When can my plumeria go out for the summer?

nancyanne_2010

13 years ago

I just started growing plumeria - bought two unrooted cuttings at a garden show in february. Rooted them in one gallon containers - Both have lots of leaves and one is about to flower. They are both well rooted and now are in two gallon containers. One is pink and one is yellow - don't know the varieties.

Want to put them out for the summer - they have been going out for at least a few hours every day it's been over 50F (place they are at with balcony full sun is 10F higher - the wood balcony heats them up pretty well from the roots)

This spring has been exceptionally cold and wet so the plumeria have not been left out all night. Most of my plants are usually out for the summer by now --- but not this year (a few of the hardier sub tropicals are left out now) My apartment is pretty small and I only have a small light set up which is getting very full (since plant have to stay inside at night) Everything goes out on nice days and everything is very healthy and growing very well so I do not need a lecture about how putting them outside for a few hours on nice days is "bad for my plants" (I've already had that "lecture")

When can the plumeria go out for the summer? What night temperature should I look for before they go out until fall? Tonight is suppose to get to 49F - I know they drop leaves if it gets below 50F. It's been a very cold spring (so far it hasn't been above 75F - the latest ever - although it has been close a few times)

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Comments (10)

arctictropical
13 years ago
Hi! I'm in zone 4 and all of my plumerias have been outside for about two weeks. I buried their pots in a raised flower bed. Our temperatures have dropped down into the lower 40's at night time for the last week. It has been cold and rainy. On Saturday, it never got above 50 during the daytime where I live. So far, my plummies look fine.
karyn1
13 years ago
I'd go ahead and keep them outside now. As long as they have a good root system and are in a well draining mix they should be fine. Mine have been outside for almost 2 months and temps have dropped into the 40's with no problems.
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Well, I think you should wait until they get bigger, you're in my zone, and I'd dig them out with a spoon, whatever, and transplant in hunks about Sep 1 although I don't know if they will bloom in time to self seed which they do like crazy if you don't mulch. They just might bloom yet if we don't have too early of a frost, wish I could remember how long it takes, it's not right away but maybe as much as 3 weeks from good growth to blooms, sunny probably bloom much faster, they tolerate some shade and still bloom some, too much shade they are healthy but not blooming for me. I have so many I don't know what to do with them all am letting them self seed and transplanting to make a full border in the front and back because they bloom well, spread, and I like them. Am done transplanting this year but have more going and will continue until I get what I want, then start pulling the excess. Once they start blooming in early summer, they bloom well until frost. They are among the easiest to transplant so long as you water them the first couple of weeks. I'd just be afraid to transplant when they might be too tiny to survive especially now that it's pretty hot. I suppose you could have direct sowed but that is tricky in summer because they have to be kept moist. I started mine in a milk jug winter before last, and now have tons from self sowing. If you want to try that in the future in the summer, I suggest you scoop out a little cavity, fill with potting soil, sow the seeds, and cover with a 2-liter soda bottle with the bottom cut out, then water over the bottle because the seeds need light to germinate I think but probably will anyway. Oh, leave the cap off. Somebody taught me that trick when I sowed some gypsophilia paniculata which doesn't like to be transplanted. When you don't see moisture in the bottle or soil where they are planted looks dry, water over the bottle well. Then take the bottle off once they're germinated and grown a bit and don't let them dry out until they can make it on their own. You could cut the bottom of whatever you sowed them in and plant that, reason being they're less likely to crumble on you. Mine I had to dig up in chunks from the ground and slice in sections with a knife to transplant but used a spoon to scoop them out of a porch box I'd planted them in, worked well a few years back. Then I saved some seeds and winter sowed those, meant to this year but didn't get around to it so feared I may have lost them but got lucky. The main thing is if you want them next year, to get them blooming ASAP so they'll set seed you can either collect or let self sow. The particular variety I happen to have, some white, don't know the name, got from American Meadows a few years back, happens to be an excellent spreader so I wanted to keep those particular ones going and not buy seeds for a different kind. I tried some colored ones, and they don't spread or trail at all, and I think some whites don't either. They will grow under extremely dry conditions in poor, heavy soil once established. Hope this helps. Sorry it's so long.
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Thanks to Bill's idea, I bought an inexpensive, best investment thing I could of gotten.. A pop up greenhouse, and boy can it get hot in there, even in March! It has registered over 90 degrees many days...Full sun besides...I am so greatful for the great ideas I get from here. Most of my plumies are leafing out alot, and even the rooting plumies from a generous member here are developing claws within just a couple of weeks. At night to keep them warm, I just use a space heater and a fan blowing the warm air evenly around. It never gets below 50 in there at night. Everytime I unzip the doors to it in the, it smells so tropical in there. I love it! No inflo's yet though..:-( Dave, very proud of your ability to make it work for your plants, and then to come here and share..:-) Thanks everyone...
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nancyanne_2010
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you :)

