Can i grow plumeria in texas
The plumeria does not like heat from block or concrete. The plumeria is very cold sensitive and must be protected in cold weather, therefore making it an excellent choice for container planting. The plumeria grows best in zones nine to eleven which includes the Houston and Galveston area.
The plumeria can be transplanted very successful even when quite large with comparatively small balls of roots. The plumeria does not like to be root bound, and it is recommended that the plumeria be repotted each year.
Spring is a very good time to repot. Some gardeners even take them out of their pots in November as they are becoming dormant and store them bare root in a warm place. Then in the spring they repot them up with fresh potting mix. Potting mixes for plumerias should contain organic matter and good drainage materials. Plumerias can be propagated very easily by cuttings from mature wood, not green, but having a grayish sheen to it.
Cuttings for propagation can be taken pretty much any time of the year, but most successful and easily when cuttings are taken during late winter while the plumeria is dormant.
The cuttings can be stored for months before planting. Click to see full answer. Accordingly, how do you care for a plumeria plant? Care for Plumeria Plumeria care , for the most part, is minimal. While plumerias don't like wet feet, they should be watered deeply when irrigated and then allowed to dry out some before watering again. They also need to be fertilized about every two to three weeks throughout their active growing season.
Subsequently, question is, do plumerias require full sun? Plumeria do best in full sun with at least a half day's sun exposure to bloom properly. They do well when potted in an appropriate size pot to the size of the tree in well drained soil.
While dormant, plumeria do not need to be watered at all except if you live in a dry winter climate then plumeria will need a quick water watering the plant very fast on surface of soil not regular water once every two weeks. Plumeria - also known as frangipani , temple trees or melia - go dormant in winter , requiring no light, soil or water. The Plumeria Society of America, founded here in Houston in , recommends storing plants in a dry place where temperatures remain above freezing.
This may be a closet, garage, attic or spare room. Plumeria are best grown in pots here, as they require protection from temperatures below 33 degrees. Locate your Plumeria in a minimum of hours of sun, with some shade from the afternoon sun, if necessary.
A well-drained potting soil, such as Fox Farm Happy Frog potting soil, is a must for these plants. Is Miracle Grow good for Plumeria? You can use a liquid high phosphorous fertilizer once every weeks look for the high middle number in the formula for example , for plumeria, such as Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster after your plants have been with you about 3 weeks and had time to settle in.
Do plumerias like coffee grounds? Coffee grounds are said to be acidifying, and Plumeria prefer a soil on the more acidic side, so that might be why you've been told that. Organic, fresh, coffee grounds do have a small nitrogen content too. Is Epsom salt good for plumerias? What about the 5 trees in the ground, you ask………well, Fred digs them up, wraps their roots in burlap, and they are also stored in the greenhouse for safe keeping.
By August of , the plants had outgrown the garage as far as storage space went and Fred, after considerable discussion, agreed we needed a greenhouse. I located a 16 ft. After a brief discussion with the owner and offering to buy the remains, a deal was struck, he gave the structure to me in exchange for moving it off of his property. Enough said! We had a….. Fred and my son-in-law set to work moving the pieces and reassembling them on our property.
It was, at least, enclosed and would see the plants safely through the cooler temperatures. By the spring of , my addiction continued and with the help of sellers from Florida to California and Thailand to Australia my collection continued to grow. Spring also meant moving the plants out of the greenhouse back into the yard……a task which seems to get a little harder each year!
On September 12, , Southeast Texas would once again be visited by a hurricane packing almost mph winds by the name of Humberto. Having been told by the weather service that the storm was minor and would be no more than a tropical storm carrying about 30 mph winds, I went to bed that night with little concern. By three a. I woke to the sound of the winds whipping metal and as I looked out across the plumie patch the plants were bent over and the rain appeared to be blowing horizontal to the ground.
The large spot lights on our house illuminated the area and all I could do was watch as one plant after another went down! My heart sank as I remembered the day after Rita! Hurricane Humberto formed and intensified faster than any other tropical cyclone on record within 18 hours of landfall and all I could do was watch and pace the floor while Fred slept. In November of , as time neared to move the plants back into the greenhouse, it seemed to have shrunk in size.
Once again Fred would find a solution for our storage problem by designing and building tables for the greenhouse which would give us twice the space as the previous year. In the fall of , Fred added a 45, BTU gas heater to the greenhouse and while the greenhouse is heated, it is not my goal to keep the plants growing during the dormant season but rather just to keep them safe. Therefore, the thermostat is set at 50 degrees F during the winter months.
It is my personal opinion that the natural cycle of these wonderful plants provide a time of dormancy for the plant to rejuvenate itself and therefore nature needs to take its course.
About the only thing I do, as far as the plants in the greenhouse are concerned, is to mist them on really hot days to keep the humidity up. I also spend a lot of time talking to them.
Temperatures can rise quickly in a greenhouse and when the exhaust fans come on, I add a little additional moisture. I do miss their beautiful flowers in the winter ; however, while the others sleep, my beautiful Pudica blooms her heart out until almost spring, when she begins to drop her leaves. Spring of has brought new plants to the Plumie Patch and my addiction continues.
At this time I have plants with of them being different cultivars. Many are still small, but they will grow quickly I was fortunate to acquire several of the Elizabeth Thornton plants …………….
What about seedlings? Well, as a matter of fact, I have about seedlings growing at this time which were planted last year. Of course, it will be a while before they get around to blooming! Fred is really the one who enjoys growing seedlings and I have to give him credit for all of the ones we have at this time. Well, it is quite simple! I believe in watering weekly with fish emulsion, blackstrap molasses, and a little beer , wine or hard liquor.
Once a month, I throw in a small dose of Epson salts during the growing season. Last year, I added a 9 month slow release fertilizer called Dynamite which was recommended to me by Luc at Florida Colors as a side dressing. It is a blend with micro-nutrients added and the plants seems to do well on that too……. BUT , I still add a tablespoon of dried fish emulsion to the other side of the pot and water with the mixture above just because I like the organic aspect of it!
How do I feed this many plumies….. Part of the joy of growing Plumerias is sharing their beauty with others!