Ken,

Having spent all of two weeks in central Florida one time in October, I believe you'll find me uniquely qualified to answer your questions with obfuscation and the finest of ambiguity.

I think the plants will tell you, but I believe you'll be OK. Those plants you mention are generally OK when it's cool and they're dry - it's when it's cold and they're wet that there are problems. This isn't true just in Florida, of course. With the Plumeria you have, as well as Adeniums, I'd say they'd give you markers as to when to start watering again. I think they'll need extra protection if they lose their leaves and can get rained upon (I think your open patio has a roof?).

My open patio has no roof. If it gets really cold, say under 40f I could move them to a screened patio, but there is not much sun - just a limited east & west exposure at the ends. I was also thinking of leaving them outside but covering the exposed medium with plastic to limit any water to the roots below say 45F. When it's 55f+ I would assume they are not "resting"?

Ken Ny. Welcome to south Fla. DON'T cover anything with plastic!!!! Always use sheets or light blankets. Plastic transfers the cold to the leaves,it doesnt protect them! It will cause more damage. Always you sheets or light blankets, IF you feel you need to protect something to big to move, or that is in the ground. And then you just have to cover the top of the plant. You can wrap them totally for a day or two, but it is a lot of work, and the cold usually only hurts the tops of plants.

You dont have to 'rest' your plants. Let them do what they do during our 'winter'. Maybe lighten up on the water a bit,and dont fertilizer anything, that's a bout it. We have 2 seasons here in south Fla., 'Pre summer' and Summer :)

I am in Ft.Laud. I grow all the things you have mentioned. All are outside, my frangipani is a huge tree in the ground. By now yours is probably covered with 'rust' on the underside of the leaves...right? And dropping all its leaves...right? They all do it. It isn't worth spraying to try and keep the leaves on it. That tree DOES goes dormant, and then one day in 'spring' you will get a flower stem, if it is big/old enough to bloom, or you'll get new leaves, and that will tell you it is spring! and time to water and feed again. You dont have to much more than that to them.

If you get a freeze warning and it is small enough, you can bring it inside, or move it close to the house, under your patio. Thats all you need to do, and that is optional. It can handle very low 40's high 30's for a few nights.

The Stapelias, will put up with the low 40's, if you have only a few, you can throw a sheet over them also if we get a freeze warning, or bring them inside. I dont have a huge collection of Stapelias anymore, but my collection is to big to bring in for 1-2 days of low 40's, high 30's, so I throw a sheet on them, and they do just fine.

My Euphorbias are all the Thai Giant Crown of Thorns and in the ground,so I cant bring them in either. But they are VERY tough plants, but if yours are the very watery/fleshy type and you can bring them in on a cold night, do it. Or cover them, it is only a few hours of cold that you need to protect them from. The sheet or light blanket keeps the cold off the plants, and you should see my yard, and others around me, when we get a freeze warning, their are sheets all over sensitive plants, people tying to protect them from freeze burn. It is a sight to see. You'll find that you can leave your plants outside 99.9% of the time. And only a few certain plant go 'dormant'. The rest just slow down growing, and all you do is lighten up on the water, fertilizer, and just wait for our spring. My adeniums are in bloom right now. They grow and bloom in the winter. If yuo can call our winter a real winter. We get like 4 days of real cold weather in January. Thats about it. Ejoy your new seasons:)

That was extremely helpful...

FWIW - I was only thinking of using some plastic to cover the potting mix/pumice etc. too keep the roots dry, not putting it over the plants.

Thanks!

Ken

no plastic. The containers don't need to be covered.
Tally HO!