Overwintering-20 Questions or more...

What plants have you sucessfully overwintered? For how many years? How did you take care of them? Where did you put them? What would you try differently? What plants were you unsucessful with? Why do you think that was?

That enough questions to get us started?

The one Ive had the longest is an unknown dwarf banana. I bought it at the grocery store more than 10(jeez cant believe its been that long) ago. The origonal plant has since died but Ive had tons of babies from it. Its in such a big pot I drag it into the house from the deck and it spends the winter near the french doors and if lucky it gets watered about once a month, just enough to keep the dirt from being totaly dry.
Differently- I would take it out of the pot and store it either under the stairs or in another area where it stays cool but not cold and then plant it in the ground every year, but Im too afraid of loosing it alltogether, so the one of the babies that are on it this year will be used to see if I can accomplish this come next year.

I've overwintered my brugs in the crawl space of our house for 3 years now. If they get too tall to fit in the 5 foot space, I have to cut them down, but then I start the tops over into new plants. Our crawl space is under the house and totally enclosed with cement, but it stays about 50 degrees and is dark. I've lost a few, but I blame that on them being pretty immature when I let them go dormant, and they didn't have enough roots to keep the plant hydrated all winter. I water them sparingly about once a month throughout the winter.

Opps, forgot to add that I put the brugs in the garage first, to start to go dormant and lose their leaves before I lug them down to the crawl space. Then I don't have the leaf mess in the crawl space and I can easily sweep them up off the garage floor.

I've overwintered dahlias, caladiums, and gladiolus in boxes of sand in there too, but that's such a mess that I decided no more of that.

This will be my first winter to overwinter, so this is a great thread that I hope to learn from. What I'm overwintering this year:

Passion Flower 'Clear Sky'
4 Gerbera Daisies (Gerbera jamesonii)

Joan, is there a reason you don't leave them in the garage? Does it get too cold? How cold IS too cold?

We have an attached 1 car unheated garage, but the door doesn't seal well and I will have snow in there most of the winter, so I think it is too cold. I DO have a basement and lights set up on timers, but my fear is that down there it is too warm and too much light.

Last year I overwintered my geraniums, only to loose them when I got really sick last March.

This year I have: geraniums, a tropical hibiscus, a penta, 2 rushes, a cyclamin, some Sweet Potato vines, a half dead fuschia, a bunch of misc cuttings, and 5 Brug cuttings.

The Hibiscus I'm considering leaving upstairs in the dining room where it will get alot of south sun. The cyclamin will prolly stay upstairs too. But everything else???

Help?

Gotcha.

Are they laying on their sides? How do you acess the crawlspace? And get water to them? What else do you overwinter?

Overwintering pentas? I never thought of that. How does that go?

mornin_gayle
Is this your first time overwintering a tropical hibiscus? I tried it last year, but was not successful. Do they go dormant if you put them in a cool place like the brugs will? Also, I love geraniums but haven't a clue as to how to keep them from year to year. I'm overwintering brugs, a young elephant ear, some asparagus ferns, some Moses in the Boat, 4 types of ornamental sweetpotato vine, wisteria (potted), hopefully a hibiscus, cala lilies (young, from seed), a kolanchoe (ziggy), and new guinea impatiens (if it works).

IowaNovice, isn't the wisteria hardy to your area?

kbaumle,
not to my knowledge it isn't. I have it in pots because it is only 2 years old (3 now I guess) and bring it in during the winter. Is it possible that it IS hardy here?

IANovice,
Yes, thsi is my first Hibiscus year, and I'm nervous about it. What went wrong for you?

Everything in the "this year" part of my post is new, I've never overwintered a Penta before. I had pretty much thought to treat it like a houseplant, but I don't know, do they go dormant in their "native" areas? I was planning the same for the Cylamin too.

The geraniums I cut way back, stick them in gallon pots, water them just enough to keep them alive. I set the timers for 6 hours of lights per day until the first of Feb, then I add an hour every 3 or 4 weeks. In April I start watering more and fert every other watering at half strength. By June 1st they are ready to go outside in the containers on the porch. I had 6 that were 4 years old when they died last spring, sigh.

I hang yellow sticky traps off the back of my lights, and if I get alot of fruit type flies I'll bait it with bananna chunks.

I've seen Wisteria around here, so there must be some types that are hardy. Those that I've seen here are huge, and there is no way they could be moved in any way.

