I doubt soap and water ( as in dish soap or insecticidal soap will deter your Spider Mites much at all except to do only a temporary fix. Every one is suffering from these insects this year and in the 7+ years I have grown Brugs, this is the first time I have had to deal with them outdoors ever, let alone in the proportions I have them this year! If the insects don't do more than 'blemish' my leaves, I usually co-exist with them but I am about to wage war on these mites!!! I have tried: frequent spraying with sharp jets of water Endall Insecticidal soap all with little effect. This week I tried a Jerry Baker remedy and have the best results thus far this season.... will reapply this evening which is 5 days after the first one and will do again in another 5 days. The recipe was: Ammonia Antidote* Once a week 1 tsp dish soap , not detergent 2 tsp ammonia 2 gallons water I have horticultural oil so I used that as the surfactant rather than the dish soap but applied the spray after sunset ... the leaves were in the sleep position so it was easier to reach the undersides of them..... and the sun was down so the leaves had time to dry before the sun hit them again and the oil would be super heated and cause damage.

To be honest, I am only 4'9" but yes, those were some German babies I had grown form seed the year before and most of them had not been cut back in the fall. They ranged from 10-13 feet tall. I feel a fertilizing regime is a personal thing where you take into account your growing zone, a seasons climate, your soil type, your wishes/expectations and anything else that may play a role in the growth of your plants. Personally, here I have tried to amend my soil heavily with mushroom compost leaf mulch and my own compost. My theory is that if the soil around the roots is good you will get good results above the soil as well on your plants. I used to 'push' them hard in the earlier years with fertilizing them 2X/week. Now I give them a)slow release granular product that is 6-12-6 just away from their root zones when I plant them for the roots to grow out into b) a good helping of mushroom compost in the planting hole and on the surface as well when planted c) an application of a balanced fertilizer (with micro nutrients) added either as a foliage or root feed about once a month in the summer, none after the end of August when I need the plants to slow down their production of new green growth. d) all summer long I spread grass clippings over the Gardens and in the fall they get leaves piled on them to break down over the winter months. I planted my Brugs out the end of May and two evenings ago they got their first 'additional' feeding for this season.

John, I had a pretty good year here. French Canadian is on her third flush with another to come if the temps hold. I think it is just that way some years, I had one like that a couple of years ago with no rhyme or reason. I figure they should be allowed the odd 'off' one. :) I say this for any and all zones.... improve your soil and plant them directly into the ground so you do not have to fertilize or water so much. A good root system will give you a good plant and good flowers. I fertilized mine for only the second( and last) time this year the last week in August. That is really my only 2 'secrets'.

I think bareroot can work if the plants are very large, your dormancy period is short, and you have a somewhat cool, but not cold, place to store them, like a garage (> 55 degrees). Also, some humidity helps to keep the plants from drying out to much. It might just work for you in SC. Are you near the coast? Bareroot doesn't work for me up here. I like to keep my plants potted and watered sparingly over winter. Hopefully someone from your area can offer some more help. To be safe, I try to keep my most favorite plumerias in the house where it's warmer.