It happens every fall "Where are you going with all of this??"
Little complaint about 47 cups on windowsills, all treated twice with insectical soap and facing a south sun if it ever comes out again. My how gloomy fall days can be!! Besides what else are windowsills intended for!!
But then the room starts filling up. Over summer I had one african violet left inside. Everybody else was out for air.
Are rooms for people or for plants???
Why they are for both. Besides when you took me on 51 years ago you knew all would not always go to your liking. Women have hobbies. You take them on in the package.
I will wait a few days for the dust to settle before I employ one side of my kitchen counter for my 4' grow lights. You thought I had forgot about that little item this time didn't you!! Think again. I've got lots in the basement to north windows in sleep mode. Echeverias, agaves, cactus. But there are a few precious kids that I need right here in the kitchen so I can keep a daily eye on them.
I've been told the 4' fluorescent can burn from 7 to 10 without comment, but let me leave a room and leave the light on and I hear about it. Who is this home for?
MY PLANTS of COURSE!! Isn't life a blast!! People and plants!!
Show us your winter plant havens. Jean
This message was edited Oct 12, 2009 5:20 PM
Forgot my 2' bowl still on the kitchen table. OK, I will leave that for people (the table) when the fluorescent is activated. I yanked out all the cuttings of sedum linear stuck in the holes between the larger plants last spring when the bowl was filled. It hates the house over winter. Besides I can now stick a cutting between each one to root!!
This message was edited Oct 12, 2009 5:28 PM
I just moved all mine in today. Started yesterday, and finshed it all up. But mine are not cup size, no, no. Many, yes. But I have one Schlumbergia in a 12" and 2 others in 10" and 1 in an 8". There's a Beaucarnia that is in a 10" and a Aeonium in another 10". These are all in the living room at the front window.
Then I have Epis in 4" cups that should be in 8" sitting on the windowsill, and under their sprawling limbs are little plants in 3" pots. There are 3 baskets of Hoyas, the bathroom window sill is covered with Epis and Rhipsalis and the kitchen bay window has Adromischus, Echiverias, 3 small Adenum. Downstairs in the rec room is the injury group, plants that have been divided or are dorky looking. Those windowsills are full. As are the windowsills in the playroom and my son's bedroom.
My wife is starting to adjust, she mentioned that the living room seemed empty when all the plants moved outside this spring. I wonder what she will say when she gets home tonight. Humm. There has been a moritorium on buying more plants since this spring. I thinned my assortment by about 25% over the summer. I just had too many ugly things, and plants that were suffering along without roots or with various unidentified alements. But not all my projects are gone, and I am very glad that my Sedum collection is Zone 8 tolerant.
Jamlover - I hope those cups have drain holes in them.
Yep, the ugly things have to shape up or go!! Maybe save a cutting. How many ugly can I handle all winter!!
Cups are all drilled. Work great.
JL,
Picture #2, aloe in the upper left corner. What is the name?
Johanna
I have quite a few plants I hope to save over winter...I have a shady south facing window in the basement...how do I set them up? What I mean is there is mention above of putting them to bed..how does that work? I think they will be safe from frost down there but I don't have a grow light..what do you think, any hope? I'm going to dig them tomorrow before we get a frost...last year I was too late I don't want to repeat my mistake. I can't remember their name, they are large, blue green rosettes that are now about 8 inches across...20 of them with babies. Suggestions are very appreciated, I love succulents and don't have room in the house for everything.
Hens and chicks...duh.. ECHEVERIA Sempervivum ... I was told by the seller they would winter over but it's way too cold here unless I move them in. Maybe it would be better to do it as cuttings, and root them in the new pots...I hate to lose them again.
This message was edited Oct 12, 2009 10:43 PM
Sempervivium are hens & chicks. Not Echeveria. Sempervivium are hardy to pretty tough winters. I believe USDA 5, anyway. Echeveria are much softer, like Zone 9 or 10 and should always be brought inside out of those zones.
If I am not mistaken, in some of the colder places they either cover or compost over the plants and they do well. If I have not been mistaken, it was right here in this forum.
Thank You AnalogDog for your reply. After an extensive internet search it appears the person I bought my plants from is misinformed...she identified them as I posted. As you point out Echeveria and Sempervivum are two different plants.
Assuming my replacements are the same plants I purchased from her originally, they are Echeveria because they froze and died last winter. I tried to replace them but the new ones are slightly more upright than the originals so I'm unsure if they are the same.
I've been reading but haven't come across anything yet about covering hens and chicks in the garden. I have read tonight, elsewhere, that cold and wet can cause rot so covering isn't wise...I'm in zone 6. I'll dig most of them and leave a couple in the ground to see how they winter. The rest I'll put in the basement, a few in windowsills to be sure I have something survive for next year.
I grow stonecrop and they are hardy but loose their leaves..from what I've read hardy hens and chicks keep their leaves all winter..some varieties color nicely in the fall...is that true?
Thanks again for the information and I will keep reading.
