ampols easy and effective way to grow plumeria with slide ... · easy and effective way to grow...

EasyandEffectiveWaytoGrowPlumeriaAmpolOrrungrojMay20,2018

1

WhenIstartedanurserybusinessinSanMarcosabout31yearsago,Ididn’thaveanybackgroundingrowingcommercialplants,sowestruggledbadly.Istartedtobuyhouseplantsfromaneighboringnurseryandsellthemtoallofmycommercialcustomers.Ialwayscomparedallmynurseryfriendstoseehowwelltheydidqualitywise,soIalwayspickedupthebestqualityplantsevenifthepricewashigher.


2

Afterdeliveringplantstothecommercialcustomers,Ialwaystooktimetolookattheirnurserystocktoseeallthewonderfulplants.IfIspottedanyplantsthatwereniceanddifferent,Iwouldpurchasethemandstartmycollection.Andifmywifehappenedtoseethemmoreandmore…Ijusttoldher“Oh,theyareallverycheap”.J

Icollectedsansevierias(somepeoplecallthemsnakeplantsormotherinlaw’stongue)andalsogasteriasandplumerias.Igotmorethan30differentsansevieriasandgasteria.Andtheygrewandmultipliedveryfastinsidethelarge,temperaturecontrolledgreenhouse.Withgoodsoilmixandagoodfertilizersystem,webecamethebiggestgrowerandsupplierofsansevieriasandgasterias.


3

AsasmallboyinThailand,Iusedtoseethemgrowandadmiredthefragrancethatfilledtheairunderneaththedarkredplumeriatrees.UntilwemovedtoSanDiegoandstartedthenurserybusiness,Ididn’tseethemintheU.S.OnedayafterdeliveringhouseplantstoWalterAndersenNurseryinPointLoma(anybodyeverbeentoWalterAndersenNursery?)Isawtheyhadafew5gallonsizeplumeriaswithyellowflowersandanicefragrance.ThenamewasHawaiianYelloworCeladine.Iboughtonerightawayandtoldmywife“Itwasverycheap”.JIkeptbuyingplumeriasuntilImetJimClark,aplumeriagrowerinFallbrook.Iboughtlotsofplumeriasfromhimtoselltoallmycustomersalmosteveryweek.Atthesametime,mycollectionofplumeriaswasgrowingveryfast,becauseofoursoilmixandfertilizer.Wegrewallplumeriasinblackplasticcontainers,whichhaveseveraldrainageholes.Wealwaysleftlotsofroomonthetopforwateringthem.OnedayIvisitedanoutdoorfloweringbasketplantsgrowerinFallbrook.HetoldmeheusedEpsomsaltmixedintohisfertilizingsystemtowaterallhisoutdoorplants.InthemiddleoftheSummerheatwave,hisflowerbasketsdidn’tburnatallbecausetheEpsomsalthasmagnesiumsulfate,whichpromoteschlorophylintheleavesandmakesthemhealthyandstrong.WhenIcameback,IstartedtomixEpsomsaltintomysystemandwateredallmyplants.Sincethen,allmyplumeriasandotherplantsdon’thavesunburnedleavesagain.Ialwayslistentoothergrowers’ideasandamnotafraidtoadjust.


4

Istartedtopropagatemyplumerias,butitseemedlikeI’dhavetowaitforeverforthecuttingtorootandgrowtoagoodsize.Ihadtofigureouthowtomultiplythemfasterbygraftingthemontoanystrongrootstock,oranystrongplants.Luckilythegraftingwassuccessfulandmadelifeexcitingagain.

MyfirstplumeriagraftingdemonstrationatWalterAndersenNurseryinPointLomadrewalotofplumerialovers.Theyonlyhadchairsenoughforhalfofthepeoplewhoattended.Aftertheclass,ImetKenAmes,whowasabigplumerialoverandlaterbecameaPresidentoftheSanDiegoPlumeriaSociety.HeinvitedmetovisithisplumeriagardeninLaJolla.LaterhemovedtoJamul,wherehehadmoreroomandmoreheattogrowmoreplumeria.HealwayscametovisitAmpolNurseryto


5

learnaboutgraftingandliquidfertilizer.Healwaysboughtalotofmypottingsoilmix.Throughtheyears,hebroughtmanyoutstandingplumeriacuttingstosharewithme.IamverygratefultohaveoutstandingplumeriafromfriendslikeBudGuillot,JimClark,KenAmes,CarlandJoyHerzog,MaryandSamPeebles,DawnSullivan,MalerfromUplandNurseryandmanymorefriends.IalsoboughtplumeriacuttingsfromJimLittleinHawaii.

