Germination Process

• To hasten the germination process, the seeds need to be plumped up with moisture for it to grow. The easiest way is to place the seeds between moistened tissue papers. Leave it for 24 hours in a warm environment. You will notice that the thicker part of the seed will swell. The seed will now be ready for sowing.
• Meanwhile, you can either prepare your own potting mix or buy it ready made from nursery. For this project, I use Baba brand 'Seedling Package'. It came with 0.88 lb. (400 gram) peat moss and ten numbers of cultivation pots that are 2 inches (5 cm) deep. If you don't use this cultivation pot often, you can save money if you reuse or recycle 0.12 gallon (500 ml) empty mineral bottles. Cut off two thirds of the bottle and use the bottom one third. Make holes at the base and after cleaning, your cultivation pot is ready for use.
• Transplanting the Swollen Plumeria Seeds : Moistened the peat moss (or potting mix) and make a small hole in the mix. Then, gently push the plumeria seed about 0.2 inches (5mm) into the mix. Make sure the swollen end is at the bottom and the seed wing is at the top. Allow part of this wing to stick out of the soil. Tenderly firm the soil against the side of the plumeria seed.
• Create a Mini Greenhouse Effect : Place these pots in an empty plastic container and cover it, to create a mini greenhouse effect. Place it in a warm lighted area, but not under full sunlight. Check daily to make sure the soil is not dry. If the top soils look dry, mist it with plain water.
• Plumeria Seed to Germinate : Depending on the freshness of the seed, it will take from 7 days to over a month for the seed to germinate.
• Most of the time, the leaf will emerge with the remains of the husk still attached. It will drop off as the leaves grow bigger. If any of the seedlings show sign of mold during germination process, treat it immediately with a mild fungicide. (You can buy the organic fungicide from Baba)
• Transplanting Plumeria Seedlings : Once you see a new set of leaves and the seedling is more than three inches tall, you can start to transplant it to a bigger pot. Gently remove the seedling from the cultivation pot and together with the peat moss (or your potting soil) transplant it to the new and bigger pot.