i recently went up to brisbane. whilst there, i decided to take a few cuttings from the local frangipanis, and post them back to myself here to my melbourne address. they arrived today (all ten cuttings...) and some looked a bit limp and shrivelled...

i checked with australia post and both Department of Primary Industries (vic and qld), and it is fine to send frangipani cuttings by mail from qld to vic...

now, my questions:

when would be a good time to plant these cuttings?

why are some cuttings shrivelled-looking? is this a sign on drying out?

how long will these cuttings keep? i understand that the best time to plant a cutting is late winter /early spring. would it matter if i planted them now?

do the cuttings need more time to dry? i took the cuttings (when in brisbane...) about a day or so before i posted them. i had no more time (as it was new years and the post office would be closed the day of my departure...), and i'm worried that all that time in the enclosed box perhaps caused the cuttings to sweat and even rot...

the cuttings are a mixture of pink and rose and red coloured frangipani varieties...any help would be greatly appreciated...

muzz...

sounds like they are just drying out that's not bad necessarily as usually when you take cuttings they should be left to dry a couple or weeks or so before planting.

i would plant them out now and being in melbourne i would suggest a good warm northerly aspect for the winter months. might also be an idea to give some though to potting them for now as winter realy isn't that far away, so at least then you can keep them in a warmer position and then plant out early summer next season.

len

mail len

lens garden page

I planted a Frangipani bought in a pot, when I lived in the north eastern suburbs of melb in a corner of the house which was very sheltered and it didn't survive.

So do pamper it with warmth, and do not water too much, as the stem will rot. Happy Gardening.

MM.

first of all, thank you both for your replies. much appreciated...

now len, do you suggest that i leave the cuttings outside during winter, or the potted cuttings outside? i was actually planning on bringing the cuttings inside, but i guess i will be willing to try anything. it gets so cold here overnight in melbourne, especially during june and july...

mistymorn, would you recommend, perhaps, planting the cuttings as soon as possible? it doesn't seem like the wounds have healed or anything...it's quite a complicated business this frangipani-cutting posting and transferring...

if you are opting for the potting then put them in a warm sheltered spot for the winter preffereably where they will get some sun, they will lose any leaves they grow, so at this time don't over water. now even if you plant out next summer you have to try and get enough growth before the next winter so you may ahve to protect the plants from the cold ie.,. heavily mulch to keep the soil warm will help if you get frosts maybe make shelters over them.

could be an advantage to leave them potted for a few or so seasons until they are growing very strongly.

generally it is best to let cuttings dry for around 2 weeks or so they are very hardy, when i have taken cutting i usually stand them cut end down leaning on a wall or garden edge and where they get good morning sun. so your cuttings may need more drying time yet, but i've seen small branches just dropped into the garden strike when they looked all but totally dehydrated.

len

Living in Melbourne for 45 years and in a very cold spot near the Lower Plenty River there were lots of things I could not keep alive, you may live in a warmer suburb.

There are quite a posts about growing frangapani in Vic I will see if I can find one and link it.....MM

we've had a pityful summer, true. barely breaking 25 degrees. nothing short of lacklustre, but anyway...

i posted the same post on the american aspect of this site, under the 'plumeria' section, and a guy posted back this clever technique which shows if your frangipani cutting is on the way out. he explains that if you prick the cutting down at the bottom, near the 'cut', it should bleed white sap. if it doesn't keep pricking all the way up the cutting until you find a spot where it bleeds. here is where you re-cut the cutting, and allow it do dry out again...i have two cuttings that are kinda squishy when i squeeze them, and i'm pretty much bracing myself for the worst. these cuttings however bleed down the bottom of the cutting. they don't bleed all that viscously, but they bleed. i was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for a 'resurrection', if possible...

heh...i have been taking photos of the frangis' growing progress. i doubt they would make anything other than 'quaint' reading/viewing matter, as they are really small and nothing too special looking. i guess they could serve as "you can grow frangipanis in melbourne too!" confirmation photos or something...heh.

thanks for the tips, mm...

Maybe you should cut the squishy bit off and let it dry for about two weeks, where are you drying it a concrete path would be ideal, my hubby built me a potting bench so I leave it on that( no concrete here) I was thinking too that it may take a lot longer to dry it out because of the cooler weather anyway have a go.

my girlfriend grew up in brisbane, and she's gonna be back there again in a few months. misty, would frangis be flowering around late feb early march? because i've asked her to bring back some on the plane, if she can. that way they don't suffocate in a box or anything like that. i reckon that is what dehydrated them.

i was in and around the manly/wynnum area of brisbane, and the frangis there are so beautiful. such a beautiful range of colours and hues. pink with apricot ears. purple with red. absolutely delightful they were...as much as i hate the temparature element of the tropics, i could put up with it for the beautiful flowers and fruit it bears...

Dont know about your cutting rooting though it may be a bit too cold down there then, but anything is worth a try Good luck with them anyway......MM.

I suspect the common yellow-white form is most popular here simply because it's the hardiest, although my mother has a pot full of year-old coloured (ie shades of pink plus a rainbow-coloured one) frangies in her outer-Melb garden that I bought (unrooted) down from Bris last Christmas. So don't give up!