Plumeria plant thrive in AZ ? (summer, good, live)

[veritased]

Neat, thanks for the link.

[DougStark]

Plumerias are great for a serious gardener's challenge here. But has anyone had "long term" success growing a camellia in the Phoenix area? I've had several in pots in my backyard (under shade of tree)---they lasted years, but I got tired of the chore of watering them daily.

If I did it again, I'd build large raised planters made out of timbers for them so daily watering wouldn't be necessary (more root volume)

[veritased]

I don't know as a newcomer, Doug.

But, I also have the same general question but for gardenia, which grew nicely in SoCal, and always had such a nice smell.

Same for Jasmine vines.... wonder if they thrive here.

[wase4711]

Is it still ok to water plumeria in mid October here? It's still around 90,and will be for awhile longer. I know it's too late to fertilize them,but was wondering if anyone here who has had them for awhile can suggest when to stop watering them for the winter..

Thanks

[veritased]

I'm only the expert on killing plumerias, but nonetheless, I am reducing the watering frequency slowly to maybe once or twice a week. Mine still seem to be growing, and not dropping leaves, so they don't seem to hate the occasional watering.

[wase4711]

I bought 3 plants, 2 decent size, and one small one about 3 weeks ago, and watered them heavily...bunch of leaves turned yellow and many fell off, but I haven't watered them since, and they seem to be fine now; I guess I will just go with every 2-3 weeks for a while then stop once the temps don't go above 80 or so, which could be another month or more..

So hard to figure out the "4 seasons" here, especially those of us from other parts of the usa where its already cold in October..I mean its been almost 90 every day for weeks' nd it looks like its staying that way another 2 weeks or so. I think the colder mornings are what triggers these plants to think that its fall/winter..

[veritased]

Agreed... and it feels colder than the low 60s my thermometer reports.

I don't know how I could survive in the 40s and 50s having lived through an AZ summer

[wase4711]

its been as low as 54 degrees so far by my house in the am, but mostly 56-62 every morning

as far as the 40's/50's, you probably won't have to deal with that until dec20-jan 20th here, and its not every day...but, the mornings will feel really cold when its 40 or so, and if the wind is howling, you'll feel like you are in the midwest in January, even though by the time the sun is up for a few hours, the temps will rise, and the sun feels great.

I hate to admit it, after living in the midwest most of my life, but even now at night, when its in the upper 60's/low 70's and we are sitting outside in the yard, I wear sweat pants, long sleeve shirts, and a thin jacket..we laugh at how fast we became weather sissy's after living out here a couple of years..

[veritased]

Well I am not quite there yet, with the clothing, but I am slowly getting there.

I have not been here in a fall/winter, so looking forward to the next few months.

My plumeria was doing great last week, and now the lower leaves are getting yellow(er) and starting to drop.

Here my thermo indicates like mid 60s the past few mornings. Certainly not low 60s or high 50s.
Wouldn't mind that at all though!

Today and tomorrow mid 90s... it's frigging mid Oct ?

[wase4711]

its called the "spring planting season", according to one of the local channels I was watching earlier..people are planting flower gardens like crazy now that you can be outside for many hours at a time...still, be careful and avoid the direct sun as much as possible, for a variety of reasons..

many of my leaves have dropped off my 3 new plumeria plants, but I think that was from over watering when I bought them a few weeks ago..I didn't water them for 15 days, until today, and they all look good again.

get used to the incredible weather here for the next 6-8 months; many days in the 80's and 90's still likely; hell, even in January, 70-80 degree days aren't unheard of, but you never know from year to year..Even when its cold in the morning, once the sun comes out, the temps take off..