With our weekend temps predicted to climb into the 110-117 degree range, I started thinking about potential sunburn to plumeria cuttings. My cuttings aren't large enough to have a good canopy yet. I certainly won't have them out in the blazing sun all day. Does anyone paint the trunks white as it is done sometimes with citrus? Just thinking/wondering if anyone had thoughts on this. Sorry if this has been addressed before and I missed it. Thanks for any input or ideas on sunburn prevention.

Mary, I have never even thought of this or seen it done. Other than aesthetics, I can't imagine why whitewashing the "trunk" would harm the tree. Perhaps folks in the FL or SW will know more about this method of preventing sunburn.

I have seen this and never knew why.

Did a quick search and found http://www.gardeningknowhow.co...

Seen it on bigger trees but never smaller - but this seems to say the opposite.

Thanks for the article.
I was just thinking about this last week.

With 120 degrees expected this weekend, we will be throwing aesthetics aside and probably painting or wrapping trunks of younger trees. The larger trees have weathered those temps before and may have some leaves with sunburn, but their canopies should protect them.

It's hard to believe we could get those temps this early, but if we do, I'm sure many plants would love to be white washed or wrapped.

Isn't that the truth, Karen. Makes me want to throw a big shade sail over the entire yard

I wish I could do the same thing! This year will be a really hot summer if this is any indication.

Can monsoon be far away? Haboobs, raining dirt, dry wash full of rain or dry thunderstorms, microbursts and dusting the house & cleaning tile floors everyday! It is near hibernation season In the desert for sure

I sure hope so! We can use the rain, if it comes.

I would not do painting of the stem..I would water more frequently, at times daily before the sun hits the plants, when temps are expected to soar beyond 100F. They may still lose some leaves in the process, after all they are tropical plants, not desert plants, so it will either drop some leaves to conserve its water or get burnt leaves but it will grow new ones. Humidity is too low or nil anyways during very hot weather days. So even if you water everyday, it will evaporate just as fast. Important thing is it gets to drink water.