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May 28, 2014 2:29 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
Hi, folks! I volunteer at the local Botanical Gardens' nursery. A couple of weeks ago, someone was moving away, and gave us a number of terribly overgrown Crown of Thorns plants. One of the plants in a small pot was over six feet long, one stem laying on the ground!! I don't know how it was grown, maybe on a deck or patio. It had maybe six leaves at the top, and some nice red flowers more than an inch across.

Well,,,,,, when I was not there, others decided to make cuttings. Chopped all the plants into six-to-eight inch pieces. Laid them out side by side in trays, lots of cuttings. Maybe 60 or 70 cuttings I shifted them into pots, no soil, just the cuttings. Didn't seem right to me, but then I've never owned a Crown of Thorns.

Yesterday, two volunteers were potting them individually, in clay-dirt with sand added to it. (UGH!!!) I went over to meddle, and started cutting a cutting into bits, it was rotted. More and more were rotten. The lady doing the potting couldn't tell a mushy rotted cutting! She was packing the dirt, then watering the pot well. Oh, my. Such a nice lady, but not she didn't seem to be awake,,, or something.

I did say I know nothing about this kind of plant, but I knew somehow that something was terribly wrong. I went back to what I was doing, but they called me to tell them which cuttings weren't rotted. sigh

Can I get a few short comments about how to go about handling these plants-- in the future!

Thanks in advance, signed, an Adenium lover
Avatar for Dutchlady1
May 28, 2014 3:21 PM CST

Plumerias Photo Contest Winner: 2015 Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Forum moderator
Region: Florida Cat Lover Garden Sages Cactus and Succulents Tropicals Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
I have rooted Crown of Thorn cuttings; they require similar treatment to Plumeria.

First of all, they need to be allowed to callous! Then they should be placed in a porous mix (ideally 50% perlite or similar) and then no watering until leaves are sprouting.
Now - it is my experience that you lose about 50% of them. And also, the tipless cuttings don't do so well, often just 'sitting' there even when rooted, without producing leaves or blooms.

But since you have hundreds, you could still get a nice amount of plants. Thumbs up
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May 29, 2014 12:42 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
I got some of Hetty's cuttings in 2012 (Thanks Hetty). And I planted them just like I plant my succulents. Well draining soil, the cuttings are well calloused already when I got it. Like Hetty said you lose some, but the ones that remain will grow either leaves first or a bloom.

I have them in the sunniest side of my garden, and I water them thoroughly at least once a week and let dry. Our weather here is very dry too so it does not get too overwatered.

I have seen them being grown in Manila too with the tropical rainy weather there, but mostly in containers.
My mom in law initially had them in ground, but since they get torrential rains & the flash floods too, some of my mom in laws plants like that died. So they uprooted it from in ground planting and repotted to a container, so they can move it to a dry area when the typhoon season comes.
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May 29, 2014 9:25 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
Thanks for your replies, Hetty and Tarev. I doubt any of the 60 or 70 cuttings are still alive-- I am only at the nursery on Tuesdays and Fridays, so they have been sitting in mud for days now. I'll let you know what happens.

Oh, where I live, we aren't really excited about Plumeria, they're all over the place, because you just cut a stem and poke it into the ground and it grows.
Avatar for Dutchlady1
May 29, 2014 9:45 AM CST

Plumerias Photo Contest Winner: 2015 Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Forum moderator
Region: Florida Cat Lover Garden Sages Cactus and Succulents Tropicals Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
Sure, we do too; but I bet none of them look like this Whistling

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May 29, 2014 10:44 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
Looks is not what I like, I want fragrance in Plumies. Some are totally fragrance free, which goes into the trash at my house, sorry!
Avatar for Dutchlady1
May 29, 2014 10:56 AM CST

Plumerias Photo Contest Winner: 2015 Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Forum moderator
Region: Florida Cat Lover Garden Sages Cactus and Succulents Tropicals Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
Thumb of 2014-05-29/Dutchlady1/908ff5

Melissa then you need P. stenopetala, the most fragrant one of all.
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May 29, 2014 11:50 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
Hum, I've never before seen a Plumeria like that one...
Avatar for Dutchlady1
May 29, 2014 1:48 PM CST

