Growing Plumerias In The UK

April 2010

Just When We Thought Spring Was Here, Mother Nature Surprises Us Yet Again!

Cold, Frosty nights and Blustery, Sunny Days! Truly an interesting and challenging combination. Still as they say, "These things are sent to try us" and looking on the bright side, in another 60 days we'll be into June

My Plumeria And I Just Can’t Wait!

Now with stronger daylight does come higher temperatures, meaning you can safely expose your Plumeria to more direct daylight for longer, without the worry of sudden temperature drops. Now I know overcast rainy days do not help, but these are quite often interspersed with spells of sunshine, which you Plumeria will benefit from, especially if you don’t have to worry about it catching a chill. On this note thou, whilst it is definitely warmer, it is still too cold to put Plumeria outside and I would certainly refrain from leaving any Plumeria next to a window pane overnight

These weather variations may only seem subtle, but will make all the difference to your Plumeria. As with the birds and spring flowers these little changes are nature’s way of signaling that winters over and Spring has started. Somehow this message goes straight to the heart of a Plumeria, causing it to slowly awake or go from tickover straight into first gear! A greening tip, a fattening stem, little claws appearing and slowly opening are all signs that your Plumeria is waking up and can be helped and encouraged by gently misting the growth tips with some of our Leafdew Plumeria Mist, whilst down below revitalizing the roots with a nice drop of SuperThrive

With the onset of Spring, your Plumerias thirst will increase as it starts to grow. Now it’s important not to go watering mad, as turning your Plumerias cosy pot into a marshland can have disastrous results! If you’re unsure, then use one of our Water, Soil and Daylight Monitors, as these are the perfect way to ensure your Plumeria gets just the amount of water it needs, whilst also helping you keep an eye on the amount of Quality Daylight and Soil PH that your Plumeria is enjoying. Using a drip tray is an excellent way to administer water, as this allows the Plumeria to drink what and when it requires, whilst also enabling SuperThrive and its first few granules of Hawaiian Super Bloomer to be added, giving your Plumeria that little extra boost

Off course if your Plumeria is still dormant or like many of ours has been packed away for the winter, now’s the time to be bringing it out into the daylight and gently waking it up. The best way to do this is to give it a small SuperThrive enriched drink, mist the growth tips with some Leafdew Plumeria Mist and then place it in a warm position in as much sunlight as you can or under a Spotlamp fitted with one of our Natural Daylight Bulbs. Likewise using one of our Plumeria Warmers to gently revive your Plumerias roots is a great way to raise it from its slumber and will soon have it awake and raring to go

So with the clocks having already gone forward, creating lighter evenings and eventually lighter mornings, it’s an ideal time to visit our Essential Supplies webpage and ensure you have everything you need to get your Plumeria fully up and running. Our full range of Hawaiian and Far Eastern Plumeria are all now available in our Catalogues, So go on, take a quick peek and see if even you can resist the ease of our "Grow to Order" service or temptation of our new “Extra Large” option

Kind regards

Neil Dimery

http://www.plumeriasuk.com/

Growing Plumerias In The UK

March 2010

Now Do I Detect The First Signs Of Spring ?

Yes I know it still feels cold and dreary, but I do believe Spring is starting to appear and the snow is slowly becoming a distant memory. Brighter days, lighter evenings and dare I say Snowdrops and Daffodils !!! We’ll if this is the case, I'll be the first to welcome this with open arms, after my Plumeria that is, which will have no doubt already been sensing these changes

As mentioned above, Plumeria are very sensitive to changes in the seasons and with spring imminent, you should now be taking a long hard look at the tip of your dormant Plumeria for the first signs of it waking. The main thing to look for is a very subtle change in tip colour, from brown to green. But you may also see other clues, such as a stickiness around the tip or the first signs of “little claws” (baby leaves) developing. If you see none of the above, then consider your Plumeria to still be soundly sleeping, give it a drop of warm water and return it to its place of rest for a few more weeks. If it does appear to be stirring, then bring it out of its resting place and get it into as much sunlight as you can. Gently misting the tip with some of our Leafdew Plumeria Mist, which simulates dew, will also help wake it from its slumber. And remember whatever you do always ensure it’s kept warm and out of the cold at all times.

Now whilst I appreciate that some days are still very cold, with these crisp conditions do come some great spells of sunshine. So it’s just a case of getting your Plumeria into position quickly and then back out and into safety when the sun disappears. Yes, it can be a pain, but it is definitely well worth it, as if your Plumeria is awake you will notice a difference. If your Plumeria is dormant, a few hours bathing in direct sunshine will soon start to rouse it from its slumber. Just make sure your Plumeria is kept warm at all times, protected from any draughts and well back from any cold window panes. Glass is a great channeller of the cold and the cause of many a problem. I know I go on about this, but take it from me there is nothing worse than having nursed a Plumeria through the long hard winter, only to see it killed by the cold because it got forgotten

So to summarise, whilst our weather continues to be changeable, do try to make the most of any available sunshine. If your Plumeria is awake, starting to gently mist it’s growth tips and leaves with some of our Leafdew Plumeria Mist, whilst also adding a small amount of our Hawaiian Super Bloomer when you water, is a great way to start building up it’s strength and boosting it with nutrients in preparation for Summer blooming

As Spring approaches, adding small amounts of water dosed with SuperThrive and Hawaiian Super Bloomer to your Plumerias medium is a great way to build up its nutrient content already for the summer. Getting small amounts of SuperThrive and Hawaiian Super Bloomer into the soil at this early stage will ensure it’s fully revitalised and give your Plumeria a really rich feast. But don’t over do it, as no one likes waking up in a swamp and too much water at this stage will cause your Plumerias roots to rot. If in doubt, just use one of our Water, Soil and Daylight Analysers to safely work out when its roots are wet or dry, allowing you to react accordingly.

So with the first signs of Spring tantalisingly close and the prospect of warm sunny days becoming more and more vivid, what better time to start planning your own 2010 Plumeria program. And there’s no easier way than to make use of our Plumeria Grow To Order Service. Just choose the Plumeria variety you like and we’ll grow it for you over the next few months in the safety of our Climate Controlled Nursery. When it’s ready we’ll let you know and post it out, already for the Spring and Summer. No fuss, no worries, just a great way to beat the cold and guarantee having a Plumeria all set up and ready for Summer blooming

Kind Regards

Neil Dimery

www.plumeriasuk.com