Why Overwinter ?
hive away plants indoors for the wintertime to turn next year save money and it often gives you larger or more works the following year . Many of these plant can get quite with child in their native environs , so letting them mature more than one season allows them to thrive . Some tropic flora are stored indoors as tubers , while others are brought inside in their containers for the wintertime .
Canna and Calla Lilies
Begonias, canna lilies and coleus all make dramatic container plants and you can save them from year to year.
These tall tropical plants add together height , fascinating foliage and late - season flowers to the garden . Likedahliasandgladiolus , they grow from an clandestine structure called a rootstalk . Rhizomes function in a similar way to incandescent lamp in that they stash away food for the plant ’s next year . To overwinter canna and calla lilies , pull the plant from the ground or container after the first freeze has nipped the leaves . ( At this point , the plants do n’t look that full , anyway . ) Cut the main stem back to 2 to 3 inches .
Brush the dirt off the rhizomes , but do n’t wash them . Your end is to keep the rhizome dry to avoid rotting . If possible , entrust the rootstock outdoors in a cheery location for a few days to tolerate the rootstalk skin to dry out a bit . Then send the rhizome in a composition bag or a loge and store them in a cool , dark shoes , such as an bare cellar or a heated garage for the wintertime . Do not permit the light bulb stop dead !
In early spring , imbed the rhizomes about 3 in deep in containers with a serious potting mix . contribute them into a sunny room , water and watch them grow . Do not found cannas or callas outside until the conditions is tender and night are dependably in the 50 .
There are thousands of geranium varieties and many will grow indoors under the right conditions.
Begonias and geranium
Begonias and geraniums extend a twain of options for storage . Tuberous begonias need a winter dormant period and can be fix and store in the same fashion as cannas and arum lily . Pull the plant from the ground after a frost and hack off all but about 6 inches of stem . junk off the dirt from the tuber at the understructure of the plant carefully ( it helps if the works is a bit teetotal ) , let the Tuber dry out outside a few days , then throng them slackly in newspaper bag and storage in a dry place indoors . In bounce , you could pull them out , plant them up and get them come out indoors .
Some begonia — rhizotamous begonia , cane - case ( such as Angel Wing ) and Rex begonia — can be continue as indoor plants through the wintertime as they do not require a dormant menstruum . Care can be slick , but if you have the correct light and a bit of humidity , you may be capable to enjoy them twelvemonth - round . Check outtips on overwintering begoniasfrom our friend at Proven Winners .
Geraniums are put in in a similar style to tuberous begonias . Let the plants dry out out a bit in their container , cut them back to 6 inches or so of prow , knock off the dirt , then put in them wrapped in report indoors in a dark blank space . Start them up indoors early in the spring .
Geraniums can also be kept go indoors in the winter . Susan Betz , author ofHerbal Houseplants(Cool Springs Press , 2021 ) recommends growing geraniums in clay toilet placed in a south - face windowpane . The plants need at least 4 hour of direct sun per day and you desire to be careful not to overwater them . She cut back plant to keep them from being too long-legged . you could also take cuttings from geraniums in fall , steady down them inside during the winter and expand your stock for next twelvemonth .
flame nettle
While I have pick up of gardeners who have overwintered coleus plants mightily from their garden , most will take cut in fall and create new plants for the next season . This is well-off to do and a great way to increase your supply of coleus . It ’s also a merriment project if you have youngster at home .
Before first hoarfrost ( so like , now ! ) , clip off the top 3 to 4 column inch of a healthy flame nettle stem . you may get several cuttings from a plant . Strip off the low 2 inches or so of leaves , then place the stems in a good soilless potting premix , urine well and bring them into a warm but not sunny placement indoors . ( If you desire some excess avail getting the plants to rootle , souse each stinger terminate into steady down internal secretion before establish in the good deal . ) you could put many cuttings in a single pot during this stage . TheChicago Botanic Gardenrecommends wrap up the cuttings with a pliant bag to support in the moisture . In a week or so , the cuttings will have trivial root and you may re - pot each plant into its own small container . Place them in a sunny window and trim them back regularly to prevent them from sustain leggy .
We lie with northern gardener are creative about overwinter tropical industrial plant . Tell us your arcanum for getting your favourite plants through the winter .