Plumerias Photo Contest Winner: 2015 Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Forum moderator
Region: Florida Cat Lover Garden Sages Cactus and Succulents Tropicals Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
It's from Cuba where it grows on cliffs, I've been told. This specimen has been grafted into a standard shape, so it acts like a weeping tree. It is much bigger now - this picture was taken a few years ago. Everyone who smells the flowers wants it.....
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May 31, 2014 9:31 AM CST
Name: 'CareBear'

Amaryllis Cactus and Succulents Dog Lover Hostas Irises Region: Pennsylvania
Sempervivums
The best way to start Euphorbia's (which is what Crown of Thorns are), like stated above, cut, let the cut heal over (takes a few days). Don't let dry out in open sun. I keep mine inside spray misted lightly. Soil on dry side but not totally dry. Kept in bright light not direct sun. In about two weeks they start to require more misting. When new growth shows you can begin watering them but very lightly. They can be given more sun light by now.
Not good to just cut up a large plant and expect all the cuttings to take. I would cut only the top growths. Let heal, take more cuttings when new growth fills in what you took. This will become a continuous project, not one big cutting and then reward of all the cuttings taking.
When trading with friends. That is mostly all you get is a stem cutting. Which is all you really need.
Stush
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Jun 2, 2014 7:52 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
Stush, I totally agree with taking it easy. The plants were donated to the Botanical Gardens, and were hacked to pieces when I wasn't there. All plants are treated roughly and identically, as if they are invincible. ( in my opinion, but who am I to say!) A lot of plants are lost.

I spent some time googling, and printed three pages of repetitious advice, moist not wet, only top cuttings, etc.

I'll carefully dump a few out of their sodden pots to see what's going on tomorrow when I'm there, and will post here what I find...
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Jun 3, 2014 12:04 PM CST
Name: 'CareBear'

Amaryllis Cactus and Succulents Dog Lover Hostas Irises Region: Pennsylvania
Sempervivums
Melissa,
I do understand. Given myself a few years ago, I may have been one of those. It is supprising what you learn when you can learn from others. Good people here and good advise.
Stush
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Jun 3, 2014 1:34 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
I'll have to change my name. "do-not-give-me-thumbs-or-acorns-coconut.

The crown of thorns, two of them have roots! I am amazed. Soggy and icky stuff they're potted in. You can never tell!

Stush, some dog! Has he been hypnotized?
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Jun 6, 2014 6:36 PM CST
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
coconut said:Thanks for your replies, Hetty and Tarev. I doubt any of the 60 or 70 cuttings are still alive-- I am only at the nursery on Tuesdays and Fridays, so they have been sitting in mud for days now. I'll let you know what happens.

Oh, where I live, we aren't really excited about Plumeria, they're all over the place, because you just cut a stem and poke it into the ground and it grows.



Gosh I envy you. I have vacationed in the Virgin Island "St Thomas" and "St Croix". I would love to live there.
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Jun 7, 2014 8:53 AM CST
Name: 'CareBear'

Amaryllis Cactus and Succulents Dog Lover Hostas Irises Region: Pennsylvania
Sempervivums
Melissa,
I wanted a good look into my dogs eyes. She had eye surgery and seems to be recovered well. I used her ball, which she thinks the world of, over my head and snapped the picture you see. Then I was able to enlarge the picture and get a clear look into her eyes. She is now over 14 years old. Still going strong.
Cinta,
Beware what you wish for. Living in paradise has it's cost. Big storms and such. We have our cold but we live in a very protective area. Still, I too would love to visit there. Maybe like three months out of the year. Can you guess which three?
Stush
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Jun 11, 2014 12:54 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Melissa E. Keyes
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Zone 11+
Charter ATP Member
We have lots of "snow birds" who live here from fall, or January to the middle of April. To move here is quite a commitment. Some folks hate it, and often the husband loves it, but the wife misses the children/grandbabies too much.

We haven't had one of those bad wind days for several years, and probably not this year either, as the Sahara is sending us dust that makes the sky hazy, and my eyes somewhat itchy.
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