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What do you with plants indoors during winter?

17 years ago

I have three Plumerias that I bought at a garden show. They all rooted and this will be the second winter in my house. Last winter I took them inside and didn't keep them under a grow light or water them very much. All the leaves dropped off after a while and then this summer I took them back outside and they have grown lots more leaves and look really healthy. No blooms yet but I'm still hoping since we have about one more month of warm weather here.

Anyway, I repotted them recently in three gallon size pots, and I'm limited to space to keep them this winter. My question is, is it better to just give them minimal light and water and let them loose their leaves or it is better to give them as much light as possible, water more often and try to keep them going all winter? I think I read somewhere that they do better if you treat them as deciduous trees. Is this true.

Any help would be appreciated.

Ann

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Comments (5)

john_luvs_frangipani
17 years ago
Hi Ann,
Although I don't live in Va. I am under the opinion that it is best to just allow them to take their normal course, and treat them as decidous. Here in Fl. mine also lose all their leaves, and go dormant for winter. Sounds like you are doing fine to me. Good luck with the blooms!

John
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
17 years ago
John, what month do yours begin to lose leaves in Florida? October, November, December? Since your growing season is much longer than ours, I'd be really curious when yours begin to go dormant. Also, when do they start to wake up?
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john_luvs_frangipani
17 years ago
Well Dave, you caught me. I never really paid that much attention to it. I believe it's in Nov. As it doesn't really get cold until late Nov sometimes. Then we may get one or two cold days where the temps at night might hit 35, but that is rare. I'm going to jump out there and say around the end of Feb,early March when they start showing signs of life. I will document it in the future, and give you a more definate time frame. I've always known they were decidous, so like I said, didn't really keep track. Sorry for such a lame answer. Maybe there are other Fl growers with a more precise answer for you.

John

John
gardens1948
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks John. I can't wait for mine to bloom to see what color they are. Like I said, I bought them at a flower show and didn't even ask what color they were. To be honest, I wasn't really sure they would ever root and at one point thought I may have wasted my money. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when all three rooted and got leaves. I will be ecstatic when I get blooms.

Can you tell me how long it will be before I get more branches? Right now they are just one, trunk I guess you would call it, with leaves at the top. Is there anything I sould do or not do in order for them to branch out?

Thanks for your help.

Ann
john_luvs_frangipani
17 years ago
Hi Ann,
Usually the plant will branch after it flowers. Some people cut their branches to make it branch out more, bur from what I read here on the forum, that delays the flowering, which is what most of us want. I read on here that you can help the flowering by the addition of a fertilizer in which the middle number is high. I think mine that I use is 10-50-10. I have also read that you want to stop feeding at approximately 90 days prior to the onset of the plant going dormant for the winter. After winter, when the plant wakes up, I read it is best to start off with a fertilizer that is higher on the first number. That promotes the growth, and then switch to the higher second number. As far as the time lines, I can't remember excatly when to switch. Someone smarter than me, and there are a bunch of them in here, will help you further. Hope that helps a little.

John

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