Pruning your plumeria can be tricky if you care for a mature plant. Pruning in the winter will trigger new tender growth but not new flowers. If you want to encourage new foliage and flowers, prune in late March or late summer.
Winterizing plumeria
Keeping your plumeria plants alive and taking care of plumeria in winter is relatively easy as long as you follow a few simple steps. Since plumerias are tropical plants, they do best with less intense light indoors. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves of Plumeria. Instead of placing your plants in the shadiest part of the yard, place them under an overhang where they will receive less direct light. In a few weeks, gradually move your plants back into full sunlight and feed them with liquid fertilizer.
If you cannot move your plumeria plants during the winter months, you can try rooting them indoors. However, this technique will not work very well in the fall, as plumerias do not root well at this time. Once rooted, you can keep them indoors until the spring.
Protecting it from frost damage
Protecting plumeria from frost damage is a must when the weather is cold and snowy. Young plumeria is particularly sensitive to cold and must be protected from the winter months. Older plumeria, however, should survive even mild freezes. Younger plants should be wrapped in burlap at night and early in the morning, and older plants can be draped with an old bedsheet or blanket to add extra warmth. You can also add a few Christmas lights to keep the plant warm.
Winter pruning is another way to protect your plumeria from damage. While it may seem counterproductive, pruning will promote vigorous new growth and improve the plant’s overall health. In addition, it will prevent root rot and reinvigorate the entire plant. Old roots are too thick and are unable to absorb as much water and nutrients as younger roots.
Keeping it warm
If you have a plumeria plant in a pot, it’s vital to protect it from freezing and frost. Check the local forecast to get an idea of what temperatures you can expect. Keep in mind that the forecast is a good educated guess and may not be representative of the actual temperature in your garden.
Keeping it well-drained
Keeping plumeria well-drained is crucial for the plant’s health and to ensuring that the leaves are clean and fresh. You can also use a natural insecticide like neem oil to kill insects. It is also important to wake up dormant care of plumeria in winter.
