So my handyman didn’t know that my jerk fainting goat Don Quixote has figured out a way to open gate latches if they don’t have a lock on them… of course he goes right in and destroys what seems to ONLY be my favorite plants- particularly the apple of my eye, my precious plumeria. I met a woman (Julie) randomly via Nextdoor and we’re in a super rural area; she’s in her 70s and has so many amazing stories to tell. We instantly became best friends- she’s a kindred spirit… One of her proudest stories is about her plumerias, which she sells, and how she personally brought the seeds directly back from a trip to Hawaii via plane over 50 years ago, after taking a trip there 🥺😭. Maybe it sounds silly, but because we’ve become so close and I felt like this plant was so special, I don’t even have the heart to tell her about this!!! I feel heartbroken, gutted, and suddenly like I have a random, totally unrelated craving for goat kebabs and curry real soon 🤣🤣.
Please, plant doctors!! Is there anything I might be able to do to salvage this amazing plant?? It wasn’t even able to flower this year, would’ve been next year, so I don’t even know the color of the flowers yet 😭😭😭. First pic is what’s left of the largest part Don tore off and the big leaf and a few stems coming off of it, indicative of the valiant fight she put up, and the carnage endured, silently. Second pic is the “stump” I guess, still rooted, in shock, no doubt.
Yall ever talk to your plants? I feel REAL guilt about this one. I told her I’d do better, that I’m so sorry, that it’s ok now, the goat’s gone, she’s safe now 😆 but seriously this has been an emotional experience!!!
TL; DR: bad goat eat plant (good, favorite!!). Please go easy on me as I am a novice to plants this year and it’s my first year not killing my plants and having kept them all alive all season!! This one was supposed to last forever…. (And no, prior plants weren’t killed by rogue goats, just me and my naïveté LOL). So, can I put rooting powder on any of these little stems at the top and try to grow them? What about rooting powder on the end of the larger part where it was broken off the main “stump”?
Will the “stump” part still in the pot be ok? Let me know what I need to do, oh plant physicians. Please and thank you. ❤️🙏🏽🌺
Somewhat new to the community-
Watering: is just whenever soil looks dry on top, maybe every 2 weeks or so. Left her outside on my patio for the summer and she flourished and, although quite short (around 3’ tall), the leaves were HUGE and about 1’ long, 3”-4” wide each!!
Light: has been in direct shaded sunlight on patio that faces East for the summer. Planned on taking her indoors for the winter.
by OtherwiseButton7873
4 Comments
You can absolutely salvage these! Cut the damaged part away from the bottom of the broken top piece and allow the cut to callous over. You can then replant it and with any luck get roots. The bottom piece will likely be okay, you may need to trim away some of the damaged part but it should eventually resprout assuming the root system was healthy to begin with!
Awh man, I’m so sorry! I know what destructive escape artists my goats could be. Good thing they’re cute…
I don’t have much experience with plumeria so others will hopefully weigh in – but I am confident that you’ll be able to root the broken part again. I would cut it back to above the stripped bark and put in whatever they most like to propagate in, soil or water maybe? Similarly, I would chop the chewed part off the potted part, water very gently over winter and keep your fingers crossed.
😂
Make some Birria out of them and it won’t happen again 😂 jk