IowaNovice,

I have a Wisteria here,,,yes,, it should be hardy in your zone. Have had mine for about 5 years now,,,,comes back great every year.

Bill cuts it Way back every Fall,,,I holler cause he cut it and re-explain that it will Only flower on old growth,,,,,SO, I may be able to see it flower by the time I'm 85 (I'm 41 now) if he keeps it up with the pruners,,, LOL

mg,

Wow, here goes,,,,,,
1. Hosta
2. Longest is 9 years
3. Watered well & Covered with leaves
4. Left them where they were
5. Potting some mini's and planting the pot.
6. 'Tattoo'
7. Don't know,,,,,,just think he was a fussy little feller.

There, think I covered all of the questions roflol

My wisteria has been outside on the pergola for about three years now. No blooms yet, but I expect some next summer, because this summer it finally 'took off' and grew bunches. My mom had wisteria and OMG, it was just gorgeous. And the people that they sold their house to cut it all down and took it out. :-(

GG, ROFLMBO!!!

I did kind of ask for that, didn't I? But actually, I was referring to plants that you bring in from outside for the winter. Do you have any of those?

I have some Hosta in my yard that my mom had planted at her house 20 years ago, I divided it from 1 plant into 40 last spring. It is either "Royal Standard" or the "P" one that I can't think of right now... And I have some un-identified varigated ones that were here when we bought the house. Altho they were in full sun and in no dirt, so I moved them and divided them big time too. I will mound leaves over both the hosta beds to help them, and I will water well first too.

MG, I never do a single thing to my hostas and they overwinter outside just great. They're bigger every year...

I think I'll keep my wisteria potted up for awhile yet...since I don't plan on living where I'm living for all that long...then I can take it with me.
As for my hibiscus, I moved it from outside to my back enclosed porch. I thought it had plenty of light, but it just kept dropping leaves. I don't think I over-watered it, but didn't let it go completely dry either. It may have been too warm, as I heat the porch during the winter, but I thought the warmth would be good for it. It is a mystery to me why it didn't survive.....I talked to a lady at a nursery this spring who said that once they have been outside, it is hard to keep them alive in the winter. You would think there would be a way...

Oo ooo oooo....I want to talk too! :-D
Gayle! This is a great thread topic...and it was on the top of my list too!

I'll be back in a little while with my stories.

~julie~

mg,

I know,,,,I was just a foolin' around. No, I haven't overwintered anything yet,,,,,,,I'm basically too lazy LOL. Was maybe going to try my Fuchsia's this year though if the frost hasn't gotten them yet. If it has, Oh well, there's alway's next year. LOL

INovice,

If u don't plan on staying where u r long I would suggest keeping that Wisteria in the pot. We put ours on the South side of the house in the bed that is right up against the house for the most protection ( I knew we were takin' a chance with the Wisteria. When I bought it, the tag said,,, have had luck in zone 4 with protection). Saw a program on TV that said Wisteria roots get Very Large and can go right through the foundation of a house.

Gotta tell ya,,,that baby was moved right away. Didn't want roots growing into my basement!!! It had been in that spot for 2 or 3 years (can't quite remember) and had roots the size of my wrist. Couln't even get them all out. The next 2 years I still had to dig out Wisteria that were coming from the roots left behind. Have it on the Arbor in front of the house now and hope to see some flowers b4 I die,,,OC keeps pruning the heck out of it. Takes it all the way back to 2 feet.

Oh boy. Our wisteria is about 3 feet from the corner of the dining room...

kbaumle,

Uh Oh,,,,

Well, maybe it won't cause any problems before we move from here (maybe in about 20 years...LOL). I've only had it for about three years.

LOL,,,there u go,,,,leave it for the next owners,,,,If u need to you can always cut a root off here and there in the basement and patch it up with cement,,, they'll never know,,,can just tell them it was a leaky spot,,,roflol

Kelly

I'm such a novice, I had to go find the definition of 'overwintering' in the GARDEN TERMS section!

"To bring any plant through the winter and protect it from temperatures too cold or deadly for it, whether drying tender bulbs in a shed or bringing tender plants indoors".

We bring in all our palms, scheffelras (sp),Huge Norfolk Pine, Hanging ivies, varieties
of ferns, & a corn plant.

I'm trying to overwinter a huge begonia, but can't tell if it will make it or not.

