The Handbook on Plumeria

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION

Since the publication of the third edition of The Handbook on Plumeria Culture, we've seen a meteoric rise in the popularity of plumerias. Plumerias are now available at specialty nurseries in many parts of the country and even more sources are found through mail order catalogs.

The year 2000 has arrived, the dawn of a new millennium, one of unprecedented challenge and possibility. We wish to take this opportunity to thank all of our plumeria friends who have kept in touch these many years, telling us of their wonderful experiences with plumerias and oleanders (our second book). We remember them with deep affection. Among those who have done the most to advance the cause of plumerias and to whom we express our gratitude are Emerson and Nancy Willis of La Porte, Texas, who have made innumerable journeys in their "plumeriamobile" named "Nan and the Plumeria Man", collecting and distributing plumerias throughout the country. Their mobile home should also be listed in the Guiness Book of World Records since it displays the world's largest photo of a plumeria! Our thanks also to our dedicated friends, Paul Tomaso and Harry Leuzinger who carried on the work of The Plumeria People for many years, and to Glenn and Yvonne Stokes who have amassed the most extensive collection of plumerias in the U.S. and offer them through their beautiful mail order catalog. Lastly, a special thanks to all the wonderful members of The Plumeria Society of America for their warm friendship spanning nearly twenty years. Their enthusiasm has broadened considerably the gardening public's appreciation for the beauty and magnificence of plumerias.

We are pleased to mention that a number of gardeners have taken up tip grafting to preserve and increase the rarest varieties in a simple and effective way. Here's how it is done. Take a growing tip from a desired scion just before or as it is beginning to leaf out. Cut a "V" shaped wedge at the bottom and insert into a "V" cut in the desired stock. People who use this simple wedge graft often insert a pin or needle through stock and scion to hold the scion in place. You may also use a standard "whip and tongue" graft described in any book on grafting and the scion will hold in place. In either case, you can then wrap with grafting tape or electrical tape or even duct tape. As always, the most important thing is to match the cambium of stock and scion. A new technique for rooting cuttings is girdling a stem chosen for a cutting while still attached to the mother plant by cutting away a ring of cambium around it. Many growers have found that by allowing the girdled area to harden on the plant the cutting will root more easily than one that has been cut off and then allowed to harden off for a few days. This technique is useful for some of the difficult- to-root cultivars. Lastly, a suggestion for overwintering from Harry Leuzinger — keep newly planted plumerias in pots for the first year and allow them to put on as much root growth as possible in a sunny area away from freezing temperatures, then store them in the second year according to the techniques listed in our "Overwintering" chapter.

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