In-ground vs. potted

10 years ago

Hi guys,
A friend gifted me two big Samoan Fluff cuttings (from the same plant) in 2009. I put one of them into a pot and planted the other one directly into a flowerbed. The one in the pot (potted up since then) every year had more flowers, the one in the ground always had way more leaves and is considerably bigger. This year now the flowers on both plants look completely different in size and shape. The one on the left (2 1/2 inches) is from the potted plant, the one on the right (4 inches) is from the in-ground one. If I didn't know for sure that they are both Samoan Fluff....
Just goes to show how difficult it is to identify plumies by pictures of their flowers alone and how important the conditions under which we grow them are.
Have a great Labor Day,
Iso

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
10 years ago
Hi Iso!!!

Very interesting observation and great lesson for us all...

I truly believe they thrive in the ground and wish I lived in an area that I could plant all of them in the ground as Mother Nature intended!!!

Love the blooms and the right in ground bloom is just beautiful!!!

I hope you are well and I always love seeing you post!!!

Just helped my mom put a contract on a place at the beach!! This will get her off of the second story and I won't worry so much about falls...

Hope you are doing well..

Thanks for all you do and it really pleases me to see you!! ;-)

Thanks for the four year experiment with your SF!!

Makes us all think about what is best if you have the ability to plant in the ground. For those of us that can't... We keep on trying!!

Take good care!! how is your mom?

Xoxox

Laura
powderpuff
10 years ago
I imagine they are both Samoan Fluff. No Plumeria will ever reach it's full potential with roots crammed in a hot pot in the summer. These are trees, BIG trees. The ground is where they want to be. Unless you live where it dips into the 50's at night in the summer, and you have 6 months of warm weather, there is no reason they can't grow in the ground and be lifted out and put into winter storage bare root or in pots with the soil from the ground they were in. Many do this every year and their trees are gorgeous.
Even if you keep them in pots, for them to thrive, they will all eventually have to be in really big pots because as the trees mature whether in pots or in the ground, they lose the small roots and eventually get huge, woody roots that will have to have a big pot.
Related Professionals
Maple Valley Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Ilchester Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lyons Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Brooklyn Center Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bethlehem Landscape Contractors · Longview Landscape Contractors · Rosemount Landscape Contractors · Antioch Landscape Contractors · Eastlake Landscape Contractors · North Aurora Landscape Contractors · Annapolis Siding & Exteriors · Broomfield Siding & Exteriors · Lincolnwood Siding & Exteriors · North Hollywood Siding & Exteriors · Orem Siding & Exteriors
isobea
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Laura for your kind comments. Yes, we are lucky we can grow our plants in the ground (I only have 4 left in pots now). But even here, I had to cover my plants quite a few times last winter (at one point I tried socks over each tip - You should have seen the looks I got from some people coming by on their morning walk...). Still got some damaged tips since several of my plants are still young. We'll have to see what next winter will bring.
Iso

PS: How far will your mom be from where you live? Enjoy every minute with her!
pcput
10 years ago
Iso - Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us.
Peg