Starting to move plants indoors. When should I expect the first frost warning in Atlanta, GA?
Thanks.
When to expect freeze warning in Atlanta?
In normal years, some time around the last of November.
It was pretty frosty here this morning. I walked my son to school and it was about 36 then. I was rushing to get bee balm and some iris in the ground afterwards. CCCCold!
The normal first frost for the Atlanta area is the last of October - maybe up to the first week in November. Then a warm spell hits for a couple more weeks. You might be able to cover plants for the first few frosts but you are taking a big chance with the most sensitive plants.
Thanks for the information. Will start bringing the plants in now.
I guess I need to start taking coleus cuttings now right?
Can I just bring the whole plant in and let it grow all winter inside?
Are they annuals or tropicals?
I'll bring in my succulents and fancy leaf geraniums too....
Not to mention the ~25 amaryllis that I wanted to bloom for their second Xmas this year, but haven't brought in for them to go dormant yet.
I really don't like this part. Where to put them all? And I always lose half of the plants I hope to overwinter. I'm not a very good indoor gardener. I think this year I will actually write myself notes on my calendar to go to the sunroom and tend to them. I've got two young kids and I get so busy in the fall. We are already in the thick of things. Poor plants got so ignored last year. Very few made it in before the frost.
Better stop writing and start moving!
Last winter I overwintered Coleus and sweet potato cuttings in mason jars filled with water.
Meaning you made cuttings and overwintered them or you actually overwintered the original plants?
I overwintered sweet potato vines last year but had whiteflies like crazy. Also the coleus didn't do too well.
3 gardeners, I have my amaryllis in the ground and they bloom around Easter every year. 25, whew, that's too many for me to have to deal with. I have no excuse, I bring houseplants into the same room as the computer, so I have to remember to water them. All of my cactus stay downstairs as a deterrent to keep the cats off the furniture! ;)
I took the cuttings, put them in water in the mason jar. They grew roots in 2-3 days and stayed alive till the spring this year, Then I potted them. They are huge again and I plan to get the cutting in this weekend, let them root out and stay in water till next year.
I brought in some coleus in the pots indoors last year, overwintering rooted cuttings in water was so much easier.
Thanks y'all.
It's nice to know the cuttings will last in water over the winter. It seems as though that is the safest route for a forgetful caretaker like myself. I just hate to see my big beautiful coleus go. :-(
But I love Fall! That goodness for seasons!
I should have just planted the amaryllis. Since I am so late in forcing the dormancy (practically when the outside would have done it anyway) I'm not going to have any blooms for Christmas anyway. The leaves are still green! That's why I have so many. I keep having to buy more for Christmas!
Give coleus lots of light and they should do okay. You can cut them back hard if you want to. I typically treat them as annuals due to shelf space indoors.
Some amaryllis are hardier than others. I have two in the ground that are supposedly hardy (johnsonii and voodoo) and just wimping along yet I see other yards full of hardy amaryllis. I have 20+ pots of amaryllis too but always bring them in, cut back the foliage, and put them on a top shelf with no lights and water maybe once a month. When I see new foliage, I get them down, water deeply, and move them to an area with more light where they will soon sprout bloom stalks.
http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/04304.html
Set up some shelves with fluorescent lights and a timer to help get your plants through winter. I am running about 60+ shop lights and house around 500 pots (mostly begonias). Some tropicals are hardier than others and I store these on their sides under a tarp beneath our deck. They get no light and no water for 5 to 6 months. You will have to experiment if you want to go this route but here are some I've overwintered this way - some ferns, cordylines, bird of paradise (strelitzia), tree philodendron, variegated shell ginger, and ponytail palm. Perhaps if I watered them once a month, others (such as ferns) might've survived. Even Spathiphyllum (peace lilies) have decided to come back from the dead after I tossed them on the compost heap.
3Gardeners, Aldi had some decent looking Amaryllis bulbs for $3 the other day. I would love to have tons of them. My brother moved into a house that was previously owned by an elderly woman. She loved flowers and the most beautiful amaryllis come up every year.
I'm going to take cuttings of my coleus today and try the mason jar method. They were huge this year. Thanks for the tips :)
I have an Aldi a mile from my house. I am so there this afternoon. Have to clean my house first. :-( Work before pleasure!
This thread has been great for winterizing tips. Thanks y'all. I'll keep watching for more.
Hardly bought any new coleus this year. The cuttings from last year are huge plants now.
I would recommend taking the cuttings now before the frost hits.
Also 'sweet potato vine' cuttings do very well in the water, root easily and lots of free plants next year.
It's going to rain all day tomorrow. I just check the weather and it'd due to drop to 30 degree low on Monday night! Get ready to bring some plants in!
Edited to ask: What will happen to my seeds that are not yet ripe? Will I loose them?
This message was edited Oct 23, 2008 11:28 PM
What am I supposed to do with all my sprouted baby lily bulbs. I've never done this. They are in pots. Do I leave them out for Mother Nature, or bring them in to the sunfoom for the winter?
I brought in everything yesterday except for a hoya in a hanging basket and one other houseplant. Have to find somewhere to hang them! Also brought in baby iris that I started from seed, don't want them to freeze.
I am looking forward to the cold!
Thanks. I'll tell them your the one that said they are on their own!
I think I saw that it is going to go down to 30 degrees on Wednesday night. Better get in those coleus. Say goodby to the last zinnias and butterfly weed, salvia and hygrangea blooms. Boo Hoo. :-(
This message was edited Oct 27, 2008 8:54 PM
We could have a light frost here tonight and tomorrow night both. I moved stuff onto a sheltered spot on the deck. Usually it warms up again for awhile before the real cold sets in. If stuff survives the next few night, back out it comes.
That's it. Mine are in for the long haul. It's too much work, plus temp are 33 tonight and 30 tomorrow night. I hope all my seeds will make it through. I have many seeds I still need to collect but they are not ready yet.