Questions tagged [overwintering]

Questions about how to ensure that plants survive winter, including mulching for protection, or digging them up and storing them indoors while dormant.

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What can I do if last year's crocuses did not bloom?

Last year (2023) I bought some crocus bulbs and planted them a little late in January or February of 2023. Surprisingly, they did bloom and went through their cycle. I let the foliage die off ...
user1261710's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
61 views

Will headless cauliflower form a head next year?

I planted cauliflowers this year. None of them formed heads I replanted the seedlings twice and I have since heard that this is bad for them so maybe this is why. Now I have 2 rows of giant ...
Sarah's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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Elephant Ear bulbs still attached to the initial bulb that was planted-is this normal? Should I split them ? How do I do that?

Elephant Ear bulbs still attached to the initial bulb that was planted-is this normal? Should I split them ? How do I do that? What is the downside of leaving them as they are ? Here are some pictures
MiniMe's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
21 views

How should I prune my butterfly pea?

I have a butterfly pea Clitoria ternatea. How should I prune it? I am growing it in zone 8a, so it may not survive it's first winter. It is currently dormant. How much can I cut it back in the ...
Anonymous Physicist's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
482 views

Why are my dahlia tubers squishy?

A few days after the first frost last week I cut off the leaves, most of the stem and dug up our dahlia tubers. While washing off the dirt they were hard like potatoes (with the occasional skewered ...
silkroad's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
1 answer
140 views

How do I winterize fruit trees for cold winters

I have a few young fruit trees (1 each of a Liberty apple, Canadian Harmony peach, Bartlett pear, and Satsuma plum). I live in hardiness zone 5b in northern Utah, USA. The apple tree has survived a ...
Jacob A.'s user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
65 views

Sweet potato - leave in the ground for winter

Last year, after grow season ends, I found some tubers which were not harvested, after 3-4 weeks, during plowing, middle of November, after first frost and everything harvested in my garden. Found ...
user1209216's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
22 views

How to encourage banana trees to grow after insulating over winter

I have a few banana trees (How to insulate banana tree during winter) that I insulated with fiberglass over the winter in northern Mississippi. Two have started growing leaves. The others haven’t, but ...
bill999's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
177 views

Can trailing fuchsias survive the winter if selectively brought indoors?

I just spent a good chunk of money on trailing fuschias for a hanging basket. They were sold as annuals. I am in Seattle, which only experiences a few frosts per year (zone ~8b). If I simply bring in ...
Justin's user avatar
  • 207
3 votes
1 answer
82 views

How to insulate banana tree during winter

I have several banana trees in the ground at my place in northeastern Mississippi. They are about 2-5 feet tall. I would really like to salvage the stem during the winter if possible. What is the best ...
bill999's user avatar
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1 vote
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Polytunnel, green house or Shade Structures

For 1-2 year old trees for zone 8, H4 in UK, what would be better for overwintering, hardening, summer heat? Polytunnel, a green house or some kind of 50-80% shade cloth structure? And would the ...
JonathanC's user avatar
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3 votes
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Can I transplant plumeria in late September? (north hemisphere)

I've got two potted plumeria since last spring, and they thrived so much that their pots have become too small now. I'm wondering if late September is a good period for replanting in bigger containers....
Luis Martin's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
35 views

Planted a cherry seed this summer, how do I protect the baby tree this winter?

I planted a cherry seed this summer and I have a tiny tree. It's maybe four inches tall and six inches wide. I planted it in a wooden box so it drains well and I watered it every day. What should I do ...
mj_'s user avatar
  • 151
2 votes
1 answer
100 views

Is there a way to replant papyrus after the winter?

I live in growing region 6a, at very high altitude, in a low-precipitation area, with random snowfall and freezes happening until June 1, but freezes being mild (around 15 degrees F) and short-lasting....
Village's user avatar
  • 71
1 vote
1 answer
942 views

What do you do to rhubarb in the winter?

I've always mowed the rhubarb plant in the fall to winterize the plant, but what is the best thing to do to rhubarb if you can't get rhubarb into where it was transplanted to? I have 60 plants in the ...
black thumb's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
155 views

Is it safe to bring plants inside in the middle of winter?

I know that bringing plants from +20°C to -10°C can cause a lot of stress, because they need time to adjust to cold temperatures. Does it work the other way around too? In other words, is it ok to ...
lawful_neutral's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
37 views

Indoor rubber plant losing leaves

This forum has been a great source of info and help for years, so before I begin, thanks to everyone who takes the time to pitch in with answers. I've had a ficus elastica since December 2019. For the ...
RevolvingCatflap's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
45 views

Overwinter chillies

Are my chillies dead or will they come back in the summer??
Emily Mallin's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
189 views

Can I overwinter this Alocasia bulb

From the moment I saw this club-shaped thing sticking out from the topsoil, I knew it was a bulb or a corm. This one accidentally broke-off, but luckily I have at-least one more around the plant which ...
Christmas Snow's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
330 views

What are hazards of cold weather and frost to tree seeds and seedlings in northern nursery?

I have never got a good intuition about threat of frost for these trees in my nursery. I have many seedlings in pots or air prune boxes, 6-12" soil depth w mulch on top. I am in zone 5 where we ...
cr0's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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Overwintering chilies

I planted some chili plants at the beginning of the season and they have done very well so far. Had quite a good crop. The varieties are Apache, Carolina Reaper, Chocolate Habanero and Trinidad ...
kapoios_kanateris's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
174 views

At what age/size will an avocado tree survive a European winter?

