Okay, thanks for the help. I will put them in the garage. I'm pretty careful about not watering them too much. I'll have to try to remember to give them a bit of water over the winter.

You'll have best luck if your garage stays above 50 degrees F (don't know what that is in C). Mine got down to 45ºF occasionally and I think that was too cold. Had a few black tips as a result.

Just a thought...Is your garage insulated?

If so why not keep a space heater in there to keep temps in the range of what Dave suggests?

Even better,

Maybe build some sort of plastic covering with a couple of 2x4s and then put them all in there and keep just this space warmer than the rest of the garage if it goes down into the 40's..

Just a thought..:-)

Oh dear....I was afraid that it isn't quite warm enough in the garage. It doesn't freeze but when we get a cold snap it definitely gets below 10°C (50°F). I guess I'll have to try to put them in the solarium. I look after my parents and my mother doesn't like the idea of using a heater out there. She's afraid of fires and has had experiences with them a couple of times, so I can't really blame her.

Sandy,
do you have a closet, or basement, or any corner of your home that you can just put them into for the winter?

How many do you plumies do you have?
If not that many, you could buy a plastic container, and and store them in one, no cover of course. They don't take up much room if they are bare, and in smallish pots.

Just a thought..

I have about 25 of them in one gallon containers plus rootings, and they all fit in a small corner of my basement..They don't need light either to survive..

In fact, if you do decide the only place is your garage anyway, you might get black tip, but you can always treat it in the spring..But, you asked if your plumies would survive, and yes, they will, even in those temps above freezing.....;-)

You have a few choices...Good luck ok..

Thanks for your thoughts on the problem. I wish I had a basement but I just have a fairly small house with a solarium and a garage. I have to admit I have too many plants for the space. Two of the plumies are about 8' tall and in about 6 gal. pots. The other 4 aren't as tall and I can put them in the solarium. I guess I'll just have to take a chance with the 2 tall ones in the garage. Perhaps it won't be quite as cold this winter.

The black tips that these plants get might be due to getting really dried out over the winter. It seems to me, that if they get bone dry and stay that way for several months, they shrivel real bad. I've had that problem, but usually with the red and rainbow varieties, and thought it was due to overdrying rather than cold. Not all of my plumes get the black tips and all are stored under the same conditions. Some varieties are not as strong as others. My opinion is that they are fine below 50 F. I used to live on the Gulf Coast, and left them in the ground way into the cold months and they were in the 30s and were fine. Once, I left one or two out all winter long. Now, I have to put them in my garage or under the house, and the garage gets into the 40s, I think. I wrote an article with more details about what I believe after overwintering these things for 10 years in two different zones. To sum it up, I just keep them above 40 F, and make sure I water them when the soil gets really dry, and when they start to look wrinkled. Sometimes I am surprised that they do dry out when they are dormant. It depends, too, on what kind of soil you have them in as to how often and how much water you give them. Cactus soil will require more watering than regular soil. Plus, the size of the pot versus the rootball is important, too. I think it is important to give them some water because you don't want their circulation to stop or slow too much. I think that causes the tips to blacken - no sap getting up there. I also think that, even if the leaves are off, the green tip might still be photosynthesizing and there might just be a lowered plant "metabolism" not a cut-off "metabolism". Thus, the plant is still functioning at some level even though it is "sleeping". Just my observation and thoughts - haven't really researched it into depth.

http://gomestic.com/gardening/the-best-care-for-plumerias-during-winter-dormancy/

Here is a link that might be useful: The Best Care for Plumerias During Winter Dormancy

pinkspoonbill:

I agree with you 100%! You bring up some very important points. One being that the length of time of dormancy/storage in the North is really hard on the plants. Folks in the South who store their plants bare-root in a garage or shed often advocate this method, BUT their storage time may be very short AND the garage or shed may have a high relative humidity which keeps the plants more hydrated. Our storage times are longer than these plants like, and our conditions are usually very dry.

I've noticed that the plants I have in the house start to come out of dormancy as early as March (glossier tips). This is the time when the plants in dark, dry storage start to get stressed. They WANT to come out of dormancy, but can't because conditions are not right.

I totally agree about keeping them somewhat watered during winter 'storage'. And keeping the plants in a state of transpiration, albeit slow, will keep those tips healthy and prevent stress which can lead to black-tip.

Please post more of your techniques, experience and photos! I'd be interested to hear how you manage the size of your plants. How often do you prune back branches, and what about root pruning?

I agree 100% agree with ou...

Black tip, considering this happens to Dave when stored at cold temps, I also agree with...Experience..

I did let them dry out "way" to long before coming here and learning from Dave and Bill, and lost 3 at one point due to excess dehydration...Then I got black tip on a couple that were stored at warm temps at the same time..So maybe too dry gave them black tips too.

Maybe there is more than one reason why they get black tips after reading this thread..

So for me, I am going to water as I did last year, and keep them stored at tenmps not below the 50's..

Have you noticed too that they dry out even when stored in darkness with no leaves to boot?

You're right, soil,temps,lights, and a pot full of roots can make all the difference between how often to water, even in hybernation...;-)

I have to water every 3-4 days in the cellar due to very dry air and warm temps with just 4 hours of light...Least to say some are root bound too..

Mike, it is my belief that 'black tip' can occur in plants that are overly stressed.

Stress can come from any of number of causes ... overwatering and root death, underwatering and dessication, really bad spider mites, temps too cold, etc, etc.

I've observed that my plants are most prone to Black-tip in late winter thru early spring when the plants want to start growing, but 'stress' (from whatever cause) prevents them from making any progress. Usually it's the tips turning black that is the first manifestation of stress. But sometimes it's a mushy stem rot.

Awsome points Dave..:-)

Funny as time goes by, we learn so much more about these plants!

What can we do to prevent them from wanting to start growing in early spring? Do you think that little or no light up to the day we want or can start to grow them helps?..Or is there an internal clock in them that wants to make them grow at that time of year no matter what we do?
Maybe what I did last year was just a fluke that prevented me from getting black tip on all but a couple..

If we can keep them from doing this, starting to grow, then maybe the stress would be non-existant right? Hum.;-)

Wonder if there is an easy answer..

Ps..

I kept most, except for a few, including the 2 that got black tip and the ones that died from dehydration, in almost total darkness until I brought them out of it about March, when I wanted them to start growing..
They all did well from this program..
If I have sucess this way again, then I will suggest doing this..we'll see...;-)

I think you'd want to encourage them coming out of dormancy rather than stay in. It might be their internal clock, as you say.

As soon as I see the tips get a bit glossy in late winter, they want to grow, so I try to increase water, light and heat.

I will do same..

You know something weird..I only have about 4 hours of light on them, resting with my clivias, and they still wnat to grow new leaves...

I'd be curious to know how long before they just give in and rest with such little light...lol

By the way...60 DEGREES today!!!!!! After days of COLD and snow..Sheesh!