I've got a couple of these heavy gauge wire type stakes that I use for my 5' Playful. They are actually colored green, so they blend in nicely, but are very strong with a metal core (steel?). You might try a Home Depot or a Lowe's to see what their garden department carries. Hope this helps!

Mahalo,
Mark

Anything you use in a pot is too flimsy because the soil in the pot is too loose. Especially as the plant gets larger and you want to train the branches upwards.
2x4s would be a poor choice. Home Depot sells a large round wooden pole that can be cut to fit or the green plastic stakes that Mark mentioned. The wood stake will eventually rot and bust. The best method is to fix the stake to a stable base in the bottom of the pot. I have used the green stakes but now I use 10' conduit from H.D. I take a pie tin or an old bucket and mix some post cement. I put the pie tin in the bottom of a big cardboard box and fill the tin with cement. Next I remove the bottom of a paper cup and put it upside down on the center of the cement. I put the pipe into the cup and into the cement to the bottom of the tin. Now I use masking tape to hold the pipe upright by taping from the pipe to the top of the box in four directions. Now I fill the paper cup with cement (around the pipe). After two days, I pop out the cement from the pie pan and my cement pie goes into the bottom of my large pot on top of a layer of rocks (so drainage is good). After the soil is added, the pole coming up the center is very stable and remains straight up. It is also great for root pruning later on because you can just pull out everything with the pole, cut your 2" and re-plant with no strain on the roots. Next time I make some, I need to take some pictures. (I used to drill a large hole in a stepping stone and cement in a green stake, but this is actually easier and cheaper.) Bill

Thanks guys,
I have the green plastic stakes but they are too flimsy..I'll go ahead and try what you suggested Bill. The wood I used isn't an actual 2 by 4, just similar to one. It's actually against the side of the pot, and the plant is just leaning against it. It was only going to be a temporary fix, since I figured on planting this plumie in the ground next year. It seems pretty stable right now, but then again my plant is just starting to come to life. Who knows how heavy it will end up after it has a bunch of leaves on it!!! Bill, if you end up making more of your supports, it would be great to see what your's looks like, so that I make sure I did it right. Thanks again for both of your help!
Joanna
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Joanna- Here are some pics to help of older methods:
You can see a green stake that was glued to a stepping stone and placed into the bottom of the blue pot and used to shape the Samoan Fluff.
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Wooden poles from Home Depot hold larger plants and green tie is used to pull up and shape limbs.
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A large wooden pole screwed to a stepping stone placed in the blue pot holds this Princess Victoria. The pole withstood 70 mph santa ana winds but the plant was stripped down from a seven foot beauty. It is coming back.
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Thanks for the photos Joanna427 and also tdogdad. They make for a much clearer explanation.

That is a neat idea about screwing the wooden pole to the stepping stone and then setting it all inside the larger pot, followed by planting.

I am just getting into plumeria and have been wondering how to set them out. You have given me some wonderful ideas. Thanks again.

iroot- I no longer use wood in pots because they rot. I now use aluminum conduit sunk in concrete which does not rot. Right now I have a two contrasting color boganvillas that I grew up a wooden stake until it fanned out in a bi-color umbrella. Beautiful- until the wind snapped the stake. Now I have to figure out how to remove it and replace the pole with a metal pole. Roots and limbs are so intertwined to make it a complex problem. Hence, no more wood in pots. I learned my lesson the hard way. Bill

Hi Bill,
The only problem to what you are describing to do..is before you plant a large plant into a container put in a steel piece with concrete.

Now. I have trans-planted abused two large approx 5' plumeria, back into original contaners, in mud given to me, into 14 gallon large plastic containers..setting on my patio. I cannot put the steel in with concrete, or set to a concrete stone. They will be on my east exposure patio. One is tight into the soil, but should have a stake..The other one is a very thick heavy yellow one 5' many thick branches, don't know name, given to me. I moved it today to keep it out of rain, The large plant moved in the soil. Has very heavy coiled roots, placed it in the middle of the pot, but roots has not spread yet in the container to hold it down. I transplanted it.

