Go forth and propagate
If you have an established frangipani, why not start a few others to plant or make into gifts?
The frangipani is a very easy plant to grow that literally thrives on neglect. It’s more suited to the tropical regions of Australia but for the southern states, give it about six hours of sunlight and it should flower prolifically for you, too.
It’s a very drought-tolerant plant that, once established, requires little or no watering during the winter months. It loves a good feed, too, so don’t be shy about using animal manure that’s high in nitrogen and potassium.
Pruning the frangipani is very easy and it responds quite quickly to each prune you make, with multiple new shoots appearing at the tip of each branch that’s been pruned.
Propagating frangipani
It’s best to propagate frangipani by cuttings.
Step 1
Take a 30cm cutting from the tip of the plant.
Step 2
Remove all the leaves.
Step 3
Store the cutting in a dark, dry place for 1–2 weeks to allow the cut wound to dry out and crust over.
Step 4
Plant the cutting in a 150mm pot filled with propagating mix or, alternatively, you can plant the cutting straight into the ground — but make sure the soil does not hold water or the cutting will rot.
Step 5
Water the cutting only once a fortnight until roots are established then fertilise every three months with good-quality organic compost or manure.
Once it’s established just ignore it and, before you realise it, your frangipani will be blooming profusely with loadss of scented blooms.
Maresi!
