How do I know when to return my baby plumerias to the outdoors?
by
Leslie
I have cultivated 15 plumerias from seeds from a pod that grew on one of my trees. I have protected them from the winter weather by keeping them inside near a window through which they receive a couple of hours of morning sun. (It has been quite cold, even here in Southern California!) I have only given them a couple of drops of water as they’re dormant. I’m curious as to the best time to reacquaint them with more sun and water outside. It is now back in the high 40’s to low 50’s in the evening. Thank you for your consideration!
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Start setting them out in morning sun every day for a couple of hours to harden them off. Do this for a week or so. Then set outside full time for about another week. That way if they start to droop you can rescue and bring inside for a bit longer. Once they go in the sun they will need water. The storms are blowing through and mid to upper 70's by the weekend and even some areas might reach 80. I am in the wind zone and they say it will die down sometime tomorrow.
I harden mine off, too, with a few hours a day outside in nice weather. Then they stay out in their pots in the spring once the night time lows stay in the 60's. Remember they LOVE hydration, so I mist them if the air gets really dry - inside or out. I'm in Texas, by the way. Plumerias are rare here.
I set mine out, when the weather permits, for a few hours being careful to not over do it. This hardens them up gradually. The temperature outside needs to be at least 60-70 degrees and if it gets cold at night, in they come. When the temps even out day/night they can stay out full time.