Hello everyone!! Just wanted to follow up on the Plumeria thoughts.. Plumeria do very well in fast draining mix and that is what i was looking for when i started changing my mix to the gritty Mix.. They like water just as much as any other tropical, but don't like wet feet, so with the draining of the mix and the great aeration of the roots provided with the mix comes happy roots. I don't worry about watering to much with this mix. i can water in the summer when i need to and not worry about root rot. They simply don't have any issues with perched water in this mix. They do like the wet/dry cycle, but can tolerate more water than if planted in the "standard" mix. This would be the problem. Wet..soil.. They do not like this at all.. My trees have turned around in the last few years and have been growing and blooming more than in the earlier years and i credit this growth and healthy trees to my change in Mix, fertilizer and overall knowledge in why everything starts with happy roots. (Better mix = happier trees) Many of my trees along with my huge collection of Plumeria C & S and other little trees are just loving the change.. Rina.. if i could send you a Plumeria in the spring, i would...not sure of the limitations on sending to Canada..but we shall see!! : ) Just wanted to chime in since Al mentioned my trees.. Thank you AL, you have helped me and my trees more than you will know. Mahalo!! SS... Nice pics..you have done a great job!! Welcome again!! Love the little sticks from AL.. LOL.. SOoo cute!! Plumeria for those that like them.. Kimi Moragne Take care.. Thanks Rina for letting me say a few things on your thread.. Hope you don't mind!! : ) Laura

When houseplants are the topic and we remove blooms/fruit from the scope of discussion, leaves are the first organs that experience cold damage as temperatures fall - especially if they fall rapidly (physical cold damage/injury can occur at temps as high as 50* if the drop from higher temps was rapid); or, if we consider the inability to carry on photosynthesis at low temps damage; and a good case can be made that it IS damage because it forces the plant to switch to energy reserves, rather than using current photosynthate in order to grow and keep its systems orderly. That means the leaves are the first place to look for cold damage. Roots of pots resting on the ground are benefited by geo-thermal heat rising from the ground AND from warmth created by the composting process occuring in the organic fraction of soils. From this, we can easily envision that root/soil temperatures of pots on the ground will be significantly warmer than air temperatures under conditions of falling temps, and at least slightly warmer than air temps when pots are isolated from an extraneous heat source, like geothermal heat or heat making its way through the walls of a heated building. You are correct, however, in thinking that the hardiest part of a temperate deciduous plant that is in a predictive dormancy is the dormant 'top' (trunk and branches), which would be devoid of leaves. But, before we would arrive at temps where we would be thinking about root hardiness, the leaves of temperate deciduous plants would almost certainly have decided to abscise, based primarily on shorter day length (actually, it's the longer dark period that determines that response) and decreasing temps. Al

Since you want the gritty mix to remain that way, I wouldn't topdress with peat or moss. Covering the media surface with a towel would reduce evaporation from the media surface. I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions but one I would toss out there is lower the apt temp/thermostat. You didn't mention at what temp you typically keep your home. If during your absence temps are in the upper 50s low 60s, the tree's metabolism will slow resulting in less transpiration as will evaporation in general. If a wide metal pan(s) (like a deep wide cake pan) are set on top of the radiator and filled with water, then the room humidity would be further increased when the radiator kicks on until the water is gone. (And with metal pans, you wouldn't have to worry about them catching fire/burning.) Extra humidity in the air will further reduce water loss by the tree. Btw, tree is looking good. Looks like it could go up a pot size or two this summer. Looks like Petrushka posted a similar idea while I was typing. :-)

First, what's occurring is called 'bud blast', which can be broadly described as the aborting of buds before or so on after opening. Deficiencies of the immobile nutrients are a common cause. Major changes in the amount of light and water the plant is acclimated to, but over or under-watering can also be causal. Radical temperature, cold air from air conditioners or warm air from heat sources can either cause buds to be aborted, and night to day temperature changes can cause condensation within the bud sheath, which can cause the bud to rot. Chemicals/fumes from gas/diesel engines or ethylene gas from any source can cause bud blast. Aphids and thrips can feed on buds or cause infections that cause them to abort. Humidity too low or plants too close to supplemental lighting are often issues, as is chemical damage related to EC/TDS (salt levels). And sometimes, often infuriatingly, the issue is often idiopathic or remains obscure. I think directing your prophylactic efforts toward maintaining those cultural practices the plant approves of, particularly soil moisture levels, temperature, and fertility. Make sure the fertilizer you're using includes all nutrients essential to normal growth. If you have any suspicions that water/condensation in buds might be an issue, first, don't mist or spray the foliage with water. After the bud erupts, you can try carefully peeling back the bud sheath, which will help prevent water or condensation from causing rot issues. If you find aphids/thrips, treat appropriately. I can't be more specific w/o seeing the plant. Often, though, in cases like this and given a list of potentialities, the grower is able to eliminate a goodly number of possibilities and concentrate on the more likely of the causes. This question comes up quite frequently, so I think I'll save this reply as a word document and use it in threads that might benefit from the info. Good luck! ~ Al