Artictropical,

Great looking 1 year old Plumerias...they look alot older than that!!!

They clearly love the conditions that you have had them in this winter as well as spring...really thriving!!!

Is that contact paper that use have placed on the outside of the black pots? Great idea...

Looking great...

Laura in VB

Thanks Laura! I read your Divine posting. Sorry you lost some branches from the storm. I just purchased a Divine from Jack's a few weeks ago. It had lots of buds on it when it arrived, and it's in bloom now! I love it's fragrance. Thanks for your comments. I'm a real novice at this, but I am learning a lot as I go. Yes, I put white contact paper on the black plastic pots. It's not real pretty, but does the job of reflecting the hot sun. Wow, growing plummies is a real bad addiction, isn't it! I just purchased my second 8-bulb, T-5 HO growlight fixture for all of the extra plummies I purchased and started growing from seed, to keep them going during Fall and Spring. I think I will gradually force them into dormancy for two months. When my wife see's it installed along side the other one, I'm sure she will have a fit!

Im so amazed at how well your plants do in your zone! Your plumerias look great! And I think most of us agree that plumerias are very addicting plants! Im always adding new plumerias, 2 years ago if you asked me what a plumeria was, I would have no idea at all. Last I only had 3 plumerias and this year I have 8! The only problem with them is the spider mites during the winter but if they are treated occasionally and grow well indoors they wont really mind the spider mites too much. Thanks for updating us! I hope you get some nice blooms soon and those plumerias are going to look so amazing when they are older and covered in blooms! Out of curiosity, how has the weather been by you this summer? I hear that its been cooler than usual in a lot of the western part of the country and Its definitely been very warm in the eastern half of the country!
Good luck!!
-Alex

Thanks Alex. This is sad...... I just counted how may plumeria I have. I've never counted till now. Including my 1 year old seedlings, I have 38 plumeria, and 7 desert rose! Talk about an addiction. And this is just one of my plant addictions. If you add bananas(one is 25-30 feet tall now), hibiscus, elephant ears, cannas (3,000 of them), palms, large barrel and sagaro cacti, wisteria, bird of paradise, bromeliads, tree ferns, citrus, bamboo, etc., etc., etc., maybe someone should commit me. And that doesn't include all of the "normal" plants they grow in northern Utah. Maybe I should move to Hawaii. I think my family and the neighbors think I'm insane. Spider mites.... Yuck! What a plague during winter. I think they appear out of thin air. Weather this summer? Cold! It was 45 degrees a couple mornings ago. 20 degrees up to Peter Sinks, a high valley east of my home in the mountains where I go mountain biking. We had frost in northern Utah all the way through the end of May. Global warming? Not here!

Hey Artictropical,

Don't you love the Mini Divine? Alex (TZ) has had a great summer with all of the blooms...very happy Divine!!!

Mine has not even had any sign on blooming...it's growing very fast, but no inflos...The loss of one of the branches makes it look lopsided. So I don't know if I should leave it until next spring and then trim to make it more stable or trim now...I will probably wait...can't even think of cutting on it right now!!! LOL

You are in the "normal" group!!! I decided to count as well. I have a little over 20 trees and will probably give my seedlings to family members, since they have started showing interest after seeing mine. They are all mixed seeds so I really have no idea what color they will be.

I love hearing about all of the plants, trees etc that you have...sounds like a completely sane person to me!! LOL!!

How are the plumies handling the low temps during the night?
When will you bring them in for the winter?

Thanks for the great pics!!!

Take care everyone...

Laura in VB

Thanks so much, Laura. Isn't it nice sharing and communicating with plant lovers, over so many miles. Like I've said before, people who love plants are the nicest people out there! Last May I had all of my plummies outside when the temperatures dropped low enough that there was frost on the lawn. Most nights here in northern Utah in my mountain valley, the temperatures drop to the high 40's or at best, low 50's. Then it warms up into the 80's or 90's, because of the dry air. I won't worry about bringing them in (hopefully) until next month in mid September. I want to keep them outside as long as possible. I don't think they mind the cool mountain air at nights, as long as they don't get frozen. I can't wait to compare the fragrance of several blooms at the same time. I miss the smell of plumeria in Hawaii in the evenings.

Your seedlings look absolutely fabulous!!

Kasie

I think its great to communicate with gardeners in so many different climates! Your plants are really thriving so I dont think they mind the cooler nights by you. I love the smell of plumeria in Hawaii! If you go under a few plumeria trees, the fragrance is very nice and strong. I wish I could have that in my yard! Hawaii is a great place for plants! I was amazed at how well they grew. Sorry to hear that the weather hasnt been cooperating by you too much this summer, but at least your plants are still during amazing! You have a ton of plants but I enjoy seeing every single one of them! They always look nice!

