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"... :)

Everyone that specializes in a particular type of plant THINKS their plant is markedly different from every other - it isn't. I hear this same claim at least once per week on one of the forums. The fact that you think the roots of plumeria have a unique growth habit is well wide of the mark. They actually look remarkably like most Moraceous plants, which would include ficus and mulberry. As well, plants are remarkably the same in their likes and dislikes, and what a plant will tolerate is not a good measure of it's preferences. I freely admit to not being an expert on plumerias, but I do consider myself to have a great deal of expertise when it comes to container culture and repotting/root pruning. I've been studying it, practicing it, and teaching it for many years, so I'm pretty sure I have a distinct advantage when it comes to discussions that involve container culture and long term maintenance of woody material in containers. Too, I'm not generalizing in my offerings, either, I'm being painfully specific. Plumerias are no different than any other plant when grown in conventional container culture, even if you don't realize it yet, and introducing a lot of variables and what ifs to the conversation simply muddies the water. We're losing focus because of the new supply of variables introduced with each of your offerings. Allowing the fact that roots USUALLY emerge only from the basal end of the cutting, it's a simple matter of removing enough soil to see where the roots begin to gauge whether or not it's safe to cut at any given point below where the roots emerge. That should be a part of every repot anyway - so the grower knows how deep to pot the plant. I'm not saying this in a mean or sarcastic way, but I can tell from your description of your version of root pruning that what you have been doing is much closer to potting up than repotting. Root pruning concentrates on removing roots in the center of the root mass (think of a hungry beaver gnawing its way up through the center of the root mass to just below the trunk). All heavy lateral roots are kept (plumbing), but at some point they are pruned immediately distal to a finer root that will do the plant some good. Finally, I never said what you or anyone else does is wrong - that's not how I roll. My only interest is that people have the information they need to decide what is or isn't right or wrong for them. In this particular case, the facts ARE black and white and are what should be used in the balance when making decisions. Tight roots affect growth and vitality. Period, There is no getting around that fact. Potting up - shaving the outside of the root ball and pruning a root here and there will PARTIALLY restore a plant's potential for growth, but won't offer the best results. Repotting and an accompanying root pruning physiologically rejuvenates the root system and restores the plant to its full potential for growth/vitality within the limits of other cultural factors that have the potential to be limiting. Shades of grey are only introduced when something other than the plants well-being takes precedence. Examples - I want to see if being root bound makes the plant bloom better, repotting would be too difficult, I would have to give up an afternoon ..... These are things we weigh in the balance and are the shades of gray, but notice how none of them involve the plant's well being. If people want to consider allowing their plant go for another year before repotting or potting up, they should have the information they need to make that decision. Someone telling them it's ok when it isn't, isn't helpful to their growing experience. The fact is, if your plant is rootbound to the point that you can lift the plant from the container with roots and soil intact, the condition of the roots is limiting the plant, and it can't get better without the grower being proactive. I've helped hundreds & hundreds of people turn their root bound plants completely around by way of a full repot. There is simply no basis to believe that plumeria are any different in how they respond to tight roots or to root pruning. If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that the suggestion that plumeria are unique among all plants in that regard even sounds far fetched. I'm more than happy to let the real plumeria experts answer the questions about subtleties that pertain to the plant and various cultivars, the little tricks that really ARE unique to the plant, but when it comes to the physiology of woody plants and their care under container culture, I'm well-qualified to offer definitive help, in fact, I get paid for it. Al Oh - about Laura's plumerias - she does very well for herself from what I've seen - a big heart, too. You suggest her pots are too small - not true unless she allows her plants to become root bound. It might be EASIER on her in that she wouldn't need to repot so often, but that's where the shades of gray come in. She understands the facts and is deciding what's best for Laura, based on those facts, which is the best course in my estimation. There is no inhibition of growth or reduction in vitality associated with a small pot unless the roots are tight in it - unless we drift afield further and start talking about other cultural influences like temperatures, which wouldn't help this conversation.

Jen: I'll give you an "amen, sis!" to that one! LOL plumerias are the bomb! So special indeed. As for your neuroticism...hey, you're in good company :) (referring to yours truly of course) Also, nearly all of the best people I've known in my life have their share of neurotic quirks. Wear 'em with pride, I say. Aaaaaand...since you asked...ONLY since you asked LOL-- I went outside tonight at 7pm. A t-storm had moved through (like every day lately) and the clouds had broken abruptly out to the west, where the sun was setting. Well, even though everything else was grey in the dim light, the Nebel's flowers seemed to be glowing, catching the rays of the setting sun...it was incredible. OK, now that one is really, truly, the last one...I'm gonna get banned! Jen, hope things are cooling down for you in TX. Enjoy the weekend. Greg

If you have rot, cut it to green wood. Put it out on warm days and bring in for cold days and nights. Put in a sunny window but move after dark as cold radiated from glass. If you prune, you will not get flowers the next season on the pruned branch. That is why I stagger my pruning. Blooming will not hurt the plant and will encourage the branch to grow 2-4 new branches for next season which can all flower. Rot is more often caused by having wet soil too long in cold weather or the stems get too cold (30's). Avoid these conditions.