How Do I Prune Frangipani That Has Never Branched?

Question

My frangipani is about 3 years old, grown in a container from a cutting. It has no branches, just a single central stem about 80 cm tall. It has not yet flowered. I bring the plant indoors in the winter. It gradually loses its leaves, but maintains its little new growth leaflets that then take off in the spring. I want to encourage branching, but also – mainly – control height, as I need the plant to be transportable. How and when do I cut? Your site – and others – says to cut above an existing branch junction, but I don’t have any branch junctions.

Answer 1

Are you fertilizing? Try a regular fertilizer program before pruning. Cutting off part of the stem will invite disease and pests. Cutting it does not guarantee it will branch. Once it flowers, it will branch out.

https://theplumeriasociety.org/plumeria-care/
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/plumeria/how-to-fertilize-plumeria.htm

Answer 2

Ensure adequate sunlight to bloom well. Plumerias grow best in full sunlight, which is much more than 6 hours a day. Use a high-phosphorous fertilizer when the frangipani is actively growing (not now in late fall or winter), such as 10-30-10 ratio (the middle number '30' is phosphorous). To control size, get some gloves and prune; measure a length of about 1 foot or 1/3 meter. A lot of pruning happens now when people bring them inside and realize the frangipani is too tall. After pruning, let it dry out for a week. If it has no foliage, just leave it alone and do not water it until it leaves closer to spring. If it has leaves, plant it and water it until it drops the leaves in winter. The act of pruning may trigger foliage growth so monitor and water accordingly to avoid rotting issues. More info: https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Plumeria-from-Cuttings https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/plumeria/growing-plumeria-cuttings.htm