Damaged Plumeria, please advise, thank you.

Question

Hello GardeningKnowHow.com.

My prized Plumeria was damaged at the base, and the main base of the Plumeria is split just above the soil up to the main fork. I’ve zip tied it together temporarily.

Q1. Is there a way to properly bandage and bind/splint this damage for re-growth and healing, to keep the plant living as it was for a normal life?

Q2. If I can’t bandage & bind/splint this damage for re-growth back together, then how can I keep the 2 halves alive? Is there a wound dressing I could apply to seal up and heal the exposed bark areas?

Please advise as soon as possible. Thank you kindly.

Chad
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Answer 1

Possible causes of a split like this include exposure to frost or extreme heat. If this is what happened, check the branches and trunk for soft spots that would indicate rot, and prune the softened branch to a few inches below the soft area.

The split looks like it is not infected, so binding the two halves together until they can stand on their own will probably work. Zip ties are fine, or you can make a bandage out of cloth or tape and use a splint made of wood, similar to the one shown here:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/propagation/grafting/reattaching-broken-stems.htm

If it seems like the branches on either side of the split are too heavy and are pulling the trunk further apart, you can prune one of them off to stabilize the plant:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/plumeria/plumeria-pruning-info.htm