I have a Plumeria that's currently potted, but I have the perfect place in my flowerbed to put it. This area is in the corner of the yard, so the privacy fence will help protect it some from the wind. We never have the ground freeze, but do get freezing temperatures for short periods of time off and on throughout the winter.
So can I plant it in the ground or do I need to leave it in the pot?
Thanks.
Can I plant it in the ground?
That's a tough call, but I would say it needs to stay in a pot until it gets large and mature. Freezing temps, even for short periods, will cause damage and branch dieback. A mature tree can handle this better because of two reasons: it will be acclimated from years of being in the pot and experiencing some cold, and if it does get some branch dieback from freezing temps, there may be a chance that the tree would still live and rebound. Plumerias are hardy from Zone 10 and up. Since you are in Zone 9, you would be taking a chance. You can always try it and throw a sheet over the tree when freezing temps are predicted. You can also build a structure around the tree which would protect it while it is planted in the ground. If you were going to try it, I would suggest planting the tree in the spring so that it gets well-established in the ground before freezing temps occur in the fall. As I said, I would not try this with a cutting or a small/young bush or tree. The bigger it is, the more chance of success it will have in the ground.
Sheila, I had one that I had potted for 3 years and I got tired of moving pot in/out. So last fall I transplanted inground and left out for winter. Well in January I was sweating bullets over it, even though I covered it with a blanket. The plant survived, but I did get substantial branch damage and it caused me to cut bad branches drastically drastically in the summer. I would discourage you to do that with a small plant, unless you are planning to lift it off in winter and sticking plant in some corner in the garage. There is a thread, and I'll try to find it of somebody that shows what she does. A little bit of a pain, but as I've discovered, worth it.
Having said that, when my plants reach 2" dia. trunks, I will try again. My pest control guy has a grove of them and he leaves them outside all year round. So funny, his bulletin board in his place of business has more pix of his plumeria than of his wife/kids, LOL
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/551445/
you can leave potted
you can plant potted plumie in ground (lots of people to that for ease in handling when it's time to lift off)
you can plant straight in ground
Vossner, I had thought of leaving in the pot and planting it, but then what do I do with the large hole when I pull the plant out. I am sure my dogs would love to play in the mud, but sounds a little too messy for me.
Guess I will just leave it in the pot on the patio and drag it in when it is scheduled to freeze. That is the only time it has to be taken in, right? If we are in the high 30's or above I can leave it out?
Thanks for the info. I am sure it can be done, but I'm not sure that I want to take the chance since this is my first and about to bloom.
Sheila, you can put the same size pot in the hole to hold it to the same shape or leave the pot in the hole and remove just the plant. If you want to see it bloom, I wouldn't let it experience nighttime temps lower than 50. If you are just interested in cold protection, I wouldn't let it experience nighttime temps lower than 40. How much damage there is at freezing temps and how much cold a plumie can take depends very much on microclimates as well as cold hardy zones in addition to the maturity of a plumeria. People with warmer microclimates can leave their plumerias out in colder temperatures. There are things you can do to increase the microclimates in your area like adding stones, replacing grass with gravel, building a pond, etc. Patios, overhangs, retaining walls, and bricks are some of the things which help to warm the air at night by releasing heat that was absorbed during the daytime. I'm sure there are many thread here about microclimates.
Mine are against west-facing brick walls, so there is a little radiant heat going on, I keep them out until night temps hit 35, Sheila. But follow Clare's advise. I don't want no dead plumies on my conscience (sp?) !!!