resources

WINTER CARE

By Pat Fisher
Presented at the February 2009 Society Meeting

For most people with one plant or those who have a small collection of Plumeria, winter protection can be fairly easy. Just think "warm and dry." Most Plumeria will lose their leaves during winter dormancy. This process eliminates the plant's need for water. Remember, no leaves, no water.

If you live in the coastal region, you can bring your plant under a patio or porch cover for the winter and it should be fine. In areas of the county that receive frost, you need to take more steps to protect your plant.

Frost damage can cause branch dieback, with branches basically turning to mush. If you cut into the branch, you will generally find a black or brown goo. To save any of the tree, you'll need to cut down until you reach a healthy white interior. It might be best to wait until frosty weather is over before cutting the tree, to reduce the possibility of more damage and having open "wounds" on the tree.

More help on frost

I live in Jamul in the east county, so protecting my Plumeria collection from cold is an issue I deal with every year. I start my protection process by stopping all fertilizer in September. This stops new tender growth from forming very late in the season, which would be more susceptible to damage in the winter.

In mid-December I move all my first-year cuttings and seedlings into my home. As many other potted plants as possible go into the greenhouse (which is unheated). I place several buckets of water amongst the plants in the greenhouse. The water heats up during sunny days and that heat is dispersed at night to help keep temperatures inside the greenhouse tolerable for plants.

The bulk of my collection is in pots and can easily be moved under a porch, eaves, or awnings; this protects them from rain and frost as the overhead covering acts as a barrier to the night sky. The plants are as close to the house as possible. My house is a stucco/brick combo and retains heat that is dispersed at night, which also helps keep the temps up a bit.

I have thirty-eight trees in the ground that I choose not to dig up. Some people dig theirs up every year and store them bare-root style in garages, spare rooms, in rafters, etc. - always keeping them off cold cement - then replant them in spring. This method seems popular in Texas. My in-ground trees receive rainwater during the winter, not much I can do to prevent that. My soil is DG, and therefore very fast draining. Plumeria seem to tolerate a bit of cold, but cold and wet at the roots is a big problem, so the drier you can keep your plants when they have no leaves, the better.

To protect my in-ground trees, I place pipe insulation around the tips and base of each tree. If the temperatures are predicted to be in the low 30s overnight, I cover the trees with sheets or frost cloths. The cloths should not be wrapped at the base; it's better to leave them tent-like, holding them in place on the ground with bricks, etc. This way the tent can capture the earth's stored heat. Some people also string small holiday lights on their Plumeria to add a bit of warmth. You can build a mini-greenhouse around your tree by building a wood frame taller than the branches and covering the sides and top with heavy plastic. Don't let the plastic touch the branches.

Some ideas to keep the trees warm, dry, and generally safer during winter are:

• Heaters around the patio
• Frost cloth
• Newspaper, cloth, socks or pipe insulation on branches
• Bareroot storage
• Dig up and store – being careful to get the entire rootball, perhaps wrap the
  rootball in newspapers to retain as much of the soil around the roots
• Bring the plant inside home
• Bring under cover
• Bring in garage
• Put in a greenhouse
• Shimming on side of the pots – tilt one side of the pot up for faster drainage
• Small holiday lights strung around the tree

Q&A WITH PAT

Q. If I have a handful of plants that lost leaves and some that still have leaves, what should I do?
A. Treat all plants as dormant. It’s possibly showing a false start from our warm weather. Don’t water it.

Q. How big are the water buckets in your greenhouse?
A. Five gallon, regular - Home Depot bucket size.

Q. Do you place frost cloth directly on the plants?
A. Yes, in addition to the insulation already on the plant. Pat only does this in extreme weather; she’s only done it once this year.

Q. Do you double-insulate branches?
A. No, she just shapes the insulation to the branches and masking tapes it in place.