Aftermath of a Tropical Storm
(Garden)
The short version? A stiff back and sore knees.
The storm was Edouard. Up to the day it hit shore, the National Weather Service was predicting it would reach Category 1 hurricane status with winds of 75 miles per hour or more and come busting through the middle of Fort Bend County (which is to say, my back yard) after hitting Galveston Island and south Houston. Newly planted trees would be uprooted in the ensuing mayhem, the weather service said. Tie down loose thing in the yard else they become missiles, the better for launching holes in your houses, the weather service intimated.
So I obligingly removed the 150 or so plumerias from my garage roof and put them inside the garage, along with another 50 or so growing in various places around the grounds. Another 75 or so small seedlings went inside in the sunny but unfinished place we refer to as the Jethro Room.
Then I waited for the storm.
Ha.
It never turned into a hurricane, came ashore at Sabine Pass (hurricane magnet of the upper Gulf) and veered north of Houston’s center, missing Fort Bend County altogether. And leaving me with the chore of hauling all those plants (including some really big, heavy ones) back out of the garage.
Not that I’m complaining. I know perfectly well that if I hadn’t crammed all the plants in the garage, the storm would’ve run right over the top of my garage.
And I needed to get those things off the garage roof anyway. August in South Texas, with its intense sun and 100-degree daily temperatures, is bad enough without adding the heat index numbers that accompany life on a hot tin roof, even if protected by a layer of lumber.
So what am I doing with 275 plumeria plants? That story will have to wait until later.
→ B.Dunn, Aug 10, 2008, 01 35 pm
Great column, especially regarding your plumerias! Okay, we're waiting for the answer to why you own 275 plumeria. I am new to plumeria, and my 1 year old is producing its first beautiful flowers. (Lani's Beauty). I love them, but need to know how you can care for that many and how you successfully raise them. I have mine plunged into the soil in a 2-3 gallon pot, covered with mulch. Many thanks, Marion.
— Marion Aug 19, 06:45 am #
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It sounds like you’re off to a great start, Marion! If you can get a 1-year-old plant to flower, that’s an accomplishment.
The key to flowering is to make sure your plumeria gets six or more hours of sunlight per day (of course, that’s impossible on a day like today when it’s raining).
The catch is that in July and August the Texas sun can be too intense for some types of plumeria, causing burn spots on the leaves. So it’s helpful if you’re blessed with areas in your yard that are mostly sunny but provide some filtered shade for part of the day.
Other important factors for getting mature plants to bloom: Make sure they’re growing in light potting soil that drains very easily – they don’t like so-called wet feet.
And, try watering in a high-phospherus fertilizer such as Super Bloom every other watering.
On average, I probably water mine about once a week. When in doubt, wait an extra day before watering. You can watch the leaves, too. When they start to droop a little, it may be time to water.
As for the story of why I have so many – I’m working on it.
— Bob Aug 20, 12:07 pm #
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