I have been overwhelmed by the number of gardening enquiries coming in. The good news is that this column will now appear in every issue of Bali Advertiser. The bad news is that some of you will still have to wait a while for your reply. I never cease to be amazed at the reach of the Bali Advertiser. In the past I have had correspondence from the U.S., U.K., Sth. America, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia. Today’s enquiry comes from:
Ross of Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, writes: I confine the colors in my garden to white, shades of red and pink. I have a number of potted frangipani around my swimming pool, red and white. Friends tell me that the root system will eventually break the pot, and I already find that a moderate wind blows them over. I do want them to flower at the same time but so far this does not happen.
Ross further tells me that his pots are the big, rounded, ‘Ali Baba’ kind. This does present some problems but a little extra effort overcomes this. Your pots are more likely to break when they fall over, rather than through the root system which is fibrous and not particularly invasive.
First, the matter of simultaneous flowering! Breeders are continuously seeking ‘color breaks’ and one nursery in Australia numbers nearly 100 such varieties. Try this website first: www.sacredgardenfrangipanis.com, where you will see such unusual colors as brown (really a milk coffee shade) and a distinct purple. There are several sites, type frangipani nurseries au into your browser.
All these colors have a common parent in the original species Sp. Plumeria rubra. The only two colors occurring naturally in these are white and pink and I guarantee them to flower at the same time. The above-mentioned nursery possibly has several true reds and may be able to recommend one which will also flower at the same time.
Two things to remember; the least expensive plants are usually the species which (along with another species P.obtusa - distinguished by its club-shaped, darker green, glossy leaves and larger white flowers) generally are hardier, more vigorous in growth and disease resistant than their highly-bred cousins.
You will need to buy advanced plants to match your existing whites in size and you may find it better to place your reds elsewhere and change over to the pink-flowered species. This will stay within your color range, but of course the contrast is not quite so dramatic.
You also ask how to maintain the desired umbrella shape? Your Gold Coast climate is sub-tropical and your plants will definitely lose their leaves during the winter months. This is the time to prune. If you want a single main trunk (not the usual growth habit of frangipani) you will need to prune away all but the strongest trunk and train them by using stakes/wires, until they accept this discipline. This may take some time.
If you decide to stay with multiple trunks, you will still need to prune away unwanted side shoots. This is best done as soon as they appear and may be done at any time. Harmonious proportions between pot, trunk, and crown must be your goal. Remember that the taller the plant, the more vulnerable it is to blowing over.
You can always control the growth by ‘large-scale bonsai techniques’. Every few years you will need to remove the plant from the pot and remove about 1/3 of the root system from the bottom and the sides. Use a sharp spade or machete for this. Given that your pots are bulbous in shape this presents some difficulties.
I suggest that you cut down to the base of the pot in a direct vertical line from the rim. This should enable you to remove the plant with a cylinder of roots and potting mix. Empty the pot/s of all other materials and wash well. Look around plumbers suppliers for large diameter polyvinyl pipes – the kind used for major water mains etc. Choose one somewhat smaller in diameter than the rim of the pot.
This will create a sleeve which will be much easier to remove for future maintenance. Re-plant the shrub in this sleeve. The space between the sleeve and the walls of the pot may then be filled with largish river stones or similar heavy material. This will give weight to the base and provide greater stability when those winds blow.
During the growing/flowering season, fertilize with one of the pelletted, slow-release fertilizers eg: Osmocote. As a good deal of this is lost through drainage, buy the three month kind and apply it every two months. Three applications per year should be sufficient. Please contact me again and let me know how you go.
Another reader writes about frangipani failing to flower well. I will deal with this in the next issue, but the first requirement is at least six hours of full sun per day.
Please send all your gardening questions to
E-mail: gardendoctor08@yahoo.com