Atthenursery,wemixedalotofsoilmixatatime.WeusedKellog’sGroMulch,whichcontainsmanureandcompost,tomixwithpeatmoss,perlite,coir,redwoodcompostandsands.Weuseditoneverythingfromagavetoplumerias.Everythingwouldgrowlikecrazy.


6

NowI’vesoldmybusinessandmovedtoahouseinOceansidewhereIhaveasmallbackyard.Idon’thavetheluxuryofmanymaterialstomixthepottingsoils.SoIstartwithKellog’sGardenSoilsmixorFlowerandVegetablegardensoils.Imixedthegardensoilwith15%ofperlite,5%ofchickenmanureand5%ofplaysand,plussomeallpurposefertilizergranulestogrowplumeriasandalloutdoorplants.Ialsousethemtoplantplumeriacuttings,whicharedoingverywell.Throughouttheyear,Ialwayslookatplumeriasfromothergrowerstocomparewithmyplumeriaplants…looking,lookingforapointertoimprovemyownplants.Iusedtoreadbooksaboutgrowingplumeriasincontainers.Noneofthemmentionedaddingmanuremixtothesoils.ButIknowonethingabouttropicalplants…theyalllovesomeamountofmanuremixedintotheirdiet.


7

Intheground,Imixedabout30%Kellog’sGroMulchintotheexistinggardensoiltogroweverything.Alltheplantslookedhappyuntilwegotfrosttwicethisyear.Mostplumeriasinthegroundgotfrostdamage,I’mgoingtobeverybusysavingthembygraftingpiecesofundamagedtipsontohealthyplants.

Wateringisoneofthemostimportantthingstogrowplumeriasandotherplants.Mostplantsperferthesoiltobedrybetweenwaterings.Whensoilsareonthedryside,itallowsoxygenfromtheairtopenetratetherootzone.Therootsuseoxygenintheprocessofcookingfoodforthewholeplant.Justmakesuretheyarenotbonedry.Everytimeyouwater,makesureyouwaterenoughtoleachoutthesaltfromyourcontainer.


8

WhenIgrewplumeriasatthenurseryinSanMarcos,weputalltheplantsinthegreenhouseonthesecondweekofDecember,afterwesoldallthepoinsettias.Sincewealsogrewotherhouseplants,wesettheminimumtemperatureat60degreesFahrenheitatnight.Thenwecontinuedtowaterthemwithfertilizersotheplumeriadidn’tdroptheirleavesatall.Atthesametime,wepotteduprootedplumeriacuttingsthatwegangrootedinperlite.Wewateredthemonceandkeptthemonthedryside.Whentheystartedtogrow,theygotwateronceamonth.Foranyplantsthatgrewslowerthanthewholegroup,Isattheslowergrowerswithonesideonapieceof2x2or2x4todrainoutmorewaterfromthepots.Thisallowedoxygentopenetratetotheroots.Anyfriendswhovisitedthenurserywouldrecognizethose2x2slayingaroundonthetable.InearlySpringtime,usuallytheendofMarch,wemovedalltheplumeriasoutside.Iletourworkerwatertheoldestablishedplantsonceaweek.Imyselfwateredallthenewplants.Why?Thisiscritical.Allnewplumeriasneedwaterlessoften,Let’ssayevery2weeksorlonger.Iputpotsofallthenewplantsthatwereslowergrowersrestingwithonesideona2x2or2x4,andstoppedwateringthemuntilthesoildriedup.Thiswaytheycaughtupwiththerestveryquickly.Anytimeyouquestioniftheyneedwater,justskipthewaterforanotherwateringsession.Thiswayalltheplumeriasinmycareneverdiedonme.InthemiddleoftheheatwaveinSanMarcosSummer,wewateredplumeriaonlytwiceaweek.Lookatitthisway:youspendlesstime,uselesswater,andyourplumeriasarehealthier.


9

Plumeriasarerelativelyeasytogrowandcarefor.Somepeoplearekillingthemwithlove.Sotrytogrowthemthewaytheylike,notthewaywelike.

ampols easy and effective way to grow plumeria with slide ... · easy and effective way to grow...

Documents