I guess I am a little odd in how I handle my dozens of plumeria from October until March. My plants are far too large and numerous to keep potted up during those months, but I have to bring them inside because of our freezes here in NE Mississippi. Sometime around the first week or two of October, I dig up/unpot all my plumeria. I shake off most of the dirt and pile them under an oak tree. I leave them that way for 2-3 weeks and during that time they lose most of their leaves. Around the end of October I remove what leaves are left (large ones, not the tiny ones just formed), hose off the remaining dirt, and once they are dry I will put them all in large, black, contractor's bags. These bags will then go into closets or under a bench on the closed-in porch and they will over-winter that way. They get no light and no moisture for 4-5 months.

Keep in mind that all these plants are rooted, unless I accidentally break off a branch or two. Regardless, every single plumeria goes in these plastic bags. They do lose some moisture during those months and are thus a bit "skinnier" than when I put them away. Generally speaking, the tiny leaves and flower stalks remain intact when I un-bag them in the spring. I have done this for many years and the only plant(s) I remember that did not grow in the spring were several 'Peduca' plants I got from Hetty. That variety has very thin stalks and they were simply so dehydrated that they never grew back. Even the occasional broken branches rooted in the spring. Now I know to only do this with nice, plump plants. In the future, if I have any plants similar to the 'Peduca', I would leave them potted up during the winter months.

With some of my two year old seedlings I could store them bareroot now since they have thicker trunks. Most of my seedlings still have thin trunks so maybe next year I'll be able to store them bareroot.

Plumeria pudica tends not to go dormant completely, which is probably why it rebelled at being deprived of water and nutrients

Is pudica a fast grower?

It grows pretty fast for me here in Florida; I have hedges....

Perhaps one day I will try the 'Peduca' again. The cuttings rooted quickly and even bloomed the first summer. I did not know they did not go dormant, so I killed them.

Space is my problem, at least when fall rolls around. I have two "smallish", 10'x12' greenhouses, one for orchids/seedlings and the other for "all other tropical plants". They are both absolutely jammed-packed during the winter months. I could probably keep the 'Peduca' in my enclosed porch though. It is a screened porch spring through fall and then I attach clear vinyl panels over the screens to enclose it during the winter months.

Thanks for the "thumb", Cameron.

I saw one of your beautiful pictures of pudica in the database Hetty. I wish my plumerias grew fast. I think next year I may plunge a few containers to see if that helps.

You're welcome Ken Even if I could afford a greenhouse, I don't think I have room for one . I'll just crowd my dormant plumerias in my room and save the window space for my other houseplants.

We've had a couple years of warm winter so I kept mine mostly outdoor this year. The young seedlings I grew and new cuttings I bought late last year I just kept on my south facing garden tub I have some plummies that had inflos in the fall and bloomed through Jan 2013 and some were just kept in the covered lanai. A few of which I forced into dormancy. I have several large plummies now so if we have a cold winter, I'm in trouble. I have no space to keep them inside.

So far though some that I forced into dormancy are blooming now and some that did not o dormant are still not blooming Same time last year, my garden was full of blooms, now only my miniature plummies are blooming.

You're so lucky to live in a climate where you can keep them outdoors most of the year. I'm trying not to think about the eventual size of plumerias I wonder why the plumerias that didn't go dormant haven't bloomed yet?

I'm wondering the same thing too. We have a very wet summer so I'm not sure if it has something to do with it. Yes, they get big my Hausten White is 9 feet tall.

Weeeeel, you could always graft a lot of dwarf varieties onto your Hausten White...that would limit it's height, but then you'd have a rainbow tree, instead....and I suspect you're fond of it, as is

Wow 9 feet?! Hopefully the rest of your plumeria will bloom soon Gigi. Cyra, that's a really good idea

I might be tempted to do that Cyra

This is not a new idea though! The problem with creating a 'Rainbow Tree' - however wonderful a sight it is at first - is that the various cultivars all grow at different rates. In most cases one or two of the grafts will dominate the tree eventually.

Wow I didn't know that Hetty.

My white pudica are doing wonderfully from last fall (Thanks Mike!) They wintered over nicely, though I did lose one bush. I have two planted in one pot and hope they will get big and bushy this year.---My oldest Plumie is over 6 feet tall, just put out 4 branches at the top./ It hasn't bloomed in so long that I have forgotten what color it is. It has to be one of two colors white or pink as I had two and lost one. I just don't know what this tall one is??

I hope your largest plumeria blooms this year Cheryl.

Thanks, TXPlume. This might be THE year?!

And since it put out more branches, you may have even more inflos

Cameron as promised, here is the first bloom of my seedling plant. The color is pastel pink, with yellow throat 3 inches and looks like heavy bloomer. It is eerily similar to Treasure Isle of EP in color and size...hmmmm. I can't describe the fragrance because it has been raining. I'm so happy, I love pink colors!