Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Drip System, 0 by Clare_CA

Clare_CA wrote:
LOL about the female dog part;-) True dat. Yeah, I know you're a youngster, but I started dreaming about retirement since I started working full time at about age 17. LOL!

Good for you for getting a deal on Adeniums. I paid way too much for mine, I'm afraid, but I was lured by the low maintenance factor. I bought a variegated one from Logee's, a bunch from Snowbelt Adeniums, and a bunch from Buried Treasures. I just moved a bunch to larger clay pots and used Supersoil mixed with coir and perlite. It seems to drain well. I may eventually try them in the ground. It gets into the 40's at night here in the winter with a dampness from the fog and influence of the ocean. For a few hours before sunrise, it can drop into the 30's, but it almost never gets below about 34. I'm going to put up a greenhouse this year for my AeAe's and adeniums. I had a big adenium outside all year in a pot a few years ago, and it did okay underneath a semi-protected patio. I think, if they are kept dry, they would probably be okay. It's hard to risk such a large financial investment though.

"...a variegated dwarf pink lemon..." Wow! Awesome. I would have dug it up too.

Yeah, plumeria can survive real abuse and do fine. Here is a picture of Paula's plumeria trees below. She does this to them every year to bring them inside for the winter. It's amazing what they can take.

Living out in the country can be great. It can be quiet and peaceful with more wild life around. I loved it when I lived in Buellton, CA, for five years, but it was definitely colder than what I was used to. It got down into the 20's and low teens in the winter. I used to make raging fires at night in the fireplace -- almost burned down the house a few times. Yeah, under the protection of taller trees, your plumerias might be fine, and you can always cover them and put a space heater underneath for the really cold nights.

'Sheer Beauty' is awesome. Mine should bloom very soon.