NOW.... what to put in loose soil? Different situation. If I put a metal rod in, still is in loose soil? If not bumped might be ok.

Hay Joanna... great to see you post.. how did your plants do in the freeze??
Karen B.

Hi Karen,
We've been doing pretty good over here. The home remodel will hopefully be done in the next couple of weeks. A lot has changed since you came over last summer! My Plumies survived the winter, with no damage, but only because I over-wintered them in my garage and storage bin. My hubby wasn't too thrilled to have all 28 plumerias stacked all over his garage and bin, but at least they survived our horrible winter freeze. I just finished a couple days ago transplanting all of them into bigger pots, so I have no idea how I'm going to find room for them next winter. (Half of them are now in 15 gallon pots, the other ones are in pots over 5 gallons) Because of the remodel I wasn't able to get the yard prepped for putting some of them in the ground this year. I'm hoping to put at least 6-7 in the ground by next year. As it is I'm looking to buy an Aztec Gold (or other strong yellow) and a Penang Peach. I'd love to get a ACW as well, but we'll see...
I understand what Bill is saying about the wood rotting..Would hate for that to happen and cause damage to my plant. I guess I was just hoping that since it was only going to be for this growing season that I could get away with it. But it's not worth the risk of losing a plumie...So I guess I have more work to do! :)
Good luck jroot, you've come to a great place for help with your "new addiction"... :)

Joanna- it takes about three years to rot the wooden poles and some last longer. They seem to rot faster in pots than in the ground. Mine in the ground have been four years and are still strong. By the time they go, my plants should be big enough to stand alone.
Karen- It is not as easy as you think. The plants are woven around the broken pole and the roots are also interwoven. I think I am going to have to shove the aluminum pole up from the bottom of the root ball and up where the old pole is then fill in the new dirt around the entire mess. I also have a gift plant in mud and I am going to pull it out of the pot, spray away the mud and replant like a bare root rose (spread roots on a volcano of soil and fill in.)
Bill

Hi Bill,
thats how both of the plants were, that was given to me, in solid mud. Yes, I treated them both like bare root roses. The big 5' thick one, had thick gnarled roots..should have gone in the ground. But my husband was so proud he got that one from the neighbors for me, I was gone, was in the driveway waiting for me, Planter was so heavy about broke his back, was shocked I would want to take it out of that pretty planter, after all it was growing..ha !!! so back into the planter, transplanted. Yes will find metal stakes.

Question: These plants the entire plant is not green, top to bottom but yellow brown, tough old looking stalk. The heavy thick brances are that color too, and only about 2" tip is green, not much grew. Is that normal for old wood, or were they starved? The tips are closed but red.
Karen B

Hi Joanna,
Glad your re-modeling is getting closer to being done. Are you still keeping the patio? covered now?

Lucky your plumies were in the garage. Yes, can about imagine what your husband said, mine would have complained to the max. ha I had 14 plants, because of the freeze and wind chill and now have just lost another one in the ground. Caving in and turning black brown. Sad was my first, playful..So I have lost 8 plants, including aztec gold. I do have another aztec gold, I planted it on the east side in the ground. But another problem there, all plants there are where the squirrels play and chase each other. They all ready jumped celedine and I lost a leaf. Pray that will stop! Not sure how to protect the ones in the ground from them..

What a job transplanting in large pots, I was given two large 5' ones in mud, big pots, neighbor moved. Had to take them out, get the mud off and plant them in good soil. Yes, a job..Good luck on yours!!!! On your new edition..that took a long time, bet you are excited.
Karen B.

Karen- That is normal for old wood although if the stem is protected from the mid-day sun until it leafs out you can cut down on the sunburn, although it does not seem to hurt the plant beyond the look. Bill

Hi Bill
ahhh thanks so much, old wood, oooh so thats why the plant skin looks so odd, appreciate knowing that. My husband got the plant off the neighbors back porch, may have faced the west sun. don't know, have moved cannot ask. Will be protected. Just want it to make it.
thanks, Karen B..