Shoved they shall be, but not TOO deep, then propped up. Maybe I'll check Goodwill for a heating pad when I go cruising for saucers... The mix I used for the orphan H (& the schlumb pot) is equal parts pumice, fir bark & chunky, home-grown compost, with about 1/2 part of coir; it's pretty fast & they seem to like it. And, I came home today with a 3' branch of night-blooming Cereus that is COVERED in nice little roots. I wonder why all these cacti & succulents are suddenly making their way into my life? Thanks for the info!

Rb, you don't tell us because you don't want us to know or because you don't know? Just kidding (gggg). Re: dieback. It's my understanding that PG trained as a standard and left to its own for years (typical example would be old PGs growing at cemetaries) could become very unkemp looking by the reason I call 'visual dieback'. I have an unsubstantiated theory about this and would be glad to have everybody's opinion about it. As branches become thicker and thicker bark on them become thicker as well, leaf buds can't penetrate it and new growth occures only at the tips of the old long branches. Some adventurous buds that still will be able to grow thru the old bark spend most of their energy to do so and are not productive. Since new growth is not produced anymore neither from the base of the tree nor from the most of the lenghts of the old branches you'll see new growth and flowers only on outside part of the plant. That is creating how I call it a 'visual dieback' effect. In a PGs trained as a trees this effect could ruin the whole appearance while in a shrub form it doesn't play such role. Hope you remember this pictures I posted here a few times Obviously nobody pruned this, planted in 1978, shrub for at least last 20 years. I got a chance to see it very close. Upon close inspection the main trunk become a 6 or 7 trunks growing together sometimes splitting, but sometimes growing one into each other. Nevertheless, of all 15-16' width of it, only outer 4 to 5' has viable buds in a spring, but that is enough to cover all ugly insides and create the most stately and gorgeous PG I ever saw.

I dont think plumerias will like clay pots because they will just break most of them when the get older. Give it a pot at least 2 or 3 times wider than the pot its in now. A 1-3 gallon pot should be good. They grow pretty fast. Some are more compact so they dont get as tall, but the ones that are less compact can get 4 or 5 feet of new growth a year. These plants arent too heavy even at a height of 7 or 8 feet so as long as its dry (so it isnt as heavy) you can take it inside. Take it in to a room that stays above freezing. They dont mind being cool, but should not be allowed to see temps in the 30s. In a cold room, all the leaves will drop off, but the plant is still very much alive as long as the stem isnt mushy. Also if its in a cold room dont water it much and if it has no leaves dont water it at all. In its habitat it loses its leaves during the dry season and is used to getting very little if any rain at all in its dormant period. I would not prune it this year because when you prune it, it delays blooms for about a year. You can prune it every year to keep it small and you will have a nice full plant, but you wont be able to see blooms on it until the pruning is stopped. I would prune it when it gets too tall to go inside so you can continue to bring it in every winter. They are great plants and their blooms are amazing especially when you grow them yourself! Good luck!

Yep, use Marie's method. Extended heavy rains will still bring it all down, but yeah it's the kinks you want to avoid. I actually use Marie's method plus nylon twine lassos 18" up and then again about 30" up. It's arbitrary when to lasso, but I'd recommend doing it as the blooms are opening rather than trying to gather and lasso a fully splayed out plant.