Also laura, thanks for complementing my Divine! Its been blooming all summer. Mine was also a little uneven looking because it turns out that it did make an inflo indoors, but I didnt recognize it because it had no buds on it. But I did rip the inflo out when it had spider mites so that branch stayed bare until about a month ago. Now it has new leaves growing and its not going to be lopsided anymore! I think eventually it will even itself out so you shouldnt worry!

Good luck everyone! I still cant believe how summer is almost over but at least its been a good growing season here.
-Alex

Thanks Kasie and Alex. Since you are growing 'Divine', here's a picture of mine in bloom. And to think I just bought it on-line from Jacks about 3 weeks ago at a very reasonable price. It was in bud at the time. Now it's really starting to bloom. I brought it inside to enjoy it in the evening.

Very nice!! Yours looks great! Its a bit redder than mine. Heres a pic of one of the inflos on my divine. I LOVE this plumeria!! I got it from Jacks off ebay last summer as a small plant. I destroyed half the roots taking it out of its pot, but it quickly recovered and has grown a lot this summer! And another thing I love about this plumeria is the form on it. I think its one of the only plumerias of mine that wont fall over in the wind!

arctic: You've got the bug bad! What on earth are you going to do with all those plants when each one gets to be 6 feet tall?? Love the Divine.

Thanks Alex. Your 'Divine' blossoms appear to be larger. Maybe because mine is a younger plant. I don't know. I guess all this Utah sunshine has helped out with the coloring. Yes, I've been pleased with the 3 plants I've purchased from Jungle Jacks. A 'Delightful' I purchased from them had 4 strong branches. Dave, yes! I've got the bug. I was inflicted by it 39 years ago in 1971 when I wore my first plumeria lei in Hawaii and smelled the wonderful fragrance. Smelling any plumeria blossoms now immediately takes me back to Hawaii. What am I going to do with them all when they get big? I have no idea. I'll figure something out. That's what I lay awake at night doing.... thinking about ways to keep tropical plants alive in my inhospitable climate! I guess that's why I have the 4 outdoor palms that are still alive after all these years. My 15' Trachy, however, is really giving me a challege.

Im not sure but if I remember right my first divine flowers did come out at about the size yours are now so it might be that the first flowers are just smaller than the others. But it was also cooler when that inflo was developing (I took it out in late march and it saw 2 nights of 39F and several cool days in april) so that could have made the first blooms smaller. We had a ton of heat this year with probably well over 30 days in the 90s this summer and still going so that might have made the blooms a little larger. But I think the strong mountain sun definitely gave yours a lot more color than mine!

How are all your palms doing?? Id love to see them and your yard definitely inspired me to grow tropicals in my area including cold tolerant palms. I hope that your trachy is doing okay. Is is dying or is it just becoming too much of a challenge to protect? Good luck!! Your yard is getting more tropical every year!
-Alex

Hi Kevin, Wow your plumeria look awesome! I only have one noid that I bought at a local nursery. It is almost 4 feet tall but has not yet bloomed and doesn't appear that it will anytime soon. I really wish it would because I don't even know what color it is.

How are your cannas doing? None of mine are even blooming yet. I can't believe it is the middle of August and still no blooms. I think some of mine rotted after planting them because several did not come up.

The banana you gave me is doing really well and absolutely love it!!! How are your bromeliads doing? Mine are doing good and starting to color up some. I did buy some more plants this year so soon I will probably be overrun with pups. If you want some more I will happy to give you some assuming you have room for them lol.

Linda

Thanks Alex. The Trachy is growing like a weed! It truly loves our hot days and cool nights. It grows at least a foot taller each year. Pretty soon I'll need a crane to lift the box over the palm. I just keep adding more levels of railroad ties at the base, in order to keep lifting the 8' box higher and higher. The Med. fan palm has a huge thick trunk now and is the most robust Med. palm I have seen anywhere. My new California Fan palm is in it's second year outside, and it's growing faster than the rest. It already needs a 6' box to cover it. Linda, sorry to hear about your cannas! Yeah, we are at least 2 weeks late on everything this summer, but some varieties of my cannas are in full bloom. Others have not bloomed yet. It depends on the variety and the height of the canna variety. Yes! My bromeliads are starting color up! Thanks.... No room for any more. I've "gone over the edge" with my plumerias. The pics at the top of this post are only the seedlings I started last year. The other 25 or so are much larger! Help! My house is a jungle in winter. By the way.... my ensete inside my house has hit the upper A-frame ceiling. It's 25-30 feet high... a real monster.