Also a "Mrs. Jimmy Spangler" hibiscus that I received as a birthday gift.
Sure wish it was hardy. It's soooooooo beautiful. A real treasure.

Now I'll be gardening indoors all winter--vacuuming all the 'droppings'. (:>) It IS worth it, though.

Toni



This message was edited Oct 24, 2005 6:50 PM

Well, I definitely learned a LOT from you guys in this thread...and just think...it's only our first day here! :-)

I had been thinking about planting a wisteria to give a bit of shade to my screen porch. (It's a long story...so I won't go into it right now.) But now, I'll think several times before planting one anywhere near my basement walls. THANKS for that info! I had no idea.

Gayle...that little tip of "baiting" with a piece of banana...did it work? I had a lot of trouble with Fungus Gnats last year in my lighted plant stands. This year DH did me a favor and let a huge bag of onions rot in the basement...guess what? "They're BAaaack". Does baiting actually help catch/trap more of the critters?

Last winter was the first time I've ever overwintered *anything.* In the past I usually managed to kill even the hardiest of houseplants during the dark winter months. But last year it was an entirely different story.

During the summer before I'd learned that I *could* make plants grow...and I could even start NEW ones from cuttings! (Imagine THAT!) I tried keeping a few mature geraniums in pots...that didn't work. BUT the 50 or so cuttings I made took off like gangbusters. I had flowers for most of the winter...plenty of plants for all the pots I could plant up and more than enough to pass around to friends.

I had cuttings of Polka Dot Plant, Sweet Potato vine, and oodles of Coleus. The Polka Dot Plants and sweet potato vines didn't like the environment (OR the fungus gnats!)...

When I learned that PDP are easily grown from seed and I'd rather buy new sweet potato vines than mess with them, I decided not to go through the hassle this year.

I did sucessfully overwinter an Flowering Maple last year. I think it bloomed its head off. Not sure whether I still have it not. LOL

I'm interested in finding ways to keep Mexican Heather (Cuphea), Australian Fan Flower, and (Shoot! There goes my mind again) one other. LOL

I've never had to do anything other than watch my hostas come back every spring. But this year, since I've collected a few really nice varieties, I'll be mulching a couple dozen.

Gotta run...
~julie~

If it can survive the winter right where it grows, it will be there next year. Perennials we are growing to sell, get put on the floor of the greenhouse, (Unheated). They come through fine, as I don't think the ground ever freezes inside the greenhouses. We cover them to keep them from drying out.
A customer came to market last spring. I asked her if she needed red geraniums. She said she still had the ones she bought from me 7 years ago. (They plant them in planters by the drive of the parking lot of their insurance business.) I asked how she keeps them growing. Her answer, she digs them up, takes them to Arizona, replants them there & brings them back to Minnesota in the spring.
Now thats overwintering. You can pot them up & put them in a south window. They will bloom all winter.
Bernie

LOL ...Bernie...that's THE best method of 'overwintering' I've ever heard! :-D

~julie~

I'd like to overwinter there myself.

Dang, me too! I've heard of "Snow Birds" but never "Snow Plants"

Julie, I guess it depends on the flies. I get those stupid fruit things so the bananna works. I had some other type of fly last winter and I used a slice of tomato for bait. Basically, bait with whatever they are feeding on anyway is the way I look at it.

I overwinter a ton of things- always lose some, but seems like it is never the same thing lost !
Geraniums-whack them back - they sprout up quickly - replant the cuttings
brugs- dig, put in barn to lose leaves, then store in an unused bedroom
heliotrope- gets nasty during the winter, but springs back in the spring
verbena -gnat magnet, but they get stuck in the sticky sap and die (good gnat trap actually)
flowering maple - had one for years- blooms all winter too
purple fountain grass - dig up, split, but back, put under lights
sweet potato vines - take cuttings of the cuttings - often looks...., but grows by leaps and bounds in the spring
licorice plant- haven't bought any in years
ivy - don't know the name= variageted = huge by the end of the summer (filler plant)
aspargas vine- bring the pot inside - huge!!
gerbera daisy = pot up and put under lights
blue daze - kinda like a morning glory - blooms all summer

I'm sure there are more, but can't think of them right now. My whole house is plants it seems!! Also trying tropical hibiscus for the first time inside. Blooming right now.

