biofuel crop Jatropha curcas L. by foliar application of plant growth regulators by G Meade, DL Hensley – 1998 – 128.171.57.22
Preliminary In-vitro Assessment of Some Phytochemical Constituents and Radical Scavenging Activity of Methanol Extracts of Five Flowers Varieties by HA Abdelgadir, SD Johnson, J Van Staden – Plant growth regulation, 2009 – Springer
Occurrence, distribution and control of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), an invasive alien pest in Sri Lanka by ON Victor, AG Emeka, AJ Chukwuka… – Annual Research & …, 2015 – journalarrb.com
Plumeria in Hawai ‘i by LD Galanihe, MUP Jayasundera, A Vithana… – Tropical Agricultural …, 2011 – dl.nsf.ac.lk
CYP79D73 participates in biosynthesis of floral scent compound 2-phenylethanol in Plumeria rubra by RA Criley – 2005 – scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu
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