I lived in zone 9b and had 4 plumies in the ground. I fertilized up until their leaves dropped. I did decrease the amount when autumn. The growing season is a little longer than up north. I got spoiled really quick. Calling mom and my sister chatting away about how lush and green everything is and they have snow on the ground...lol. I grow alot of my plumeria in pots here in south florida. I got them in the spring in one gallons and now most are up to 3 or 5 gallon pots. They get full sun and i do have to water in the dry season and I even fertilize. Remember, use the fertilizer for what you are after: blooms or growth?? I mainly give bloom boosting fertilizer to mine. Once in a while I give the other kind. Cliff

I'm very good at sewing,crafts,quilting and gardening. I'm also very good at basic math,and can do fractions in my head,which seems to blow peoples minds,especially when i worked in a quilt store. I'm good at gardening and love to start things from seeds and plant something that someone tells me won't grow here.My motto is you don't know unless you try!! I hate cooking,and so glad i have a dh that enjoys it,otherwise i might have vending machines in my kitchen!! LOL,NOT I have a good outlook on life in general,and try to always see the positive. I'm a good mom,nana,to my kids,GK'S GGK's. Kathi

That was my point - it isn't the variety that is the problem, it is the very different conditions provided. No variety will do well in a hole dug in sand and filled with potting mix. No variety will do well in areas of high humidity without the use of a fungicide regularly. No variety, be it hybrid or heirloom, will do well if planted at the times used by northern gardeners but can thrive if planted at the proper time for mid-Florida. No variety is blight or any other fungus resistant, no variety is "worm" resistant, etc. So focusing on variety won't solve the problems, Creating better growing conditions and recognizing the different needs of plants growing in your current environment will. For example, you can make an 18-24" deep raised bed on top of the sand and fill it with a good mix of soil and compost and nutrient supplements. Plant your plants out in early February to beat the heat and again in mid-Sept. after the worst of the heat breaks (not in April or May) and plan to shade the plants as needed. Plan a regular weekly schedule of fungicide spraying from the day of plant out just as all of us do who live with high humidity do. And patrol for pests ( horn worms and/or fruit worms, etc.) daily and deal with them as needed before they get established. Prune as needed and increase plant spacing to increase air circulation in and around the plants. Water and feed far more often than you did up north. Gardening in Florida sometimes takes more work and more attention according to experienced Florida growers. And very different timing than in other parts of the country but we all have different conditional needs no matter where we live. But the variety planted is not the issue. Dave

My irrigation system runs on a well. I'm about 1/2 mile from the gulf. I noticed some plants that have always been healthy are yellowing and dropping leaves. Someone mentioned that because it's been such a dry winter, the ground water table is low and has been infiltrated with salt water, so my well water probably has a high salt content. I don't want to be watering my plants with salt water, but using the city water would cost a fortune. I'd like to have my water tested, but does anyone know what an acceptable level of salt is? or any filters I could put on that remove salt?