Well I'll be Plumeria-ed....

I ordered some Plumeria (Frangipani) seeds online, and carefully researched the best ways to propagate them. I ordered 3 different varieties (although of course, I am very well aware that propagating this way doesn't guarantee a duplicate of the parent plant!) and found a comment that intrigued me, assuring an almost foolproof, guaranteed way to successfully germinate the seeds.... Well given the by-now, well-known fact that I am very much the fool, I decided, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained!' and followed the instructions given: Take a piece of kitchen tissue, and fold it into 4. Open it up so that it's half-folded, moisten the tissue well (but not saturated) and lay the seeds on the lower part of the half-folded sheet, then fold down the upper part so that the seeds are covered by a quarter-sized double thickness of the tissue/ Slide it into a plastic sealable (zip-lock type) food bag, and then sellotape the seeds to a west-facing window.

Now: I must confess the day I did this, the three bags of seeds became quite hot, and I was honestly a bit worried about 'cooking' the seeds; I have a net curtain across the window, but it's at only half way up the window's height. So I get plenty of light in the room, but a degree of privacy too. so I clothes-pegged the bags to the suspended curtain rod, and left them to it.
That was on the 13th of this month. I checked them today and .... every single seed has sprouted a good, solid white healthy root. Every one!
I transplanted the seeds into seed/cutting compost, into which I had mixed about 40% pearlite, and watered them in, let them drain well, and then covered the pots with plastic clear domes.
I actually didn't expect any vast degree of success, so sadly, I never took any photos of the process, but as soon as the seedlings emerge, I shall take pictures and post them here....
So pleased!!

 

Well done @TaraMaiden! I bought a lot of seeds and only ended up with 4-5 plants. Be warned, while young they need to be kept quite warm - I lost a few by moving them to my cool greenhouse. And I lost a few more by watering over the winter instead of being strict and keeping dry until leaves start showing. And the remainder still haven't flowered yet

 

Mine are surprisingly variable from the same set of seed. One is less than a foot tall, whereas another is 3 foot and with a stem about 3cm across and it's overtaken one I grew from a cutting sent from malaysia (ebay!). But none have flowered yet - I think I don't give them a long enough warm season. I think (hope) that they can be flowered in pots. According to PlumeriasUk cuttings 12 inches long will bloom in 12-18 months. Ha! Mine aren't listening!

 

We live in the same part of the world, so I take your advice/experience to heart.... as they haven't yet poked their heads above the soil surface, there's hope for them yet...! I'm a little concerned though, because we shall be holidaying in August, and travelling abroad. I am honestly seriously considering taking any lucky ones with me!!
Is anyone else mildly depressed that today's midsummer, and now the days are getting shorter....?

 

I've got a 4yr old seed grown plummy and it hasn't flowered...yet.
Red spider mite really love them I find.

 

oh dear, if it hasn't flowered yet for you @pete with your ultra-green fingers, I've got no chance!
Not getting much red spider mite yet on them, but they are in the polytunnel, and it's quite humid in there.

 

Ohhh.my all-time gardening ambition is to grow a Plumeria tree as experienced in India. I haven't got a hope in hell
Cuttings, seeds, fully-grown plants, I've lost them all.
Well done TaraMaiden! I do hope you get flowers on your plants!

 

When do you lose them @noisette47? I found mine mostly died in spring instead of resprouting. Either the cold or watering too early. And if your seed germinates too late in the year, it's hard to et sturdy enough plants for winter. I find that a common problem with more exotic plants.

 

Exactly, Caroline! Most tender plants are far more vulnerable in the Spring than the winter! Especially this Spring, which was interminable.....cold and very wet.
I've given up on the Plumeria now....it'll be cheaper to buzz off to Goa in January and stroll under the beautiful trees there
Just a footnote....Hymenosporum flavum is a lovely, easy-to-grow, little tree with wonderfully perfumed flowers. You could almost convince yourself that you didn't really want frangipani anyway

 

Thanks for suggesting another plant to try to grow Hazel! As if I haven't got enough
And I've never actually smelled frangipani yet...

 

Who's Hazel ?

 

Sorry - that's Noisette47 I meant.

 

A picture from 10yrs ago, I had a couple then, they grew like crazy, but never flowered.

 

I gave up with them due to the difficulty keeping them over winter, even keeping them dry and somehow they always seemed to attract RSM.