plumeria not hibernating

[utah]

Okay all,

The orchids are behaving but I've got an interesting "problem" with my plumeria. It's growing like crazy in the greenhouse. I have it in a dry area but it has high humidity around it and temperatures ranging from 62degrees (F) - 78degrees (F - daytime). It's not showing any signs of dropping leaves or going dormant. It's even putting out a strange new growth at the crown of one of the branches (see the arrow on the third photo).

I haven't subjected it to freezing temperatures - I figured they thrive in Hawaii so the greenhouse temps (and withholding water) would work.

What's up with this guy??

thanks

[stonedragonfarms]

Yours looks way better than mine, though my night temps are about 18 degrees cooler than yours...mine puts out leaves all winter, even though I water it only about 1x per month...I just wish I could get mine to bloom! Please let me know if you find out how to "force" dormancy, I too would like to know.
Adam

[utah]

I'm ready to leave it in the unheated garage for a while but it's been getting down in the 20s in the evening here. I'm not quite *that* mean. (Although, if it keeps looking healthy and growing . . . )

Wait, did I say that? What an evil gardener I've become.

[Becca]

I don't have any answers for you, but I have been interested in growing plumeria and have found a yahoo group for plumeria that is very active. I bet they could help you, check out the group and join it! Here is the link: ALOHA_PLUMERIA : HAWAIIAN ISLAND & WORLD FRANGIPANI

[JackiBlu]

Hi Utah,

I hope I'm not too late, but please don't let your plumeria freeze. I am pretty certain freezing will kill it. If it is in your cozy warm greenhouse of 78 degrees and its doing fine and there is no reason to move it leave it there. I am not a plumeria expert by any means but in everything I've read on them I do not believe they require dormancy. If we have a warm winter (and I've been swimming at the beach on Christmas Day before) they are fine - may or may not drop leaves.

I do have several (12) plumeria, but I live in SE Florida. They grow nearly wild here and some cuttings I had last year I left just on top of the mulch below the tree (planning to give them away but didn't want them mixed up/color wise) and they began growing without being planted - like an air plant!

But once the temps start dropping into the mid to low 60s its leaves start turning and falling off. Luckily we don't need to winter them as they survive in the ground we just leave them alone totally or MAYBE water it once or twice in the 4-5 months of cooler weather here.

Hope that helps some and in time!

[Ross]

They are grown commercially on the Big Island so obviously temperature is not the thing. But moisture could be. I know nothing about Plumeria, except my sister is an expert in them (well, a self-proclaimed expert ) and has many varieties that she blooms. She lives just north of Tampa in Florida. Temps are not something she or Dad ever discussed, so I guess that can be ruled out. Don't freeze them - they are terribly sensitive to temps, that I know. If yours won't bloom, I'm suspecting either light changes due to day length change, or watering changes. I wonder if the dryness is a trigger?

[JackiBlu]

PS: The 'new growth' is the plant extending it's branch. Plumeria, if you notice, branch off in 3's.

Your healthy Plumie is just a tad confuzzeled with which season it is, since its living in a green house. It could very well just start blooming.. so don't be surprised.

[utah]

Originally Posted by JackiBlu

Hi Utah,

I hope I'm not too late, but please don't let your plumeria freeze. I am pretty certain freezing will kill it. If it is in your cozy warm greenhouse of 78 degrees and its doing fine and there is no reason to move it leave it there. I am not a plumeria expert by any means but in everything I've read on them I do not believe they require dormancy.

Thanks Jacki. I haven't left them in the freezing weather. I'm mean but not THAT mean.

The plumeria is thriving in the greenhouse with the orchids, bird of paradise, and lizards.

It's still very green but I haven't watered it - although the humidity never drops below 80% out there. I figure if it wants to keep it's leaves then so be it.

[Jonna]

Here in the tropics, plumeria do not lose all of their leaves and do continue blooming all year. At first I thought they were all non-deciduous white bloomers but now I've seen many colors and multi's that do the same. Some of them lose part of their leaves but rarely all of them and they usually have at least a few blooms going in the winter as well. They are tropicals, they don't want to be cold. I would guess that they trigger more from dry vs wet season changes. Water it less and it may go dormant. I'm not sure why you would want it to be dormant though.