Successes?? Geraniums, if I keep them in a pot, I just cut them back and let them start new leaves, stick them in the dinette which gets lots of sun. Also, have taken them out of the ground, hung them upside down to dry, and replanted in Spring, but that's too much trouble so I quit doing it. It does work though.

Hibiscus: Had a really big one that bloomed like crazy so I brought it in, cut it way back, left it in the lower garage and watered it about once a month. Came back in spring with big leaves, but didn't flower much. Second winter, did the same, grew fine in spring but only produced two blossoms. Threw it out. Short on patience here.

Sweet potato vines. Pulled them out and saved the tubers. We'll see what happens, never did it before.

Brought in Rosemary, and it looks like it didn't mind coming inside. So far, so good.

Left my 99 cent japanese maples dug in on the south west side of the house sheltered by the deck. We took one we had out front that got battered by the freeze, and put it back there and now it has made it through two winters unscathed. Let's see if the little ones can make it. Not bringing them in. No room at the inn.

I bring in LA iris, echevarias, NZ flax, a couple of dark brown spikes (can't remember their name - usually they are green) some pretty coleous and some impatiens cuttings. Calla lilies, ice plant, tender lilies - formosum, pardelinium, Angela and Karen North. Think I'll bring in an artichoke just as an experiment. A couple of zone 8 ivies and some So. African seedlings. Watsonia, bloukappie, Cape honeysuckle.

Inanda

Have to correct myself on my former post.

I have tried with bulbs (Canna's, Dahlia's, Glad's) some years and they do well the first winter and maybe the second,,,after that I seem to loose them. I did have a Flowering Maple that was gorgeous when I got it, gorgeous all summer and didn't do squat through the winter after I took it in. Took it outside the next spring,,,again came back beautifully, brought it in for winter, same thing,,,,,, poor thing looked miserable. Out it went. I don't have a sunny enough window I guess and lack patience when it comes to babying plants. LOL

Kelly

Sarv and Sheila!! WoW! You found us!! :-D (Could it be that the subliminal messages I've left in the 'Coffee and...' thread caught you, could it? LOL)

I'm really enjoying seeing what you guys have overwintered...and it's good to see that I'm not the only one who loses patience when it comes to keeping things alive and triving. ;-)

Sheila...I tried the 'save the Sweet Potato tuber' last year...and was very disappointed with it. Out of 6 that I carefully dug, stored and babied (that's when I *thought* I had patience...before the babysitting stint with the 2 y/o DGD!) only one survived. And in the course of trying to get them to come back to life, they were nothing more than fungus fly breeders. YUK! I'll buy a few new ones next spring. :-D

~julie~

OOh...I've got a lot to add here, but don't have the time right now.
(Psst...I've gotta get to work!)

On the sunporch (unheated) I overwinter Japanese Maples, Nandina Domestica, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, a variegated Tolmiea menziesii, a few sedums whose hardiness I'm questioning, and probably other things...lol! I've also overwintered a fern leaf peony there for a couple of years....want it to get some 'size' before I plant it outdoors.
I've also started a few peonies on the sunporch during the late-winter. They're up and blooming *long* before the ones outdoors!

I also take my bloodleaf Banana out there on warmer winter days, then lug it back inside the door at night.....it's nice and large and I don't want to cut it down!

I love the Nandina, especially, 'cuz it's colorful evergreen foliage in the dead of winter....on the cold porch!

Nan...is your sunporch glassed in? and what kind of light exposure do you have there? (I'm trying to get DH to put in Jalousie windows in our west facing screen porch...yeah, right!)

~julie~

You all have WAY too much Energy for me LOL,,,I'm gettin' tired just reading what everyone does with their stuff for winter,,,,,,,,,lifting and cleaning bulbs and lugging pots in and out,,,,,Oiy,,,I'm lucky if my inside plants get watered every couple weeks. LOL

As you can probably tell, I'm ur basic Perennial Gardener,,,,,,

Kelly

Kelly, I'm like that, too. I'm sweating it that I have to overwinter my passion flower and the Gerbera daisies my grandma gave me.

Come on you two...and anyone else who thinks they're just 'perennial' gardeners. Don't you realize the amount of works you've already put in! You're the *smart ones*. I'm getting there, but I have a few more years of getting things to grow a bit larger before I can give up on the digging, cleaning, prepping, and storing. Otherwise...LOL...everything in my yard would be on the same level plane.

~julie~