Hello Plumeria experts! I'm hoping you can help me salvage the branches on my plumeria.
I brought a plumeria branch back from Hawaii 3 years ago, the kind they sell at the airport. I potted it in cactus soil amended with pumice, and it's been doing OK here in San Jose, CA, living mostly indoors in a bright window, growing steadily to about twice the length it was when I got it. It finally bloomed back in October, and three branches (plus a little nub) started forming around the inflorescence. I was super excited to smell that island perfume in my house!
After flowering, the plant lost most of its leaves in December, and I figured it was going dormant as usual for winter. In February the tips of the branches started to turn black and the new leaves died. I took it outside on a sunny day, thinking that it needed some sunshine. Unfortunately, I didn't bring it back inside and the plumeria was exposed to rain and cold for several weeks (we lost a family member to causes unrelated to Covid-19, I was traveling to see them in hospice before they passed, and forgot about a lot of things).
When I finally brought it back inside, there was no improvement after a few weeks and the soil would not dry out (the enameled pot it was in had never retained so much moisture before). I decided to repot in a more breathable terracotta pot and discovered that the root ball was a lot smaller and shallower than last time I repotted, although I didn't see signs of rot. The bottom half of the stem looks good and firm, but there's a slightly soft (not spongy) section with a lesion about halfway up the stem. The branches at the top are shriveled and dark, and a little soft, but not spongy. I've attached some photos of the afflicted plant, plus some of the glorious blooms. I would greatly appreciate any advice on helping my plant recover. My specific questions are:
1. Is this black tip fungus? Can I save the branches?
2. If I cut the stem just below the middle soft spot, can I try to replant the top, or should I just cut my losses and save the bottom?
3. The soil is brand new store-bought cactus and pumice, if this is fungus do I need to repot in new soil after cutting?
Thank you in advance for your expertise!
Cheers, Kris
