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Holy Hanna!!! and Yikes Ike!! advice for saving the Plumies?

15 years ago

In preparation for the potential for us getting Hurricane Ike next week (on my birthday, I'll bet) we are beginning our preparations. The only thing I am unsure about is what to do with the 20 cuttings that I planted in the beginning of August. I dug a few up to transplant into pots and noticed that roots haven't even begun to sprout, so I would bet most of my cuttings that are still buried haven't yet begun to root either. I'm thinking that the possibility of up to 145 MPH winds may do some damage to my precious Plumies. Any advice on how to care for my little (cough cough) collection? Should I remove all the leaves? Dig them up and bring them into my house? (mind you, this would be in addition to the 18 potted Plumerias I have (up to 5 ft tall), 54 seedlings (about 3 inches tall) and 25 seeds I just planted (thanks Chell!!); me, my husband, 2 kids, 2 greyhounds, the family cat, a parrot and the fish that keep multiplying. While my husband runs around getting essentials (like non-perishable food & water) I want to be moving my plants...you know, the important stuff.

Any and all advice is welcome!

Krysti

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Comments (3)

kbauman
15 years ago
Hi Krysti,
prayers coming to you and your family to be safe through the hurricane. Some one will come in soon and help you..Can you put the cuttings into pots with pearlite mix? will save them..in the house..others. help coming.
Karen b.
chellflower
15 years ago
Krysti,

I live almost 300 miles north of the Texas Gulf Coast, but I brought all of mine indoors (just as Gustav's rains reached us)...

I have about 25-30 rooted Plumies -in a two bedroom mobile home (with four people & a dog)! Not to mention numerous cuttings and seedlings (in my indoor greenhouse)... And I had just gotten a large shelf unit in the living room to expand my hydropnics setup. I also have tons of other tropicals to bring indoors before winter, Ugh!

To save space, plant your cuttings in plastic bottles (1 liter,like water/soda comes in)...just cut off the tops, punch holes in the bottom and plant (with the clear bottles, it's also easier to monitor roots). You can place them all together in a box (line with plastic bag) and put it in a corner,or a closet if you have to, just be sure there's a light on. I have to overwinter indoors here, so I've learned to make use of every nook & cranny. I usually group plants together by height and then I place a grow light on the wall just above the tallest one. In smaller rooms (bathrooms/bedrooms) I put plant bulbs in the ceiling light sockets and leave them turned on when the days get short (I've found these bulbs also help keep people from getting the 'winter blues').
Just be sure to keep them away from AC vents/cool drafts..... I had 10 cuttings root last winter in the living room with no grow light and very minimal sunlight from the windows. They were in a corner of the room near a heat vent (during February) and rooted within four weeks (I had watered them thoroughly upon planting and no more afterward).

I get one of those vinyl tablecloths from Walmart with the cloth backing($2.50-$3) to protect the floor and place my pots on that...it helps prevent moisture,dirt and scratches on the flooring and one can be cut to use for multiple rooms. These come in lots of styles/colors so its easy to match your decor too.
I've aquired so many more plants this year,so I'll have to 'go vertical' to overwinter them all! I'll be hanging many pots from the ceilings....and on shelves, dressers, countertops-even on the corners of the bathtubs! Just remember, all plants have a biological clock and expect a little less light during winter, so they can still grow (though slower) indoors, and the days are beginning to get shorter now anyhow. My Plumeria don't go dormant indoors, they may drop most leaves if it gets cool enough, but they still grow. I've brought mine in early this year due to all of the rains, so they won't experience any cold this season- I'm hoping it may cause them to grow even better this winter.

**If you could ask them, I'm sure your Plumies would prefer indoor conditions over getting drenched/drowned and beaten by high winds** Sometimes you just have to think like a Plumie! (I know, my addiction is worse than I thought! LOL)

Hope this helps!
Happy Birthday GF!

Chell
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chrismac_flutter
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Wow Chell. Great advice. LOL

The other choice that I may suggest is gang rooting. It takes much less space and as long as you have everything marked, it works awesome. I have a paintbucket with about 2 inches of soil in the bottom, then I set all my cuttings standing straight up and then cover the bases with a couple more inches. Since I don't water the cuttings, it has no drainage and for the short time of the storm, it is fine without drainage and makes less of a mess this way. I then leave it in the corner of the patio but as soon as the storms coming, I will just pick up the one pot and put it in the office.

Chris
Treasurecoast of Florida

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