Hi, Jill. Even though you are quite a bit further north than me in NE Mississippi, our non-tropical climate require the same care for plumeria. This is what I do and have done the same thing for well over a decade, with good success.
In October I will pull all my plumeria out of their pots or the landscape. I try to time this at least two weeks before I expect our first heavy frost and/or freeze. I shake off what soil I can and simply pile them under some oak trees and leave them that way for a couple of weeks. During that time many of the leaves will turn brown and fall off the plants. I then (mid-October to 1st of November) hose off the remaining soil and remove what leaves are still on the plants. I will let the plants dry for a day or so and than put them all in large, black, contractor bags. These bags then go into corners of closets inside the house or under a bench in my (now) enclosed porch. They will remain that way, without light, water or soil until March-April. The stems will shrivel a bit due to loss of moisture, but when I pot them up in the spring, two weeks later they are as plump as when I "put them to sleep" in the fall.
I hope this information helps you. You can grow them just as well as I. When I ship a plant(s), I also include "care" instructions, and these instructions are all you need to grow specific tropical plants successfully. Contact me via Tree-Mail or
[email protected] if I can be of help. Also check out www.tropicalplantsandmore.com. I think you will find my website informative.
Ken Ramsey, Certified Mississippi Master Gardener
