Plumeria or frangipani is a houseplant from the Kutrovy family. It is a tropical tree up to two meters tall. Smooth, broad with a sharp end leaves fall and grow again every year. The root system is developed, occupies the entire pot.
It is appreciated for exotic flowers of bewitching shades of pink, purple, yellow and white, which also have a delicate smell. On tropical islands, wreaths and garlands are made of it, meeting them with tourists. Bali and Laos consider it a national symbol. Ever since ancient times, in Maya he was recognized as an erotic, sexual symbol. And in India, plumeria is revered as the "Tree of Life", the favorite of Krishna.
House flower conditions
This is a rather capricious plant, and for its maintenance it is necessary to make sure that the conditions in the room are suitable.
Lighting
Plumeria is very photophilous and able to tolerate direct sunlight all day. It can be safely put on the windowsills of the southern windows. Without getting enough light, the plant will not bloom.
Temperature
Frangipani loves warm rooms. In summer, she prefers a temperature of + 25 ... +30 ° С, in winter she feels rather well at room temperature - but not lower than +17 ° С. In the warm season, you can take it out into the open air, but be sure to a place protected from the wind - the plant does not tolerate drafts.
Air humidity
Plumeria, accustomed to the humid tropics, is demanding on indoor air.
Its humidity should be at least 40%.
Main types
As a houseplant, flower growers use three main types: white, red and blunt.
White Plumeria (Plumeria alba)
In their homeland, on the Antilles, a white plumeria tree can grow up to 10 meters. Narrow long leaves with raised edges are covered with a light pile with the back side. Small, slightly more than two centimeters, white flowers with a bright yellow center.
Plumeria red (Plumeria rubra)
This is a stunted South American plant. The leaves are more rounded than the alba, and larger - they grow up to 50 cm in length. The flowers are also twice as large in size and bloom in inflorescences of several flowers.
The description of their color scheme is wide: many shades of red, pink, purple and yellow; there are also whites. Especially popular is the "Pink Pearl" variety with thin dark pink petals, a yellow center and characteristic straight red lines diverging from the base of the petals.
Blunt Plumeria (Plumeria obtusa)
This African variety is characterized by low growth, large (up to 10 cm) and very odorous snow-white flowers and the absence of a dormant period - the plant does not dump foliage in winter.
Home Care for Plumeria
Subject to proper conditions of detention, frangipani is not too demanding in care.
Watering
Water the plant with soft, settled for at least 24 hours water. In winter, watering is required less often, and in summer - more often, but in any case, it is worth monitoring the condition of the soil.
It should not be allowed to dry out, as well as excessive moisture.
Abundance of watering also depends on the amount of sunlight - more water is required on cloudy days than on sunny days.
Moisturizing
To maintain the required humidity, plumeria is recommended to be sprayed regularly from the spray gun. In this case, the water used is the same as for irrigation - settled and soft.
During flowering, spraying is prohibited - the flowers do not tolerate drops of moisture on the petals. In such cases, hydration can be achieved by placing fresh moss or expanded clay poured into water in a pan around the pot.
Fertilizer
Fertilizers are applied to the soil along with water for irrigation. In the spring, when the plumeria acquires fresh foliage, it is fertilized with mineral complexes for flowers a couple of times a month.
In the summer, phosphorus fertilizers are connected, and in the fall, the frequency of feeding is reduced. In winter, during dormancy, feeding is not needed.
Rest period
In winter, the plumeria begins a period of rest, when it loses its foliage and falls into hibernation. It lasts about a month, depending on the plant variety, after which the active growth of young greenery begins again. During this period, it should be watered rarely and with a small amount of water without fertilizers, and falling leaves should be removed in a timely manner.
Transplant Features
Young plants require transplantation every year, adults - twice less often. This procedure is carried out in early spring:
- The new pot should be several centimeters larger than the old and have drainage holes.
- Too long roots can be trimmed if necessary.
- It is recommended to prepare the soil from a mixture of two parts of turfy soil and one part of peat, humus and sand.
- Under the ground, you need to place expanded clay or gravel with a layer at 20% of the depth of the pot. It is useful to add chopped eggshells.
Breeding
At home, the reproduction of plumeria is carried out by seeds and cuttings. In the first method, the appearance of the plant may differ from the parent, and the first flowers appear 2-3 years after planting. Cuttings ensure the safety of varietal characters, and flowering occurs in about a year.
Seeds
Seeds before planting are pre-soaked in a solution of a growth stimulant, placed on a damp tissue and kept for 24 hours in a warm place, periodically moistening the tissue with a spray gun.
Soil for sowing is taken in the same composition as for transplanting. It is poured into six-centimeter seedling pots with drainage holes.
The seed is placed in the ground so that the lionfish remains above the soil. After careful watering, the pot is covered with foil and sent to a warm place. Twice a day, the crops are aired.
It takes a week or two to grow the first sprouts.
It is important, after germination, to help the plant get rid of lionfish - the remainder of the seed. To do this, the dry skin of the winglet is pre-soaked and then gently removed from the sprout with tweezers.
After the stem reaches a height of 6 centimeters, it is time to proceed to the first transplant.
The pot should be several centimeters larger in diameter and have holes. Drainage falls asleep at the bottom. The sprout is transplanted to a new place with an earthen lump.
Cuttings
Cuttings are cut after the plant leaves the dormant period, at the very beginning of spring. The slice should be oblique. It is immediately wetted with water, then a stimulator of root growth.
The pot is filled with three layers of soil: earth mixture + perlite + earth mixture. The cutlery is placed in a pot at a right angle so that its end is in the middle, perlite layer. The pot is placed in a very warm (not lower than +25 ° C) and the most bright place. On cloudy days, additional fluorescent lighting is provided.
Watering should be done carefully, gradually increasing the amount of water.
Rooting occurs after 2-3 months. Young leaflets appearing on the cuttings will tell about its success.
Warning
Plumeria is a poisonous plant. It should be kept out of the reach of children and pets. Toxic juice in contact with skin causes irritation.
If this happened, for example, when cutting cuttings, immediately rinse the affected area with running water.
Mr. Summer resident warns: pests and diseases
Frangipani rarely gets sick or is attacked by pests - the poison present in the juice protects her from this. But flower growers may still encounter several problems.
| Description of the problem | Possible reasons | Decision |
| In winter, leaves quickly fall. | Rest period. | No need to do anything - this is a natural phenomenon. At such a time, the plant needs cooler air, rarer and less abundant watering. |
| Growth has stopped, foliage turns yellow and grows yellow. | Lack of moisture in the soil. | Increase watering. |
| Leaves turn yellow, the smell of rot appeared. | Excess moisture in the soil. | Stop watering until the topsoil is completely dry, then continue less frequently and in smaller doses. |
| Growth has stopped, branches become thinner and longer, flowering does not occur. | Lack of light. | Provide the plant with more direct sunlight or use a special lamp. |
| Small yellow or brown dots appeared on the leaves. | Infection with fungus. | Spray fungicide. |
| Leaves lose their color, small white specks appear on them, sometimes cobwebs. | The defeat of the only pest that parasitizes on plumeria is the spider mite. | Use specialized insecticides. To avoid reinfestation, maintain air humidity at the required level. |
