Frangipani Admin
Frangipani will be waking up very soon for Spring. Don't be impatient! They can really take their time and be quite late to the party.
New leaves & Bugs
When new leaves start to appear, you’ll need to start giving your frangipani some light watering. These new leaves may be slightly crinkly or distorted, this is totally normal and as the plant gets busy the leaves will become that lovely narrow shape.
Make sure to check for any bugs (especially thrips) on the new leaves, as they make a great sheltered hiding place. Treat by spraying with diluted neem oil or insecticidal soap.
Rot, Repotting & Pruning
Check for any soft or mushy branches on your frangi. Prune as necessary as rot is likely to spread. If you have rot at the base of your plant, this could be cause to check for root rot. You may need to cut your plant away from its roots and begin again by propagating the stems.
You can repot as needed, typically every 2 years. You’ll need to remove a third of the roots and switch out some of the growing medium. Now is also the time to prune any unwanted branches, or take cuttings for new plants! Be very gentle, Frangipani as a rule don't like be touched or moved much. Read on for more about propagating.
Propagating
Make a nice clean cut when you prune your frangi, with some sharp secateurs or branch loppers. It will bleed a lot of white milky sap, this will irritate the skin so try not to make contact.
Then allow your cutting/s to dry out for up to three weeks, making sure they don’t get wet. Make sure the base of the cutting has a sealed appearance, it should look a bit like a wound that is just starting to heal over.
Then you can pot up in a well draining soil mixture and water in. Wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again. It’s best to have your cuttings under cover so they don’t get prematurely watered by the rain.
Calloused frangipani cuttings.
Fertilising & Sun
Fertilise with either slow-release or a high phosphorous fertiliser according to the instructions. A dose of potash is excellent for gorgeous flowers, you can repeat this once more in Summer. Make sure your frangi is getting at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, otherwise she won’t be able to produce flowers.
Hot tip! We use African violet food to encourage our flowering, this works really well and the little packets are very cheap!
For the best all-round tree shape and flowering, we have found that if you plant in front of a north facing wall, especially brick, stone or concrete that gets plenty of sun, the warmth radiated by the stone will create a perfect environment for her.