Leave your sempervivum in the ground in zone 6, unless they are in an area that will not drain during warm spells (when snow melts) with lots of rain. They can handle the rain, snow, etc, as long as they don't get stuck in puddles of water or ice for long periods of time. You could also cover them with cloth, then plastic, as long as located in areas that don't collect water (like on the top of a hill or side of a hill). Reduced lighting does not hurt them, as long as it is cold and dry. They are susceptible to rot if kept in too much water or drying out if exposed to strong winter winds without some moisture.
I had some significant losses last year when we went through a spell where it alternately rained and froze. the water-ice never had a chance to drain because it could not completely thaw and each rain froze so that the plants ended up encased in ice near melting temps for about a week.
this year I am setting up a pseudo-alpine house which is basically pvc hoop house covered with plastic. The plastic will admit the sun, block the rain and wind and even out some of the extremes - hoop house is tall enough so that heat will not accumulate near the plants. This will house my hen and chicks in pots that I can move. Others that cannot move this way will take their chances with the PA winter, but typically do OK
Most Escheveria, kept cool and dry, such as in a garage or unheated basement in PA, should do OK, but will not survive zone 5 winters here where I am at. I used to grow a lot of them, but gave up due to zone issues.
My EE's go in a southern window or the basement, depending on what they can handle. Rhipsalis goes in the windows, some Oxalis under light, some in the basement and some remain outside.
Upper left??? You lost me. Upper is right___lower is left??
I'm in zone 4-5____on the line and my semps. regularly make it through the winter. They are all in slightly raised beds so drainage is excellent. Before I raised the beds I lost them every year.
My summer growers, the cactus, agaves, etc. go to a room where they have a north window but I hardly water them at all over winter. Just check for insects that may have hitch-hiked in off an on.
One special agave becomes my kitchen table centerpiece since he will be sleeping and doesn't require sunlight.
I too am getting tough about pitching things that are not performing well for whatever reasons. Don't have the time or space to pamper stuff. Do y'all find yourself putting fav's up closer to the windows? I try to stage them by putting the shorter stuff near the window then taller stuff behind, but there are always those plants that I want to get the most light.
I still haven't decided what to do with my winter dormant plants. I don't have a basement and my spare bedroom is not all that cool even though the heat register is closed. Garage is not an option.
I have to move all the plants off the shelves and plastic the windows so I lose the window sill. MAJOR project.
Jean.....I have the same agave, and is also one of my favorites.
Sharon
I have 2 bedrooms that I do not use except for storage. With the heat ducts closed and returns covered, they stay at 45-55 F all winter. Most all my cactus, agaves and such are in there.
This message was edited Oct 13, 2009 10:34 AM
OK, east side of breezeway.
West side of breezeway.
South and west windows in my "office."
Sharon, of course with a table in front of long windows you can usually stage 3 sizes of plants____the shortest up to the windows. You do need to watch south windows in full sun a bit. Temps. can go well over 100 on bright sunny days right up to the windows. Those plants will also dry out more quickly.
Aren't extra bedrooms great for plants. They can be a little cooler but still have some good light.
I often blanket my hen and chicks with a thick layer of oak leaves. They will not mat down and smother the plants and protect them from strong winds which could dry them out. This needs to be removed early in the spring however.
gasrocks, they all look so happy and comfortable. Green and white look sharp together. I love your shelves half way up on the windows. Really adds to the number of plants you can display there.
Yes, I was balancing small saucers on the top edge of the bottom windows and finally realized that I could add a shelf, 8 foot 1x4, to the inner part of the window that lines up with that and gain a lot of room. Just added another 5' 1x6 to one (heated) bedroom window this fall.
A couple of years back I made an investment in pots so that I could maximize use of my winter window space. I bought small plastic pots, small chain and small "S" hooks. Drilled 3 holes (around the pot) about 1/2" from the tops of the pots. Top pot uses a metal hanger in the holes. Chain is threaded over the metal hanger and hangs down from the pot about 5' (varies with needs, of course). Other pots have "S" hooks in the holes which hook into the chain, just far enough from the one above so that there is good light or room for the plant. I can chain together 5 or 6 pots, one above the other this way using minimal window space. If the top pots have no saucers, when you water, the excess will flow from the top pot to the bottoms ones, making watering more efficient. I make sure the bottom pot has an integrated saucer and watch the water a bit to make sure I do not overwhelm the bottom pot and drip all over the place (a learning curve was involved :) )
I also invested in a package of wire hanging pot hangers. I think I bought about 50 for under $.20.00. The metal hangers are easily trimmed so that they are a good match for the size of the pot and plant. Thread these through the holes in the pots and fold over. These pots can be easily hooked over the edge of other hanging pots, creating a cascading effect that uses up all of the available window space and light. Metal hangers can be used over and over again and trimmed to appropriate size - I hate the plastic hangers that everybody sells these days, as you cannot customize them easily.
Combining both of these methods allows me to get a lot of plants in the windows, but does cut down on the light that survives the gauntlet of greedy, light scavenging plants. I solved that problem by converting the house lights to the higher watt cfl's. None of these 18 or 26 watt bulbs for me. I use the 42w or higher bulbs (equivalent to 150 or 200 watt incandescent), so when the lights are on, the plants are getting a little light from inside the house. I still save money as these bulbs use less electricity than the typical 60w incandescent.