It's been so cold and wet here (seattle) and I didn't know how they would like it. They are well rooted and doing well so I will start leaving them outside (I can leave them out and still place them under cover if they would be happier with that)
tropicalzone7
13 years ago
My plumerias dont experience leaf drop until the days get shorter and many nights are in the low 40s. Even then they still keep a majority of there leaves. My plumerias have been out since early april and seem to be growing fast now that its warm. They need lots of sun and warmth to get a good amount of growth but they hang on just fine in cooler temps and rain (it was cold and cloudy here last june but they all managed to get some pretty decent growth). If its possible to keep them outside but protected from the rain they would do much better. They do like an occasional soaking though so you can still water them.

Good luck!
-Alex
karyn1
13 years ago
Nancyanne it sounds like the PNW is expeciencing completely opposite weather from the Mid Atlantic coast. We've had the warmest, dryest meteorological spring on record in the DC Metro area. Good luck with the plumies. BTW I agree with Alex about foliage dropping more in response to shorter days combined with cold temps.
eileen44_gardener
13 years ago
Hi..I have one plumie so far and living in South Central Vermont; the weather was actually warmer (hotter) in April this year than it has been for the past 3 weeks at least; damp, cool, rainy...temps are usually no higher in the daytime than 70ish if we're lucky..the mid 60s is more the average!...nights have been below 50...mid 40s. So I have been bringing mine inside at night not wanting it to get cold. It does have one inflo and some small but growing leaves on the 2nd branch and I don't want to "endanger" that progress. I wonder if it will ever be warm enough for it to bloom! The former has never had any blooms at all. The growth progress seems rather slow. I haven't fertilized it as yet. From some of the responses above I should be leaving it outside at night..is that correct and will fertilizer help promote growth...leaf or blooms and what kind etc is best. Thanks for any help.
meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
I live in Massachusetts..The weather here has been unusually warm, until the past few days..It has rained 13 of the 26 days this month.

If my plumies were in a very peaty soil, or a compacted one, not porous, I would never leave them outside in the cool damp weather..But because they are in well draining porous mix, I have no worries, and they are responding quite well.

A also keep the in black pots, since when the sun finally does peak out this time of year, the sun heats the containers up quite remarkably by hitting the pots..
So I direct all these pots right towards the full sun..

No inflo's yet though..:-( :-(

Mike..:-)
meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
13 of out 16!!!!!!!!! Days this month!

Mike..:-)
eileen44_gardener
13 years ago
About an hour ago my gf brought over my 2nd plumie; her mom has apparenty had 3 of them for over 5 years..no blooms...gf has one; b/c my 1st is growing an inflo I am so excited and agreed to take on another one. But..the newcomer has black (like charcoal) on 3 leaves (the leaves on this one are much larger than my 1st one) A newly forming leaf..very tiny has black on about half of it and 2 of the next size up (not on the large full grown older leaves)each have a black spot about the size of a quarter ...irregular shaped and crunchy/dry. The soil feels very dry on the top 2 inches; then just damp. Should I remove the affected leaves and should the plant be placed far away from the other healthy one? What is the problem? Thanks so much for your help..
nancyanne_2010
Original Author
13 years ago
Last year when the east coast had wet and cold all summer, the PNW had record heat and drought (first time 101F at SeaTac - EVER) We sometimes have wet / cold all summer although I wasn't growing plumeria and I had a greenhouse during the last one.

Thanks to everyone for your advise. Tonight they will stay out for the first time (unless I chicken out and bring them in at midnight)

When can my plumeria go out for the summer?

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arctictropical

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When can my plumeria go out for the summer?

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