Plumeria Frangipani mixed varieties, 10 fresh seeds from Thailand. High germination rate!
Plumeria rubra is a deciduous plant species belonging to the genus Plumeria.
Originally native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, it has been widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical climates worldwide and is a popular garden and park plant, as well as being used in temples and cemeteries. It grows as a spreading tree to 7–8 m (23–26 ft) high and wide, and is flushed with fragrant flowers of shades of pink, white and yellow over the summer and autumn.
Germination method
Pre-treatment Soak the seeds in water for 4-5 hours or overnight
Sowing Prepare potting mix with 1 part of substrate for seeds and cuttings and 1 part perlite. Fill containers or pots with soils and put the plump seed tip in soil leaving the "wing" outside. Optionally you can remove the seed coat. In this case you push the seeds in soil just below the surface. I found the germination rate slightly higher this way. Water moderately but do not allow the medium to dry up completely. You can put a few seeds in the same pot/container, plumeria tolerates repotting very well. Germination temperature +22°C and above. The new seedlings usually emerge in 7-21 days. The warmer the weather the faster germination process, seedlings are less vulnerable to decease and healthier. I found it best to sow in summer, the seedlings started popping out just after 5 days and you can see significant grows every week. Unlike in winter when you would need to use additional props like heat mat, lights, and still can lose some of them due to damping off like it happened to me.
Propagation in water There’s alternative method to germinate plumeria. Take a Jablo tray like the ones you buy fish or meat from the supermarkets or sometimes take away. Cut about 1-1.5 cm holes with the sharp knife. Push the seeds through the hole halfway with the “wing” on top. Fill a container slightly bigger in size with water and place your Jablo tray with seeds in it. Change water regularly until the root emerge (I should recommend every day but if you skip a day nothing going to happen to it😊) Do not leave your ‘’nursery” in the open because it will be blown away with the first gust of wind. Once the seeds germinated you can move them to the pots. I found quite difficult extracting the seeds from the tray without damage. Maybe you will have a better luck with it.
Repotting Once your plumeria made 4 true leaves you can repot your seedlings into individual 10-12 cm pots. Use soil mix of 1 part on all purpose compost + 1 part perlite. Repot the new seedlings as they grow once a year into a slightly bigger pot. For fertilizing plumeria use the fertilizers which contain higher percentage of Phosphorus and low in nitrogen and Potassium. For the seedlings which just appeared use half of recommended dose. Do not fertilize during dormancy period.
Receiving proper care and under favorable conditions the young seedlings may flower as soon as at 18-month-old but most common after 3-4 years.
Germination method
Sowing time: late spring outside, early spring, all year round indoors
Germination temperature: +25°C and above
Pre-Treatment: soak seeds in water overnight
Sowing mix: 1 part compost + 1 part perlite. Sow the seeds with the plump round side inside the soil leaving the "wing" sticking out of the soil.
Germination time: the seedlings will emerge in 5-14 days. If the outdoor temperature is lower them +25°C use the heat mat. You can sow a few seeds in the same pot or seed tray and transport them into individual 10-12 cm pots after they grow enough to handle, or you can sow them into individual pots or plastic/paper cups from the beginning.
I suggest spraying the soil mix with fungicide to protect future seedling from damping off, repeat after 14 days or as indicated in the instruction.
There are other methods to germinate frangipani seeds which are as successful and worth trying, like germinating seeds in water or removing the seed coat before sowing.
Water method. Take the foam tray like the one they use for meat at the supermarkets and cut the holes with the knife just big enough to push the seed through. Put the seeds inside the hole so the fat part is under the tray with the wing above it, fill container or tub with water and let your seed boat to float until germination occurs. I personally found it difficult to remove the seeds from the tray after germination without damaging them. But if you use this method often you’ll probably find your own way.
No-seed coat method. Do everything the same like in the first method but before sowing remove the seed coat. Sow the seeds in the pot covering them with soil just enough not to show, spray well with water and wait for the sprouts. What I like about it is that the seed coat won't "trap" the cotyledon as the seedlings grow (if that happened spray the seed cover with water, do not do it in a full sun).
I do not recommend covering the pots with plastic as it can cause fungal infection. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Usually it’s enough to water after sowing until germination started.