{"id":38684,"date":"2020-02-23T17:42:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T00:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=38684"},"modified":"2020-02-23T17:42:20","modified_gmt":"2020-02-24T00:42:20","slug":"how-to-grow-a-plumeria-tree-in-idaho-in-spite-of-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/how-to-grow-a-plumeria-tree-in-idaho-in-spite-of-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Grow a Plumeria Tree in Idaho (in spite of yourself)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have a 20something year old plumeria tree in my kitchen in southwest Idaho in the middle of winter. It didn’t get here because I treated it with tender loving care. In fact, it had a fairly tumultuous beginning because…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A plumeria is a tropical tree. It would not survive the winters in my region. Most of the plumeria trees I have seen have white or light pink blossoms that smell fabulous. A web search shows some very vivid pink or yellow. Those on my tree are white with a touch of yellow in the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My tree amazingly had some blossoms in November, but I didn’t get around to taking photos until they were gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Where I got my plumeria<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When I was in Hawaii those many years ago, I purchased a pre-packaged end of a plumeria branch. I brought it home and stuck it in a pot. Then my little kids pulled it out, because, hey, mom, what is this thick green stick doing in a pot?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This happened several times, but in the heat of the moment, there was nothing as convenient as just sticking it back in the pot. Lo and behold! In a few weeks, it got leaves at its tip!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
My original plumeria tree in its new home. The red circle shows one place I pruned it. The green circle shows where the last of the blossoms just fell from.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How my plumeria grew<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Over the years it grew to be about 5 feet tall and awkwardly shaped. I didn’t know anything about pruning plumeria trees. It seemed very happy and healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every spring I would harden the tree off so it could spend around 4 months in the summer sunshine and fresh air. It bloomed throughout the summer in spite of typically getting infested with spider mites once during each summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
a plumeria cutting growing on the south west coast of Maui<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The perfect plant adoption<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, we had a chance to go live in Taiwan for a while, so I asked another plant-loving friend if he wanted it. He said sure! After we returned to live in Idaho, we visited their house often, as usual, and I got to see how my<\/s> his plumeria was doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went home with its flowers in my hair. I spoke to it nicely when it was bald of leaves. But it was his plant and it was happy, so I left it at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How I got my plumeria back<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Then, about a year ago, my friends were moving to a much smaller home and couldn’t take the plumeria tree. Did I want it back? I had to say yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, we ended up moving the next year, and my large plumeria tree simply would not fit in my new (although temporary) house. I decided to finally<\/em> research how to prune it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I feel silly that I didn’t do it sooner. It was SO simple. I cut back about a third of the branches. Then, on a whim, I trimmed off about 7 tips of the best looking ones and set them in a pot of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t do things as properly as suggested in the video below, but I explain some of why later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n