I'm curious about your planting/potting method...do you have the plants inside pots, in the ground without any adaptions to the pots? (ie: regular holes for drainage) or have you done something different? is this a better way to grow them? and if so, what makes it better than being directly in the ground?

they are beautiful for certain...I'm so jealous, I have so much to learn....(see my post on overdose of fertilizer) my ONE poor plumeria was doing so well and I did something that I thought would be beneficial for it...and kabooey...

That Miami Rose is beautiful. Isn't it a shame that our season is so short. Everything seems to be just reaching peak now and the season is almost over.
Karyn

Hi Dave. Beautiful Miami Rose. Your Cooktown is not unusual. Mine grew almost 30" then split and three branches grew over 25" each. It is a really leggy plant but the flower is so pretty. Just wish I could stunt it a bit. Tried very little Nitrogen but it grew anyway. Should learn basketball. Is your Daisy in the shade because it is showing very little pink. Bill

Hey Bill, the Daisy is in part shade. I'll keep it in better sun next season when I get more beds prepared. Right now they're weeds. It's just been too hot to do much work in the yard. We moved into the house in July when it was already hot and there was so much to do. Miami Rose is darker this year than last. But it's getting a lot of sun.

rjinga,

I sort of half buried the pots in the soil. Yes, roots do grow out the drainage holes a bit, but I cut them off when I pull them up prior to storage. We've had so little rain this summer, that overwatering has not been a problem. Planting the pots in the ground keeps the roots cooler and they seem to do much better than above ground. Don't know if they would do better planted directly in the ground. Maybe so, but I don't have time to dig them all up and repot for storage.

Nice looking plumerias Dave... Keep up the good work...
Susan

Very nice blooms Dave. What you and Bill had to say about the growth rate of Cooktown Sunset confirms my decision to remove it from my wish list.

Philip

Philip, I started a lot of named cuttings last summer. I will be observing them for a few years and may eventually whittle down my collection to the ones that bloom best and are slightly more compact. The Cooktown Sunset didn't bloom well in June, but it's still getting established. I hope next season it will show its true colors. I'm not quite ready to get rid of it yet.

Dave, Living in same zone as you in Nova I am so impressed(and envious) with your gorgeous Plumeria. I started my first two last spring and they are about 2.5 feet tall but no blooms this first year which I knew would happen. It has been awful with the drought and heat this summer but with hand watering they are doing well. Mine live out by our pool in 8 inch pots. Need advice since you live where I do.

I have read about how to winter them but want to know what you are going to do in Nova? I have an unheated sunporch with skylight were I winter my tropicals but in dead of winter it does get below 40 out there. Everthing does ok except some of my hibiscus don't make it and I lost banana plants one year but have new beautiful ones outside that I hope make it this year. Now I have the plumeria to protect.

I have track plant lights on ceiling in living room where I have many large plants; have unheated garage and small bedroom that we do not heat. Where should I keep them until the leaves fall off and then what? And....should I put in bigger pots next spring when growth starts? I really would appreciate advice.

Thanks

Terri in Woodbridge

Hi Terri,

You can keep your plants anywhere it stays reliably above 45 or so. I think between 50º and 65º would be even better. Sounds like the sunporch or your unheated bedroom might be ideal spots with addition of supplemental heat if they drop much below 50. I kept mine in a basement at around 65º -- no light to speak of -- and quite dry. Now that I'm in a new home, I have less room for plumerias. Not sure where I'm going to put them all! Under beds, on top of desks, etc! My wife will have a cow. If you can keep them dormant (little water, cool temps, low light) they should be OK. I've let some grow over winter and they just get spidermites, plus the new growth is very weak and elongated. BUT, I have a few plants with very small buds, so I may try to see if I can get those to bloom indoors. Likely they'll abort buds, but I gotta at least try. I will probably move mine to the garage to protect them from the first cold months (as long as it does not freeze in there). In the garage they will have a chance to dry out too. I will probably remove most of the leaves during this time as well. They'll fall slowly anyway.

Wonder if you lost your banana and hibiscus because they were kept too wet, and/or it got close to freezing.

Where did you get your plumerias, by the way?

Thanks Dave. I will follow your instructions. I got my two plumeria from Roberta's Gardens from QVC and they were just 'logs' but sprouted very quickly by following instructions. They have done so well outside I just hate to see them drop their leaves. My banana and hibiscus bit the dust on the sunporch in late winter when it really got cold out there. Hibiscus bloomed out there for a long time so I thought they were 'safe'.

Terri

Terri I'm also near you and Dave, in Mont Co., MD. It's such a pain having to winter over the tropical plants here. QVC is where I got started on plumies too. About 13 years ago to be exact after I had my first child and was sleep deprived watching what few channels were available on cable TV in the middle of the night between feedings. lol I had no idea what I was doing with those sticks when they arrived but they managed to grow well and got me hooked. I had those trees for a long time before they froze during a power failure in the GH one winter.
Karyn