I took a few pics before I have to put plumerias in the garage. None are now blooming and all my good intentions of trimming them back evaporated with the hot, hot summer.

These are in the courtyard


Gathering pots to trim. Can you see the neighbors' bat box in the tree behind plumerias?


Plumerias in the ground behind the pond. Same plumerias different view.

Yes, Bubbles, the time has come to bring our Plumeria in. Dozens of mine have now been taken out of the ground and pots , soil rinsed off, the lower half de-leafed, and are now resting under oak trees while the rest of their leaves fall off. I expect mine to all be put away in contractor's plastic bags over the next several days to couple of weeks, and then stored on my heated porch or in closets. They will re-awaken next spring. Ken

Boy am I glad I don't have to do all that!

Yep, those of you in S. California and S. Florida are so very lucky.

Ken, in soon to be cold, Mississippi.

Cold front blew in last night. It will be in the low 50s all day with a little rain (clearing before football ). Should be warmer next week.

I usually store the dug plumerias bare, but this winter, I think I'll leave some soil on them and bag them. The ones that are too big to remove from pots, I'm going to leave in the hoop house. I noticed that the ones I left in pots over winter bloomed earlier and looked better in spring. Our winters are short and relatively mild, so I'm not convinced that they need dormancy as much as protection from the cold and dampness. As I walked around the yard yesterday, I found healthy little plumerias growing in random pots that had been pieces that I accidently knocked off during the summer.

Your yard looks like a tropical paradise Sandi. I had to bring all of my plants indoors because the low on saturday may be 34. I didn't want to take any chances. Now that my plants are indoors, they will have to stay indoors until Spring. I brought in all of my plumeria seedlings and my larger plumerias.

Thank you! Our neighbors tease me about filling the garage with plants and leaving the vehicles outside all winter. I know what you mean about "they have to stay indoors until spring." Once I start pulling things, I know winter's here and I need to find an indoor project for a few months. I would be panicked if it was going to be down to 34° here, though.

I had to find places for all of my plants and I didn't have a plan ready. The previous years I had to rush to bring all of my plants indoors, and I told myself this year I would have a plan ready. This year will be another year of me being unprepared lol. I didn't think the temps would drop that low, the forecast constantly changed. Yesterday the forecast was a low of 41 so I figured my plants would be ok. Well this morning the forecast called for a low around 34 with possible frost. I still haven't brought in my huge dragonfruit plants and the rest of my larger houseplants. I don't have any free space yet so they'll have to fend for themselves the next 3 days lol.

I understand, I do the same thing . I always lose plants because of waiting too long to get them in.

I'm glad I'm not the only one lol. I just hate having to rush to bring plants indoors. I was hoping to slowly bring in a few at a time over the next couple of weeks.

Too many tropicals, not enough summer!

lol i'm so jealous of people who live in tropical climates.

Well, I'm really impressed with those of you who grow tropicals in northern climates! I am not at all sure I would be as interested in gardening if it involved all this moving in and out and... well, work. I was just talking to my friend from Denver the other day about snow tires, I couldn't believe you had to keep 2 sets of tires and store them somewhere in the off season. That plus plants, plus big heavy coats and boots is a lot of storage space. No wonder they talk about storage space all the time on Househunters

I have the beginnings of a lovely plantation -- seven new acquisitions this year, mostly from ChefMike. They're all growing happily in 3-gallon containers. I'll have to bring them inside someday soon, I suppose.

Do I have to "bare-root" them and store them in a dark place or can I simply bring the pots into the solarium and leave them there for the winter?

Northern climates! I live in the deep south, Mississippi, and have to move every single tropical plant I have inside before the first frost. I have hundreds of tropicals. Everyone, but those in S. California and S. and sometimes central Florida have to move plants in, for goodness sakes.

I woke up this morning and I found out my area is under a freeze warning. Right now its 37 so hopefully the temperature won't drop to freezing. So far my plants are in good condition lol

TexasP, be careful that frost does not get your plants. Frost can form much above the freezing point, particularly in low areas with high humidity and no wind. Ken

I checked my plants again this morning and only my crotons had some cold damage. Tonight will be even colder so I may have to bring the rest of my larger plants indoors temporarily, or I could cover them with blankets.

ZuZu, since no one has given you an expert opinion, I'll offer my two cents worth. In Hawaii, where we lived for a time, we did have very cool nights in " winter." No one let their plumerias go dormant. If you have a solarium, I would think you could keep yours happy without them going dormant. I have a hoop house off the patio that I keep some of my larger plumerias in during winter. I have heat out there only when the temp is lower than 40. The plumerias bloom during the winter. I only take the ones that are in ground to the garage. I just have too many other tropicals to share the space that all the plumerias would take on the patio. I have observed that the ones that do not experience dormancy bloom sooner in spring. I also know that some that stay in the darkened garage pout, and don't bloom until much later in summer, if at all.

I would think California would have enough winter sun to keep plumerias happy in a solarium. That's just my opinion, though.

ah DrDawg, even southern Mississippi looks pretty far north to me I've vowed to never live more than 25° north or south of the equator. I'm at about 21° now and that keeps me happy and warm.