The genus of tropical trees Plumeria belongs to the Kurtov family. They are widely distributed in the tropical regions of South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, California, the Pacific Islands, and Thailand. In mild natural conditions, it grows in open soil, and in a cool climate, plumeria occurs only in greenhouses. At home, you can grow several species of this plant, which has beautiful fragrant inflorescences.
What does plumeria grown at home look like
In nature, trees grow up to 5-10 m. And at home, plumeria, limited by space, does not exceed 2 m. Several non-hybrid species of this plant are distinguished, but in our climate conditions, only Plumeria rumba can be grown.
Since it is a tree, it has a trunk, dense fleshy branches (2-5 cm thick), leaves of dark green color, sometimes tinted with gray or purple. The shape of the leaves is elliptical, sometimes lanceate, width is about 15 cm, length reaches 45 cm, veins on a leathery surface are clearly visible. Sheet platinum at the end can be rounded or have a sharp end, the reverse side is downy.
In the apical parts of young shoots, flowers form. Plumeria boasts that they are large - in diameter more than 5 cm, have 5 petals. But 4, 6, 7 petals are not a deviation from the norm. They are oval, sometimes in the form of a spatula, differ in shape from other species. The color is diverse: white, yellow, purple, red, pink. They can be in the center of one shade, and at the tips go smoothly into another. The aroma is pronounced, varies depending on the environment.
Plant features
Plumeria indoor has some characteristics that you need to know about.
- This is a poisonous plant, so it is not afraid of pests. The only thing that can hit him is a spider mite.
- Juice from parts of the plumeria is poisonous, so you need to take care of it with gloves, and if the liquid does get on the skin, immediately rinse with plenty of water.
- In winter, the tree drops its leaves, this is a natural process that lasts from 3 weeks to 1.5 months.
- Fragrant flowers do not have nectar, so they are not pollinated by bees, but plants grown from one parent may vary in the colors of the buds.
- The fruits can not be used as food, after flowering they are suitable only for seeds.
What microclimate to create for flowering
Having decided that your home will be decorated with plumeria, at home you need to provide her with the necessary care. It consists in proper watering, lighting, fertilizer and other important indicators. In spring and summer, you need to water often enough, as soon as the top layer of the earth in the pot dries. From October to March, you need to moisten the soil less often, so that it does not completely dry.
The air should be humid: for this purpose, spraying is regularly carried out during the growing season. The water is used soft, settled, avoiding getting it on the flowers. To increase the humidity around the plumeria, the pot with the plant can be placed on a pallet with moist moss, gravel or expanded clay so that the roots do not reach them.
At the time of the beginning of the growth of new leaves, fertilizing should be introduced. First, with a high nitrogen content for leaf growth, and then with phosphorus and trace elements for lush flowering. The frequency of fertilizer is 2-3 weeks. By autumn, the number of top dressings is reduced, but in winter they are not carried out at all.
Plumeria at home should receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. You can take it outside at a temperature above 18 ° C. In summer, you need to maintain a temperature in the region of 24-29 ° C, and in winter - 15-18 ° C.
Where to put plumeria
The plant is best located where most of the sunlight is on the south side. If this is not possible, then at least in the eastern or western. When placing it on the balcony, it is worth protecting it from rain and wind. A small tree will feel great on a lighted windowsill, and a large plant can be placed in the living room or bedroom. If there are children in the house, make sure that they do not break the leaves and do not take them in the mouth.
Methods for self-growing plants
Plumeria at home reproduces in two ways: cuttings and seeds. Both of them are feasible, only flowering will occur at different times. A faster way to get a flowering plant is to use plumeria cuttings. They are harvested in autumn or winter, pruning lignified branches. They can be stored without boarding and other care for about 6 months. Seeds are obtained from narrow cylindrical pods formed after flowering. They are usually red-brown or green, pointed at the ends. Let us consider in more detail how plumeria is grown from seeds and how planting of cuttings differs.
How to plant seeds
The rudiments are used with lionfish. Seeds are poured with warm water and left for a couple of hours. If possible, it is better to dip them in a solution of fungicide and then in hydrogen peroxide - this will prevent decay during germination (it is difficult to control the irrigation process when seedlings are not visible). It is advisable to steam the soil in a microwave oven or in an oven. Suitable sheet and
turf land, quite loose and passing a lot of air.
A small amount is poured into a wide box and seeds are planted, leaving the lionfish on the surface. Cover with glass, leaving little space for ventilation. Soil is not watered, but sprayed from a spray bottle. After a week or two, the seeds germinate, and when 2 full leaves are formed on them, they are transplanted into separate peat cups. Subsequently, plants can be planted in a pot with them.
The seed container must be placed in a warm and sunny place. Over time, you should carry out the procedure for separating the peel from the seed so that it does not slow down the growth of the plant. Find the embryo, moisten the cotton wool and apply it briefly to the skin, it will soften and easily lag behind. Plumeria from seeds will bloom no earlier than in 2-3 years. Do not be discouraged if you do not get the result right away.
Plumeria: care of cuttings
To grow a tree from such a "workpiece", first its cut tip is dipped in water and dusted with a rooting agent. First, the stalk is put in perlite (it can be enriched with peat) to a depth of 10 cm. The pot must be provided with lower heating and put in bright light. The temperature should be maintained between 24-28 ° C. As the substrate dries, the substrate is watered.
Rooting can last up to 3 months. The main sign of success is the beginning of leaf growth. After a while, a plant is transplanted into a large pot. You can get blooming buds already in the first year, but no later than the second. Know that at home colorful plumeria will not bloom right away, growing from seeds or cuttings will take some time and will require careful care and control.
Transplantation of adult plants
So, you coped with the planting, grew plumeria, which pleases the home with bright colors and fragrant aroma. Providing her with the right conditions is not all that you must do now. Every 2 years in the spring it must be replanted, and
young plants every year. The tree has a powerful root system, so choose a large, spacious pot. When the plant is already quite an adult, and the capacity has nowhere else to increase, you can limit yourself to replacing the topsoil.
Prepare a nutrient substrate using peat, humus, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 1. It is imperative to install drainage, small expanded clay on the bottom of the pot. The transplant should be done with rubber gloves so that the milky juice does not get on the skin. Also pruning weak, deformed, too long, diseased blackened branches after flowering. Wipe the knife or pruner with alcohol. Good cuttings will produce cuttings suitable for propagation.
Interesting facts about plumeria
- This beautiful tropical tree got its name in honor of the French botanist Charles Plumera.
- Another name for the plant is frangipani, in honor of a nobleman from Italy, who first created perfumes with the aroma of these unusual flowers.
- The smell distributed by them cannot be described accurately: they smell like spices, jasmine, gardenia, citrus fruits. The flavor may vary. It is especially pronounced in the morning.
- It is the national flower of Laos and Bali.
- The ancient Mayans perceived plumeria as a symbol of love in an erotic manifestation.
- In some countries of the Buddhist religion, these flowers symbolize immortality, so they are planted in large numbers around the temples.
- An extract from plumeria is used in cosmetology: it has a regenerating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effect on the skin. It is part of night creams and cleansers.
Let your house be decorated with decorative plumeria: growing from seeds is easy to do if you focus on this matter.