Mike, since we have similar condtions, the plants that I received from Emerson, only had a few roots. I put them in dapple sun, they only get about 3 hours of dapple sunshine. I learned the hard way, not to put plants with just a few roots, in full sun. I will not move them in full sun until next month, when I start to see alot more leaves. The plant I got from Jen, and Barbara have alot of leaves and are already moved into sun for at least 6 hrs a day. They are doing great. In my plumeria nursery, I have Raspberry Sundae, California Sally, Allura, and another plant I forgot to mark. Still rooting is the cutting I got from K at the meeting. Looking good, but still no roots. Next week I will move it to potting soil, even if no roots. This has been working for me on hard to root cuttings. If they do not root in the gritty mix after 5 weeks, and show no signs of rot, then I found if I put them in miracle grow they will root. I put them in 5 gallon pots with miracle grow Water enought to secure th cutting in the soil, and then just let the sprinkler system water.( I do not hand water) I guess its just a Texas thing. Leaves seen to show up in a few weeks, so I know they are rooting. Barbra

Mike,

I would definitely try to keep the seedlings going during the winter. If you put them in the greenhouse, make sure they will get plenty of sun and also water sparingly during the winter. Mine did not loose their leaves last year and yours may not either.

Joan

Joan I was told to remove all the leaves before I put them inside storage for the winter, that way I would not have to water them. If you leave the leaves you still have to water them, and that might cause rot. I brought them all inside and left two small seedlings outside, to sacrafice since I ran out of pots. It never froze, those two seedlings are hugh now. I wish I would have left them all outside. You never know. This year I will wait until we get a freeze warning before I bring them inside( they are in pots). Next year they are all going into the ground for the spring,summer and fall, I will only bring them inside if we get a freeze, and will dry store them in the rafters. Look at Emersons website to see that is how he stores his plumeria for the winter. Barbra

I'd keep seedlings warm and growing. You don't say how cold your greenhouse gets, but I'd give them as much light as you can and keep them above 60 degrees--so whether that's in the greenhouse or in your home, you decide.

As long as the seedlings have leaves I'd water them, but maybe a bit reduced in winter and certainly less if temps ever get below 65-70 degrees. If it looks like leaves are yellowing and dropping, then they want to go dormant so you'll reduce watering.

From my experience, young seedlings usually stay green for me over the first winter. Once they get some girth and size to them (more succulent stems), they are able to withstand a dry dormancy better and will drop leaves; otherwise they'll hang on to 'em. Funny how they seem to know that!

Oh, and yes, so sloppy! Let's get things cleaned up better for the next photos. Good grief. (joking!)

Thanks friends!

Dave, your funny, LOL.

I never let me greenhouse get below 55 although this year I may be building a new hoop house a bit bigger than mine now and Im not sure just how warm Ill be able to keep it. I am getting together enough heaters to be sure I can keep it above 55 as a minimum. I may set up a grow light inside for the seedlings just to be safe.

Thanks
Mike

if the bananas don`t make it I`ll be happy to mail as many as you want!

If you think that is messy you should see my yard.
Tally HO!

MIke,

Messy?

Where is it messy? LOL.. Looks wonderful to me!!

Great advice from the above posters on your seedlings.. I agree to keep them going this winter. ALl of your trees look healthy and looking marvelous!!

Great job!!!

As always... : )

Laura

Thanks Laura, beachplant

I don't know, I say that because some of you have wonderful displays and great looking containers and such. My stuff never has rhyme nor reason for where it is. Im usually somewhat organized and a bit OCD but my plants just go where ever.

Mike

Barbra,

You are right. We do cut the leaves off our mature plants before taking them into the greenhouse around the first part of November. It was just the seedlings that I did not remove the leaves from. Those I put on a table in the greenhouse and watered sparingly to keep them going during the winter. They never did lose their leaves during the winter and grew good this year although I am unpatiently waiting for blooms on them :)

Joan

Everything is looking good Mike. My seedlings were yearlings last winter and they never went dormant. Don't know what they will do this year but I let the plants tell me. If they drop leaves after bring them in, I back off watering and give them more water if they don't. I have a 3' noid tree that only drops a few leaves in winter so it gets more water. I think I'll be in trouble when I bring them in this year as I've added a lot. :) Peg

Hi Mike. Those plants are look great! Keep up the good work. :D
Always nice to see the set up from other members, I love looking at pictures like these. :D Thanks for sharing.

