Hi,
I am sure someone will come in and answer your question. I can't. I am wintering mine different. Don't know what will or may not hurt your plant in your dormant plants. See you are in the midwest.

check the other questiions on the board, hopefully someone has this problem.. someone will come in.. good luck
Karen B

I water my plants year-round. Of course a LOT LESS in winter, but I never let the plants reach a point where they are shriveled. My rule of thumb is to not ever let the root ball get so dry that it shrinks back from the edge of the pot. Also depends to a degree on the temperature. Mine are in a cool/cold garage...between 45 - 60 degrees. They get some light and probably around 35-45% humidity. So far, so good. Most are just now starting to drop some leaves. My aim it to give them the shortest dormancy I possibly can.

Ditto what Dave said. I cant stand to see a dry pot. Most of mine are still outside, and I have not watered them, only the ones that are inside get watered (but much less, like Dave said). Outside I let nature take it's course. Inside I still have leaves and they're growing, even have an inflo on one and another has a seedpod. Probably have 30 inside and just watered them today.

Hi
Now I do have plants outside.. have watered them, pots on the patio lightly.
Still have leaves, not totally dormant. I feel damp roots is better than dry, outside. i have plants 12 inside with total leaves not dormant. will lightly water as last year. I have washed my leaves those inside, have so far never had bugs. do not spray, but monthly give about a cup of water. In a room with lot of light. Hope will work this year, my young ones.
Karen B.

Karen,

How do you wash the leaves? Do you use anything in particular?

Andy

Hi Andy,
yes, when I brought my plants on to the patio, washed the leaves so they can breathe and not had dirt to get bugs. I also lightly water them if show dry on the moisture guage. Inside I washed all the leaves after I brought them inside. Jack said in one of his messages.. a plant that comes inside, if it had no bugs, will not have any. I do not spray my plants inside, but only water when shows going dry.. Inside in a well lit room, do not go dormant, dumb plants are growing! ha.. tomorrow is suppose to get warmer, will un-wrap my plants on the patio and wash them off, and check to see if dry, if so will lightly water. suppose to hit high 60's and drop to 40's, has been in the 30's. . Now remember this is how I do it.. second year inside and out.

Karen B.

You know what is confusing?
How is it that people hang their plumies upsidedown barerooted, hanging in garages and cellars, and even some just toss them in a pile after they have pulled them from their pots in garages and those plants never see a drop of water until ready to get planted again. How do they make them survive this abuse?
They must get a squirt bottle and spray the roots. Who knows....
I watered mine like everyone here does and stuck them in a warmer location for fear of root rot since they have no leaves. where they are now, the soil does dry out. I hope I did right.
I suppose there must be all different ways to store them without watering....?
This one process can be confusing unless all methods work. Then no one has to worry......
Thanks

Ok..If this makes anyone feel better or learn something new, I hope it helps. Made me feel a little better..
I just spoke to Florida Colors where I got all my plumies from and they said to water anyways, if they are in fast draining soil that is.
Carol said that she would never let her plumerias get to the point of shrinkage. Watering at least twice a month won't hurt them if the soil dries out anyways which mine does. She said that 12 hours of light at this time of year will bring them out of dormancy, and that less than this under, whether grow lights, or in sun will keep them in dormancy or rest mode.
But at least the soil will dry out. So since I have them in at least 3 hours of light, and not total darkness, I will water anyways like everyone here said too..
Thanks alot everyone. If anyone has any other comments, please chime in.

...How is it that people hang their plumies upsidedown barerooted, hanging in garages....

meyermike, you've got to find out WHO does this, and WHERE they live! There is a guy, Emerson?, in South Texas that does that. BUT, and this is a big BUT, they have a MUCH SHORTER dormancy period down there! I would think their dormancy period probably only lasts from mid Dec into maybe February? What's that, maybe nine weeks?? I have to store mine for 6-7 months!

AND I would guess that his garage probably has up to 60% humidity -- maybe more! The plants are not going to dessicate as rapidly under those conditions.

You've got to compare apples to apples! LOL!

Dave you are SO right!!! I didn't have time earlier to say what else was told to me by these people...
Exactly what you just said. I brought up this question to them, and they talked about those in Texas and Florida and other states that have a shorter dormacy. Even talked about humidity. It is like you over heard my conversation,,lol and read their minds.
She said to treat them differently up here and to never allow them to shrivel. Down there in "florida", they never shrivel during dormancy, not even in Texas. By the time they start to, their growing season has already begun!!
You have givin good advice before on plumies. I watch for it all the time..:-)
Thanks man!
You gave great advice. The same as those who have been growing plumies for over 30 years. Thaanks alot Dave:-)

Hi Dave,
great advise.. I follow what you say, on watering my plants and how to get them through dormacy. This year, a first have most of my plants on the patio covered in ice cloth, seems to be working. Plus some inside.

Aztec Gold has heavy freeze damage was in the ground.. pray it will be ok. Took it out of the ground put it into a pot, on the patio. couple tips look like they want to rot, boy hope not. Want that one to bloom again!!!

Please keep giving advise.. we need your help.
Karen B

Karen,
When you say a couple of tips look like they want to rot - does that mean you can get "root rot" in other places besides the base of the tree? I have a plumeria that is very firm at the base and branches off 3 ways. One of the branches is getting a bit squishy, and the others are soft but not too squishy. The base is really firm.

Andy

Hi Andy,
right now I have two plants that the leaves are hanging down and are black and crisp.. obviously froze..One the leaves are the worst, at the moment the tips, which I want to keep not frozen, are fine still red and plump..dark on top not black yet.

..Other one Aztec gold. the tips the last tips of growth are black.. That does not mean it has black tip fungus.. just mean the top tips have blackened. Real tip rot/fungus it ozzes..Two different things. What I am watching is the tip and the branch, need the branch it to stay green and healthy. I do not want to see the branch go soft and start dying yet... then I have severe damage.

ok.. when the top of the branch, tip is your tips (new leaves some day) When the branch starts to get brown looking, is trying to rot..or die. that you have to watch. If left alone can go down the plant.. smiley faces can show brown, (rot) hope not. Or can just darken and start to shivle and turn brown and die.. have had both happen..severe cold damage. In both cases, would leave it alone and see where it goes.

Karen B

Here it is a week later, and my shriveld plumie is doing better. I guess giving them just enough light to help the pots dry out on a regular basis is well for them without bringing them out of dormancy right now.
Thanks

Hi,
every area is differnt how they handle dormacy. We are hitting warm temps during the day, tonight in the 30's...so is wierd here in So. CA.

do what is best for your area, Dave gives good information what to do in your area, read his comments.
Karen B

Hello i need a Question Awnsderd i have a Mariefold and i got a kindof a problem see its been growning for almost a month and a half and its really pretty its seed is form the died off pod andi grew one to see how it will look but for the past 3 days i been noticeing the leaves have turned brown on the sides and now there shiverling up and even when i water the soil the spots/ shirlveing keeps happing plze asnwer my question and email me @ Coolal@outlook.com

Thank You

Allen West