Got Hooked, Now have a problem....

Okay, over the past 5 years I have gotten hooked on plumeria. I have bought cuttings, started from seed etc.... I have probably over 100 individual plumeria, in pots ranging from 15 gallon to starter 1/2 gallon sizes.

My problem is......now what? I pulled all the big pots from the spot where I have had them and quite a few have rooted through the pot into the ground. Obviously I need to repot. But I am running out of space. If I put all of the ones that need to go into 15 gallon or larger I will definitely run out of room. I can put a few in the ground but I will be heartbroken if a hurricane comes this year and kills them.

Is it possible to somehow root prune so they will stay let's say 10 to15 gallon pot size and no larger? Or will I be hurting my babies if I don't bite the bullet and put them in the ground? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Lisa

Lisa - I am also in zone 10 and I have put all of mine (over 300) in the ground. They will do so much better if you bite that bullet.... and yes, hurricanes will damage them; when there is one coming, take cuttings from the precious ones, make sure all trees are labeled.... and say a prayer. They will regrow.
Good luck and happy growing.

Hi Lisa! It's good to see you again! You have become a collector like many of us here:-) Congratulations! Running out of room is always a problem. Many of us just don't have a decent-sized yard, but if you do have somewhere that you can plant them, chose the ones that are your least favorite and plant them and still take cuttings of them to root and to keep in pots in case you do have a hurricane.

On the other hand, you most certainly can keep them in containers and root prune. Lay your plumie on its side, pull it out of its container, saw off about a third of the root system, and then repot in the same container with fresh soil. Water with Superthrive or Vitamin B-1 to ease the transplant shock. Many gardeners in colder climates do this about every other year. Here is a picture of Scott in Kansas City who took pictures as he root-pruned his tree.

Here is the pruned root system:

Here is the newly planted tree:

Thanks Clare. Would this be a good time to root prune? Or should I wait until the end of blooming season? Right now my plumies are slowly waking up, a couple of inflos are forming and a bit of leaves starting.

Lisa, the roots will adjust happily in warm weather so I wouldn't do it until your nights are consistently above 50. If it is still in the 40's at night where you are, then I would wait. Heat is really important when it comes to recovery. Cold, wet soil will encourage root rot. Spring is probably the best time when the plumies are just pushing out new leaves with their shiny tips.

Lol Lisa name keeps freaking me out..
At first glance i thought it was me!
;=~

LOL! You're right, our names are pretty close!

Clare,

My nights are pretty much always over 50, it is a rare occurance even in winter for us to dip that low here in the Bahamas. My days are starting to get up into the low 80's so I think it might be warm enough now. I might try one of the not so favorites and see how it goes! I am also selling a few of them at a Garden Expo in 3 weeks so that should thin the crowd a bit!

Lisa, you are probably in Zone 11 then and not 10a:-) In Zone 11, you can do practically anything year-round.

Lopakosh,

Hi, what kind of plumeria do they have in the Behamas? Is there a large varity or just white?

Mickey

The local plumeria or frangipani are mostly generic white and pink. I have imported a lot of different varieties and grow them in my yard in pots.

Root pruning encourages the growth of the small fine hairlike 'feeder' roots
It also encourages new leaf growth.
You cant go wrong doing it if you only cut off the outer inch to 2 inches around and off the bottom.
Ive yet to have one complain from it.

This has been a very informative thread and I thank you. My plumies are no where as big as these to be worried about root pruning, but at least I now know that it's an option in the future.

Thanks

With seedlings you only need to prune when the tap root circles around in the bucket.
I prefer some root crowding as they absorb water faster and theres less chance for rot. ;)

Very good point!