Reasons to Consider Grafting

ADVANTAGES OF GRAFTING

• A newly grafted tip can have root-supported new growth within 10-14 days. Rooting a cutting can take 4-8 weeks for new root support.
• Grafting has a higher success rate rooting the newer plumeria hybrids.
• The growth of a grafted plant will be at minimum one-year ahead of a rooted cutting plant.
• Seedlings of classic plumeria, particularly the white varieties, used for grafting under-stock will have better root structure and better disease resistance for both the roots and the grafted plant tissue. As with hybrid roses, the newer plumeria hybrids are selected for the blossom appearance and not the disease resistance of the adventitious roots.
• New introductions can be propagated more rapidly thereby speeding the availability of the variety to the public as well as bringing down the plant cost sooner.
• A single plumeria tree can display a variety of hybrids.
• The bloom tendency and appearance of a new hybrid can be determined more quickly if the seedling tip is grafted to a mature plant rather than waiting for the seedling to mature and bloom. With this method, the original seedling is preserved and markings matching the grafted scion.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A SPECIFIC VARIETY WILL BE HARD TO ROOT?

·    You paid a lot of money for the cutting

·    You are in a hurry for it to root

·    You feel like you must do something to make it root

·    Varieties originating from Thailand are more likely difficult to root because grafting is the predominant method for propagation

·    A newly released cultivar is more likely to be difficult to root than the old American classics

·    Rare and hard to find plumeria are more likely to be difficult to propagate from cuttings