Wow, Im glad all your palms are growing so well! Your palms are always so robust looking. Never any signs of stress despite being in structures for half the year! Im not sure how you always manage to protect them. Im glad that your california fan palm is growing so well. Its going to be as big as your windmill palm in no time!! Those banana plants always amaze me! Im not even sure how you manage to get them past the door! Those are some of the tallest ensetes Ive ever seen!! Thanks for the update! Your house might be a little crowded during the winter, but your yard has got to be the best in town during the summer! Tropical plants and Beautiful mountain views. Really the best of both worlds!!
Good luck!
-Alex

Thanks Alex..... it sounds like you're a tropical plant addict like I am. I forgot. What state do you live in? I wish I had zone 7 temperatures in this cold mountain valley. But, hey, I can't complain about the summers here. They are very comfortable. The ensetes and musas I planted outside have been real slow growing this year because of our cool Spring. And several wind storms really knocked the leaves down. But they are healthy! They are just starting to show some rapid growth. I just don't know what to do with the 30' ensete inside of my house. I'll probably cut the leaves back and start it over!

Well Kevin it sounds like you've gone "plum crazy" lol. I can't say much since I now have 28 bromeliads and I just started collecting them last summer. When they all start pupping I could easily have three times that many. I guess I will have to find someone else to give them to.

The ensete you gave me is now about ten feet tall. I can't believe how big the one in your house is...I hope it doesn't fall on you or maybe I will see a story on the news about a man trapped by a giant houseplant. Ha ha.

My musa are nowhere near as big a last year. All in all its been a pretty crappy growing season, but I do see a canna flower spike today and that makes me happy. The garden should look nice in September.

Good luck with your plumeria!

Linda

Im in NYC. What state are you in? For some reason I was thinking Utah. I think your definitely going to have to cut back some of those leaves to fit it in the house. I cant believe there size! How long have you had them for now?
Good luck!
-Alex

I live in fla and have grown hundreds of these I put up green houses in the winter for 2 months it will get in the 20's here and hold it.I bought 500 seed from thailand twice before that 100 here and there lol. Gluten for punishment. It is going on 4 yrs and some have started blooming for me. So far I have 3 I am going to the plumeria society to name i was lucky enough to get a orange I think its a seedling of kimo's It really takes alot of time but very rewarding when you see it through to the bloom. Everyones pic's are great I belong to Daves Garden my pic"s are there under this name

Wow, I should have replied earlier! The summer's getting away from us. It was 49 degrees this morning here in northern Utah. It might get down to the 30's tonight where I live. Yes, Alex, as you know by now, I live in Utah, near Logan. Linda and Alex, here's a picture I just took of the "big Kahuna" ensete, insite my A-frame house. It has grown to the very peak of the A-frame. What a monster! Danasplants... Yup, your addicted to plumerias! So am I! I just bought 6 more on e-bay. That makes it 44 total plumeria. What will I do with them? I have no idea! I guess I'd better start thinking about a greenhouse. Here's the ensete banana pic:

Hey Artictropical,

Your Ecente Banana is AWESOME!!!

And the Plumeria collection...44 and counting!!! Sounds like a real Plumeria addict!!! :) I'm just as guilty...my hubby asked where the new Brugs came from a few days ago...I told him, the same place your new Fish Rods came from!!! LOL.... He does understand!! Thank goodness!!
He's even started asking questions so he can answer some of the questions when his friends are over...There is hope!!!
LOL..... Love all of your pictures!!

Take care everyone,

Laura in VB

Your banana plant is looking great!!! Your definitely going to need a greenhouse soon!!! I cant believe how cold the temps are by you but hopefully you wont have a frost anytime soon!
Good luck, your plants are looking great!!
-Alex

How long? About 3-4 years. I can't remember. I let this ensete die because it was so big. I didn't dare take it outside during the summer months because the wind would break it off. Because of this, I couldn't flush the soil with water to flush out salt build up from fertilizers and other stuff in my hard water, so it eventually went down hill. I just put it outside to finish dying a week ago. However my other 3 that I put outside during Summer are down stairs in my unlit, unheated basement room in dormancy. In the Fall, I cut them down to 5-6' stumps, repot them in 15 gallon nursery pots, and stick them in the basement till next Spring. They have large thick "trunks". I do this every year and they come back to full beauty in the Summer.

Arctic, I was revisiting these pictures and wondered if you remember which variety of seedlings those are.

My seedlings are now around the same age--1-year-old--but only one has a side branch. This is one of around five dozen that germinated, of six different varieties. Just curious what cultivar's seedlings you have.

Jen

Hi Jen. I don't remember all of the names, but here are some of them: Little Plumeria, Golden, Lahaina Dream, Aztec gold, Pancake, Hawaiian Titanic, Celedine. I've got one that is blooming for the first time, and it's white w/yellow throat, with no hint of pink in the bud, so I'm not sure what it is. It might be Samoan Fluff.