I Had To Repot My Plumaria Because I Had Overwatered It.

Question

My Plumeria is 18 years old and is essentially a 4 foot stick. It is currently blooming for its third time in its life. This is because I am always hesitant to put it in a new pot for fear I will kill it but since it became overwatered I was forced to pull it out, clean the dirt off the root ball and put it in new soil. A local nursery guided me to pull the plant out, take as much of the wet dirt off of the roots as possible and put it in Gary‘s top pot soil. I added a small amount of pearlite. I just talked to them again today because it’s dropping its leaves and that person told me I shouldn’t have put it in the top pot soil And that perhaps it is in too much of direct sunlight for a plant that was just potted while blooming and might be in a little shock and that’s why it’s dropping its leaves. And I should still wait about 10 days from putting it to water it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ So, with all of that background, (thank you for reading), am I missing anything here? Anything I should be doing or not doing or keep in mind?

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Answer 1

I can sympathize. I, too, have gone through all the trials and tribulations of growing Plumaria. Does yours ever get outside? It could be outside most of the year there. If you can add more perlite, I think it would help. Work it into the top without disturbing the roots. You can add it to the top if you can't work it in. Then it will work its way down over time. The soil needs to be very well draining, then if you overwater, it will just run out.

Next spring, I suggest cutting off about 12 inches and rooting that. Then the bottom part should branch out. Do you read or belong to any of the Plumeria societies? They have good care information. So do the plumeria groups on Facebook.

https://southerncaliforniaplumeriasociety.com/

https://southerncaliforniaplumeriasociety.com/care/basic-care/rooting-cuttings/pot-rooting/

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/plumeria