I think I have some pics around and will try to post a couple showing the pots and how they work.
Do show us an example.
Love to see a pic, too.
Oh You are so neat Jamlover. I just love your coffee mugs. So cute! Gasrocks you are very neat too.
I am too messy to show my dining room. It is a sheer disaster with plants literally all over. I bet my husband would have a lot to say to yours Jamlover. He is never going to get to eat in his dining room again! At least not when I am alive. LOL. He tells me the day I die he is bringing in a huge dumpster and out will go all my clutter. Next my parrot goes. He is such a softie though I bet he ends up keeping them forever and learning all about them. LOL My parrot may go though, Tom is not that much of a softie. Only a Mom could love that bird thru his all his screeching and mess.
Krowten, please show your pictures. Though it sounds like it may be dark if you hang so many plants in your windows.
I have to live like this till March, then out all goes!
Kell.....know what you mean, although I don't have a sig. Clutter is my world. Yesterday I decided to plastic three of the windows. I have 3 windows in a row that have 3 racks that have plants on them. They all came off. Windows cleaned and carpet underneath vacuumed for the first time since last year when I did this. The plastic really helps to lower heating costs. Today I have to move everything back.....around 80-90 cacti & succulents.
I have TWO parrots. One was my mother's that I inherited when she died. I think occasionally about finding homes for them, but I don't think I could part with them.
Hopefully today I will be able to do the next 2 windows. These have only about 20 plants and they are mostly large ones. After that I have my picture window that must be done. . Annual ritual.
Sharon
Here is a picture of my big cactus in my den area. They have gotten kind of big and I don't know how much longer I will be able to get them through the door. But they are good for the winder. I recently repotted them (back breaking) so they should have happy feet for awhile.
Helen
Here is my living room area. My bedroom has more and the window in the basement will be full soon.
I still have more plants on the front porch that need winter homes.
Helen
helenchild, your first photo looks like it is right out of a magazine!! Don't white walls set off green plants. Your three large cactus (or euphorbias?) are really beautiful. How I wish I had one that large. How old would they be?
Had the dog into the vet's this week and one he had that had almost reached the ceiling was just a stump. All the green had been removed.
Your 's' hooks over the door frame gave me an idea. I have a cornice over one of my big south windows that could find another use. Great to steal ideas from all of you who share.
This message was edited Oct 14, 2009 11:12 PM
helenchild, Is that a beautiful rhipsalis in your window??
Want another parrot, Sharon? I know of one cheap. He is a good boy too, just loves attention. LOL
So much clutter! Helenchild obviously has some restraint. I so wish I did! Yours looks great! No fair!
G'Day. Those plants look real good but I think that if we did that here some do-gooder would have us certified and put away for our own good. A couple of small plants are OK but not heaps one is definitely nuts to do that. I wonder how much oxygen CO2 exchange there is with that many plants inside. You people might get rid of so much pollution you will be too healthy to die.
Regards Brian
Every year it is the same story here-- I vow to have everything in, groomed and placed before first frost. Then each year it is an 11th hour rush to just get them in just before frost arrives. This year is no exception--frost expected Saturday night and every single thing is still outside. I have a valid excuse this time tho--I hired someone(nephew) to add a utility room and to redo the GH with a new roof and shelving and a redesign so I can incorporate some passive solar elements . We have had rain almost non-stop for the past 2 weeks, so construction is slow. Once the roof was on, he was able to get one of my plant stands built--so I will get the wire on it today and begin bringing things in. It would really help if the weather forecast was close to right. He lives 50 miles away (doesn't have a vehicle) and went home yesterday since it was s'posed to rain all day today--well surprise (and NO complaint) it will be dry today. It was supposed to be dry all week and then rained. LOL. He will be back tomorrow and hopefully we can get the framing finished and plastic up on the exterior. My guess is I will be buying black plastic and setting things on the unfinished floor in the utility room portion until all the shelves are built. Which character said "the hurrier I go the behinder I get"?--describes me to a "T".
here's my winter haven.... same as summer
You people in CA, TX and FL are just no fun.
I'm on the northern edge of zone 4a and my hen and chicks (Sempervivium) make it though the winter with no problem. I believe that most semps are hardy to zone 3, with a few exceptions. Far greater chance of losing the semps by bringing them in the house than by leaving them outside. Semps do want good drainage when outside. Excess moisture will cause them to rot.
Good luck,
Mike
G'Day
Hillbilly_Gran I had not heard that saying before but inspite of the misuse of the language there would not be a one of us who didn't know exactly what was meant.
Palm Bob your climate and ours must be somewhat similar except your weather (in the photo) appears wet and miserable ours right now is cold, windy and miserable with an occasional shower that wets people but not dirt.
Brian
Here's one window in my basement. I bought the rack last year just for wintering my C&S.
Gary
Window #2 still working on filling it up.
