perennials in pots?

hi friends ,i have alot of perennials in plastic pots will they survive the winter in zone 5 like that? i was thinking of putting them side by side under a tree and maybe put hay around them, help what do you think? thank you for any help ideas ,seedlady

Id drop the pots in the ground and mulch

Sounds more than fine for zone 6. White plastic cold frame is a thought.

Do as Crestedchik suggests. They will likely not recover if kept in pots above ground in your zone, even with a mulch.

JerseyGuy, what about zone 7?

"eyes"

Eyes,

If you have extended periods of cold and the soil and roots freeze solid for several days I wouldn't recommend it. Repeated freezing can also cause your pots to crack as well.

I have a hen and chick pot and have had the plants survive in the pot from year to year by just bringing it into the garage. This year I put a lavender plant on top and I'm wondering if it will survive too? It was a stray seedling I just plopped in there because I didn't know what to do with it and it looks very cool in the pot. I think I'll try leaving it in there and just shove it in the garage and see if it lives. I'm in zone 5b and my garage is insulated with drywall. What do you think?

A friend of mine runs a greenhouse business and sometimes has certain plants, bushes and trees left over. She always lays the pots on their side so they will not fill with water and then freeze. She then covers them with the same material that she uses for her greenhouse floor which is similar to a heavy duty landscape fabric.

Seedlady
i think i'd put the pots on the ground and cover with mulch some of out winters get -20 and i'm afraid the roots would freeze otherwise.
Linda

If they're hardy perennials, couldn't they take it? I mean, the ground freezes in Zone 5 and there are plenty of perennials that take it in stride. I'd be more concerned about premature thawing and then refreezing. Or am I totally out to lunch? I haven't tried potted perennials yet, so this is all theoretical for me.

thank you all,you have helped me with alot of great ideas. ill let you know in the spring what worked best.

I'll jump into this thread, oh fellow gardeners...I would definitely not leave them in the pots unless the pots are underground right up to the lip. They'll freeze. It's sort of like you have to water potted plants on your deck more often because they evaporate faster than plants in the ground, don't you think? Elvis