Good afternoon,

Hello new friends! Newb here! Just stumbled across this forum while searching for an answer that I could not find about my plumeria. First things first. I started my cutting about 2 years ago, we are just finishing up the 2nd winter going into 3rd year of growing. This has been 100% an inside plant, sitting in my window with faces south, with no light supplementation. I am not informed enough if my plant can go outside in the summer time. I live in 8b (Seattle, WA) Can I leave it outside day and night in the summer time?

I have also read Plumerias usually bloom in their 3rd year or can take up to 3 years to produce flowers. So this year I have bought a 40w LED grow light to hang over it if it cannot go outside. I really don't want this to die before I see flowers . Last year it grew rather lanky and tall and the leaves were not compact like I see in most pictures, but they were large and nice and green. I fertilized about every other week with BR61 9-58-8. I am guessing between fertilizer and lack of sun it was stretching for more light?? See attached.

To recap :
Can I put it outside day and night in the summer time and not have to worry too much?
Did I fertilize too much last year and it cause it to grow fast and look for more light?
When should I start waking up my plumeria?

Thanks for the insight

Chris

Hello crizzleb, it is okay for your Plumeria to still be dormant right now. The plant itself will show you it is waking up once it starts producing leaf claws, but wait till at least one leaf is fully open before you start watering.

Summer time is fun time for Plumerias, the more direct sun the better, but before you expose them to such outdoor conditions, do it gradually, position first in part sun ideally morning sun, to acclimate to your outdoor temps and humidity. When Plumerias are properly awake already, it is okay to leave it outdoors rain or shine. Usually if I overwintered mine indoors, I wait till overnight temps is at least 50F, before I let them out. Just make sure your soil is very porous and gritty, especially if your summer is rainy. Our summer conditions in my area is different, extremely dry and very hot, so I often have to step up watering for my Plumerias especially if we are expecting triple digit temps and higher. Our dry conditions here is about 6 months of zero rainfall, so I really have to be watering it twice a week here. It may be different on your side, if it is much cooler and if you got more rain. Rain is good actually for them. Wish we have some of that in summer.

The tall growth of your Plumeria is just natural, after all it does grow into tall majestic trees if planted in ground.

Thanks for the reply. I've already done everything mentioned well besides going outside :D. It rains quite a bit here or often it is overcast skies. I will keep an eye on it. I think I will try a cutting I just planted outside this year and see how it does. hoping for blooms this year on the other one.