Hi any reason my plumeria cutting branch is splitting like this?

Is it getting too dry on your side? It does like to drink a lot of water at this time of the year.

I would try to sprinkle some cinnamon on that cut, just as protection from further fungal issues.

It's been about high 90's this week. About 50% humidity. Seems like it's trying to close off its self on that end.

Seems the be getting worse and the tip is turning black.

It's been about 6 weeks and hasnt had a lead yet. Should I pull it out and check for Rot? I cut off the black tip til I got to unrotted section.

You can certainly try that. We are heading into Fall so as the seasons start to change, your cutting if there is still no new growth, may just head into dormancy.

But if you want to uproot and check, you can certainly do that, and do a cross section cut on one of those branches, to see how far along the rotting has gone.

Just bear in mind, the shorter the cutting goes the less energy for that cutting.

Labor day weekend weather forecast is another scorcher, so position that part in part shade till that heat wave goes away.

Update:
I cut the 3 branches off

The big one started rotting
The two little 6" ones I was able to save. Not sure if theyll grow. I'll try bag rooting them.

I cut back the main stem, It was all rotten.
I pulled it out and it hadn't rooted, and the stem that was in the soil all mushy.
= /

I had a similar experience in the spring. I had to cut down one of my beloved plumerias to just a few short tips, one of them was less than 4 inches. I sprayed them with hydrogen peroxide hoping it would help stop the rotting. I potted them in perlite and pebbles. (I always root my cuttings in perlite and pebbles with great success.) Surprisingly, even the tiny cutting has grown leaves. I would occasionally water with 1/2 water and 1/2 hydrogen peroxide. I will take photos of my cuttings tomorrow. You are in El Monte, so you still have the advantage of heat to help root. Best of luck!





The four small cuttings in the front are from my Divine plumeria that rotted similar to yours. The tiny one is only a couple of inches and still hasn't rooted but does have some new growth. I don't know if it will make it but at least I have three cuttings that look decent. The back three are healthy cuttings I purchased and rooted this summer.

Nice. Thanks for the tip. I will try the perlite and pebbles for rooting.
Do you switch it to 50/50 soilnperlite after it roots?

Nice. Thanks for the tip. I will try the perlite and pebbles for rooting.
Do you switch it to 50/50 soilnperlite after it roots?

Yes, but at this point I will leave these cuttings in their current containers until March. It's easier to protect them from the winter weather in the small containers. Also, the perlite will be fast draining when it rains. I have left Celedine plumeria cuttings in 1 gallon containers of perlite or pumice for two years and they grew and bloomed just fine.

I follow Gary Matsuoka's soil philosophy. He has a YouTube Channel called Gary's Best Gardening and owns Laguna Hills Nursery in Santa Ana, CA. He has his own potting mix but it can get pricey at about 11.99 per 1 CU FT bag, so I mix my own. I use Perlite, Pumice and Peat Moss in about 1/1/1 ratio. I also throw in pebbles and lava rock at the bottom of the pot. His ingredients for his Top Pot soil mix is Peat Moss, Pumice, Perlite, sand and charcoal. I used to add sand but I find it makes it's way to the bottom of the pot and roots seem to try to grow around it, not thru it and it makes the pots heavy.

Here is a link to one of his soil videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Basically, he says the root rot problem is because we have been told to mix compost and recycled forest products (finely chopped wood) in potting soil to make it "rich" and when we water our plants, the wet compost and chopped wood continues to rot in the soil and rots the roots. He says fertilizers and compost belong on top of the soil where it can continue to decompose and feed plants without rotting the roots.

He says you only need 1-2 inches of compost on top. What I did wrong with my Divine plumeria is that when I came home I repotted it but I was so impressed with the rich potting soil it came in, I filled only half of the pot with my soil mix, and topped half of the pot with the "rich" compost soil mix it came with. So it rotted after this winter . I have 17 varieties of plumerias I grow in pots and that was the only one that rotted. It was an expensive lesson, but at least I was able to save some cuttings.

Nice. Thanks for the tip. I will try the perlite and pebbles for rooting.
Do you switch it to 50/50 soilnperlite after it roots?