That's a really nice-looking Fukushu Kumquat. Mine's had a flower a while ago but it never set fruit. But the fragrance of it's flower is so much better than Meiwa or Nagami.
-Dar

Are those pineapples? I don't have much experience to share on seedlings over winter. I had a pot which some seeds were thrown into and it survived the greenhouse (barely) with only a few waterings. Maybe I can use them as stock for grafting practice when they mature. I dont know a single plumeria collector that doesn't have slight OCD leanings...However, I think we should refer to it as a "Purist" approach to the hobby.

I can normally keep my greenhouse 10-15 degrees above outside air temp without additional BTUs and maybe up to 20 degrees above with a small heater. Does anyone else put big rocks in there to soak up the daytime warmth and radiate heat through the night? Or is it just me making physical work for the fun of it.

This far south the low temps don't gradually decrease into the danger zone but drop 20-30 degrees with a front pushing through. So its possible to predict with a high level of accuracy incoming cold weather. Then its just a matter of being able to make the move. Most of the winter the greenhouse stays open and I only pull the side curtain down on cold nights (below 40 degrees).

The prediction is for a cool and wet winter in Texas which is normal for the much maligned "El Nino." I hope its true and I will just have to find ways to keep them dry.

Mike, since you have so few small plumie seedlings, I'd bring them in the house this winter to be safe. They won't go dormant at all, and may even stay green their second winter, too. All your tropicals are looking great; you're going to need a much bigger greenhouse!

Barbra, glad to hear the plant I gave you looks good. That JL Tornado makes beautiful seedlings. I took your advice and put the Psycho cutting into my regular mix as it's stalled now in our intense August heat; lots of leaves but no roots and very dehydrated.

I'm going to strip one big 5-foot seedling to store bare-root in the garage as an experiment this winter. I'll let you all know how that turns out next spring :)

Thanks all!!!!

Ill do my best to keep the seedlings growing. I have some lights if I need them.

Im planning a 10x12 hoop house for this year. my old one was 6x8. I may divide it in half inside the new one and only supplement heat one side if I can make it all fit.

kms2

yep those are pineapples from grocery store tops. the bigger one is about a year and a half old and with any luck it will fruit next summer. It has a small side shoot coming from the bottom and Im not sure what that means if anything. The little one I rooted a few months back. They are so easy to root its not funny. pull them of the fruit, peel off a few lower leaves, stick in dirt and watch them go. I showed my mom how to do it and I think she has 4 or 5 going.

Mike

I did it with some pineapples my then soon to be wife wanted to bring back from Hawaii in 2001. This picture was Sept 2005. Also note the moth. It has a really interesting flower. I'll look for the picture and post it.

Jen,
I'll be real interested to see how that turns out. Once I have learned the techniques I am going bare root some older plants.

Found it. Pineapple "flower"

K, That's too cool. I think that is the same moth that will pollinate the plumerias. Thanks for posting. Peg

About 20 years ago, I put a pineapple top in a planter and had it on the front porch. About 2 years later, I noticed a little one growing in the top. It only got to about the size of a baseball, but it was so sweet. Pineapples don't travel well when ripe so all the ones in the stores are picked green and ripen on the way. Eating a ripe one right off the plant is incredible. Was reading up on pineapples and that "flower" is actually many little flowers, officially called an infloresence. They are unfertilized and according to what I was reading, hummingbirds aren't allowed in Hawaii because they would pollinate the pineapples, which would somehow mess them up as a fruit.

Mike, that side growth is called a ratoon, and if left on the parent plant, should produce a pineapple in about a year.

I also decided to grow some pineapples this year and have 5 growing. I'll transplant them to bigger pots when they get a bit larger, may even try to put one in the ground to see how it does. Here's a pic of the brood:

Great pictures guys!!!

Love those Pineapples!! Way to go K....

You knew she was the one when she wanted to bring back or have a hand in growing them eh? Good job K!!! : )

DelWH.. I cant wait to see what you have growing.. It has tken a while, but it sure is worth it!!

COngratulations!!!

Laura

See what you do MIke.. ENAbLER!!! Now its Pineapples!!!

I LOVE IT!!! LMAO!!!

K. those are so cool. Can't wait for mine to fruit.

Del. Thanks for the info. You have some nice ones there.

Laura. You're too funny. Im surprised you haven't got one. As easy as you can root stuff your yard could look like the Dole plantation in no time. :)

Mike

Sheesh, I totally forgot you could grow pineapples like that. Not that I need any more plants.

They're bromeliads, IINM. And your moth, K, is a sphinx moth.

And unfortunately, that sphinx moth produces the voracious Tomato Hornworm, which can denude a large part of a tomato plant in a few hours. 8*(