Just an FYI about pressure-treated wood: the stuff you buy from Lowe's or Home Depot is not of a grade meant for contact with the ground, or below ground. On the yellow tag stapled to the end is a tiny number beside ACQ (alkaline copper quaternary compound) which will read .25 or .40. The .25 treatment is only for above-ground, and .40 for ground contact. There are also .60 and .80 treatments, but those are more difficult to find and quite a bit more expensive, and are meant for marine use. In the years I've used PT wood in my gh structures, first in Vero Beach, and now in the Panhandle, I've never had a carpenter ant or termite give the wood a second look. (As a matter of fact, I once had termites destroy a piece of untreated plywood attached to a PT 2x4...ignoring the 2x4.) The termites are thick here, and will quickly make short work of untreated wood. If it's treated to a sufficient degree, the copper acts as an effective detterent. I have seen ACQ .25 2x4s begin to swell and weaken when half-buried, after perhaps 7-8 years. BTW, when using PT wood, you must use either stainless steel fasteners or ones that are coated. The ACQ will cause ordinary fasteners to corrode. Depending upon how you've designed your roof, the span, and the pitch, you may or may not need to have it strong enough to support your weight on the rare occasion you need to climb up there. That's why the selection of denser wood grades may be important. -Bruce

I love small plastic ziplocs so much that I order 15,000 at a time for WinterSown.Org. You have to make sure the seeds are bone dry before putting them in the baggies. Storing dry seeds in the refrigerator or freezer doesn't provide any stratification--it's just cold storage. Seeds must be in a moistened medium before going into the cold to have any effect towards germination. WS isn't the Baggie Method, Winter Sowing is waiting until winter, then sowing the seeds into a lidded and vented container, and placing that container OUTSIDE and never bringing it back inside. In their containers, the seeds go through natural freezes and thaws, and then germinate hardily at their own right time. You need to look at my FAQs here at the Winter Sowing Forum or visit WinterSown.Org for more extended information and photos, etc. T

Hi Crafty, Sorry for the very late reply, working as a commercial diver sometimes takes you me of town for shorter or longer periods and sometimes even out of the country. Sorry I don't know the name of the Plumeria. The cutting was bought on ebay from Suncatchers of Hilo for $4 as a "Red cutting" I think it's more in the "Moragne" family! However it's very beautiful and I'm very pleased with it and here are af few pics of what it developed into. To "Greenclaws" Gill if you see this thread. We talked abour our seedlings and you said I beat you too it but you have to know I would never try to compete or beat you in any way. I had more hoped we could team up and make where we live a more Plumeria knowen area we are only about and hour by airplane away from eachother. And Littlem 2007 "Sue" I would love to show you more of my collection but it's spread all around my big garden and the Plumerias are mixed in with all my other plants and they are not as nicely arranged as Hawaiienbuilt's I really like his collection but mine is all a mess compared the his but the plants I have are healthy and ok. Here are some pics. of the Plumerias that have flowers in my garden right now. My two poor Celadine's were attact by very strong winds and got some leaves ripped of and the wind even burned the new leave tips but they are coming back ok and will produce flowers soon and I look forward to the smell. There is also a pic. of my cool dad who becomes 87 this Oct. and me and we are standing next to my old Carmen. Behind us you might be able to see several new seedlings I have no idea how many I have but there are lost of them. I think the small dwarfs that I got in November last year are doing great too they didn't seem to care about the strong winds but the leaves are also much smaller and harder than the other Plumeria's. Cheers Soren, Jutland

High nitrogen is not good for plumies because they grow leggy, but it is ok for seedlings and new plants. Even numbers (20-20-20) are commonly used in the spring moving to high P in the summer and high P-K in late summer. Stop about a month before cool weather to allow the plant to harden. No water or fert. necessary while dormant-wet roots rot without leaves to take up water. Leave it outside as long as there is no threat of mid to low 30s. Usually mid to low 50s will induce dormancy along with the shorter light. Protect the bare plant from freezing or cold temperatures. No light, water, or anything except keeping warm is neeed. It is programed to wake up about March. at that time give it a tablespoon of epsoms salts in warm water (gal.) to jump start the wake up. Let it dry for days in between watering as until temps go over 85 they are better dry to moist than wet. Don't put fertilizer next to the stem if granular as it will burn the plant and induce rot. Neglect is better than over-messing with plumerias. Soils need to be fast draining usually mixed with perlite and/or pumice and avoid any that retains water. Bill