Download & Print the Winter Checklist (PDF)
At Plumeria Fans Nursery, we are heading into winter prep mode. Nighttime temperatures are dropping and the mornings feel cooler. The plants are responding the way they always do this time of year—lower leaves are turning yellow and dropping. This is our first clear sign that winter storage is coming and it is time to get a plan together and in action.
South Louisiana weather can turn on a dime, and we would rather be ready early than scramble when a cold front shows up faster than anyone expected. Forecasts are helpful, but they are not perfect—we have all watched a “nice mild week” turn into a chilly night with little warning. What we have found works really well for us here in the grove as we move 400+ plumeria from outdoors to indoors for winter dormancy is the routine below. South Louisiana winters are wet and mild most years, with heavy rain, short cold snaps, and little real frost, so the timing and the moving indoors look different here than they do in a drier or colder spot. Take this as a starting point and tweak the water, the protection, or the schedule to match the weather and the plants you see at your own place.
Winter Checklist 2026
(Southern Louisiana timing)
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Mid-October (around the 15th): Begin reducing watering so the pots go completely dry before storage.
A plant heading into rest does not drink like one in July. Wet feet in cool storage is an easy way to lose a tree to rot. Lift the pots—they should feel light. If a heavy rain is coming, move them under cover or tip them so they drain. -
Last week of October: Treat with Agronagen Grow Safe for pests and any fungal issues.
We like to get a good spray on while the plants are still outside and the days are mild. It catches most of the hitchhikers before the leaves come off and the plants go into storage. -
November 1-7 about two weeks before you plan to bring plumeria indoors for winter: Clip the leaves, leaving about ½ inch of the petiole.
This keeps the storage area cleaner and reduces leaf litter that can hold moisture or hide pests. The short stubs dry and fall on their own. Florida Colors Nursery uses a similar clip of the petioles. Stop watering plumeria completely. - Before bringing them in: Inspect closely one last time. If we find any scale, mites, or mealybugs, we treat again with Agronagen Grow Safe or a different 3-in-1. Clean up any remaining debris around the base at the same time.
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Mid-November onward: Watch the forecast. Move into storage when nighttime temperatures are forecasted below 40°F.
Below 40°F the risk of cold damage rises, and a freeze can kill stems. Ideal storage for us is roughly 40–60°F, dry, with a little air movement. We aim to have everything inside by the middle to end of November. South Louisiana weather is unpredictable enough that we do not wait for the first hard freeze to prove the point. -
Once moved and dormant (leafless): Do not water over winter.
A fully dormant plumeria uses almost no water. Cold, wet mix invites rot. Check the stems now and then—they should stay firm. Only a very small amount if a branch is significantly shriveling and temperatures are safely above freezing. No leaves, no water.
A few notes that fit our conditions: stop feeding by late September so no soft new growth is pushed into the cool weather. Make sure every pot drains freely. Yellow leaves in September and October are almost always the season, not a crisis. If your storage runs warmer and brighter and the plants stay partly leafy, water only when the mix is dry deep down, and only lightly.
These steps are what we follow on our cuttings and trees in this heat, humidity, and occasional freeze. When spring nights stay above 50–55°F and tips begin to swell, that is the time to start light water again and begin the plan to move the plumeria back outdoors for the new year.
If something in your grove is not following the usual pattern this fall, or you just want a second set of eyes on your timing, send us a note. We are always glad to talk through what we are seeing here and what has worked for our trees in this heat and humidity. Sharing what we have learned is one of the best parts of growing these plants.
Thank you for growing with us.