Plumerias are easy to grow and generally very hardy plants provided you follow a few certain guidelines. Most importantly, plumerias LOVE water, but hate sitting in wet soil. So during the growing season water at least once a week, but not before the soil is completely dry. Rule of thumb, if you think it needs water, wait a day. Second, keep them in direct sun. This is a deciduous plant, meaning it will go dormant during the winter and loose its leaves. Not to worry, once night temperatures rise above 50 degrees, your plant will leaf out again and continue to flourish. If you live in an area with frost/freeze, it is very important that you store your plumeria indoors for the winter (no light required and nominal water at best) and then return it to the outdoors when it warms again.
?Sunshine:
And lots of it! Plumeria need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily during the growing season. A hot deck, a warm spot near the walls of your home, a sunny window, potted up in an open and sunny space; there are many options, just keep them in a nice warm sunny spot and watch them grow.
Water:
During the growing season (summer) water them weekly and less then monthly during the dormant period.
Food:
These trees enjoy fertilizer. Popular plumeria culture instructs you use a high phosphorous fertilizer, such as a 10-50-10 to boost blooms, once a month during the summer. This kind needs to be handled carefully, which is why many industrial farmers will use bunding to help store this securely (learn more here). Me? I prefer a balanced fertilizer such as ‘Foliage Pro’ which provides a balanced nutrient base and can be done weekly.
Medium:
To meet the plants urge for water while tending to their distaste for ‘wet feet’ it is important you use a fast draining soil mix. We recommend 50% cactus mix & 50% perlite or pumice. Be cautious when planting in the ground that you choose a spot which will not pool water.
Winter Care:
These plumeria have been growing in a toasty warm greenhouse; to maintain them during the cold season, either keep them in a greenhouse (and perhaps look into the use of greenhouse covers from Pro-Tect Plastics for the light deprivation technique to create artificial growing conditions for either year-round growing or extending the plants flowering process) or keep them indoors and preferably in a sunny window. If a sunny window is not available indoors, heat is the key. Keep them somewhere warm. If your tree’s leaves turn yellow, do not be concerned, they are following their natural dormancy cycle, and follow the above rules for watering.
(Plumeria Care information is courtesy of Double Peak Plumeria, www.doublepeakplumeria.com)