Me and my brown thumb finally managed to grow an avocado tree. I'd like to grow it for a while and then plant it in the garden in a few years. I read that avocados shouldn't be left outside during the ...
Christopher Thonfeld-Guckes's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
78 views

Overwintering Lavender Meerlo

I have a lavender meerlo Picture source I live in Austria, I think zone 7A (-17.8°C - -15°C). My apartment is on the 4th floor, facing north. I'm reluctant to leave the plant on the balcony during ...
G. B.'s user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
77 views

Entire apple seedling was eaten, but miraculously came back as two. Now what?

At the beginning of the pandemic, house bound, I decided I wanted to try germinating apple seeds from fruits I had consumed. After a dormancy, one of the seeds actually sprouted and I was obsessed ...
Stephanie's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
57 views

Is this a climbing rose?

I had this rose bush for a few years and I used to cut it back in winter. Two years ago it grew some long stems and I decided to let them and see if they can survive winter, which they did and they ...
Claire's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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My strawberry shoots keep wilting and dying back.. am I over watering?

I recently bought ten Strawberry 'Honeoye' Bare Root, soaked the roots in luke-warm water as instructed and left them for 24 hours before potting in a mix of compostable and clay pots.. I used broken ...
Michelle. C's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
69 views

Are my Azaleas damaged?

These Azaleas I planted last spring look like they were damaged during winter. I was wondering if I should prune the dead looking stems or if I should wait for them to put on leaves.
Claire's user avatar
  • 1,160
2 votes
1 answer
69 views

What to do to pelargoniums after overwintering in cellar

I have a couple of pelargonia in pots. They live on a south facing balcony, and generally seem pretty happy there in the summer. (In my previous posts, they lived elsewhere and were much less happy. ...
Brondahl's user avatar
  • 833
3 votes
2 answers
290 views

Care for unplanted saplings in winter

I was recently shipped 10 Norway Spruce saplings from the Arbor Day foundation. The problem is that it's mid December and the ground is frozen. I was thinking I should plant them indoors to let the ...
Tyler's user avatar
  • 341
1 vote
1 answer
127 views

Overwintering green-leaved potted strawberry plants

I have a healthy, fruit-producing 'Elan' strawberry plant that created six runner plants this year. It's now November and I want to overwinter all seven pots. I plan to put them in the cellar (we ...
Tempest16's user avatar
  • 215
1 vote
2 answers
123 views

Are these elephant ear bulbs worth planting

My neighbor moved and said I could dig up her elephant ear bulb. It was huge when I dug it up I left it outside and it rained for 3 days and even frosted before I could do anything with it The little ...
Debnsteve2's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
121 views

Is a Windmill palm with some green at the base, but no green fronds, alive?

Last spring (1.5 years ago) we planted 3 Windmill palms. We live in SW PA, so we knew it was up in the air as to whether they'd survive here. The first winter we winterized them by tieing the fronds ...
Nicholas's user avatar
  • 175
1 vote
0 answers
31 views

How do you properly winterize a potted climbing rose?

Earlier this year I planted two Tess of the D’urbervilles climbing roses in 20" pots in my garden. These roses grew to about 3' high this year and began wrapping around the trellis that I had setup ...
Nicholas's user avatar
  • 175
2 votes
1 answer
112 views

How to handle potted Japanese Maples for fall and winter

I have several larger potted plants and trees i usually bury in my garden box for the winter. I root a few clipping from a Japanese maple, got about 6 plants in 6 inch pots. The 2 biggest are near 8 ...
user27171's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
46 views

Can a dark but warm environment put plants into dormancy?

I bought a Juniper. During winter, can I make it undergo dormancy by putting it in a dark but warm (around 20 - 25 degree Celsius) location? Thanks.
JSCB's user avatar
  • 103
1 vote
3 answers
416 views

Zone 4 - Can you overwinter garlic too early?

I live in Zone 4 (Minneapolis area) and I'm wondering if it's possible to plant garlic too early for overwintering? I had a bed free up earlier then expected that I'd like to turn and mulch but I don'...
TheyCallMeMrPickles's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
5k views

Protecting geranium outside in winter

I have some pots with geranium in my garden. Since where I live winter comes with some frost and snow, I have already confirmed that leaving the geranium in the garden will make them not survive the ...
Molly Malone's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
20 views

Can dilute latex paint or bordeaux's solution be used to reduce winter desiccation?

Trees in cold climates lose water to the dry air when they are warmed by the sun (direct and reflected) but have frozen roots, so can't replace lost water. There are products like wilt-pruf and vapor-...
Sherwood Botsford's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
400 views

How to introduce an overwintered banana tree back outside for the summer

We got a banana tree last year and brought it inside to overwinter it. The tree was never put into the ground, it stayed in a large pot and is still in the large pot. Our overwintering method was to ...
Tyler N's user avatar
  • 171
1 vote
1 answer
218 views

Potted trees stored in cool basement are leafing out early, what to do?

Despite being advised to heel in trees or simply cover potted trees in mulch over winter, I did bring some potted trees indoors in a dark, cool (~50F), fairly dry (~30% relative humidity) basement. ...
cr0's user avatar
  • 1,945
1 vote
2 answers
61 views

How to prepare these Hydrangeas for healthy growth in Spring and Summer?

I have a few of those hydrangeas and some others like below I left them alone during winter. Now do I cut them down to the root? Or do I leave them alone like that? What to do? I am in Pacific ...
HP.'s user avatar
  • 615
2 votes
1 answer
796 views

Can trees be propagated/started over winter indoors, or would that 'tire them out'?

I found a calendar of propagation activities which seems very helpful, and it says that hardwood cuttings can be taken and started for deciduous trees throughout winter. I imagine those cuttings would ...
cr0's user avatar
  • 1,945
2 votes
2 answers
181 views

Can garlic be planted in the winter, in hardiness zone 5 inland northeast USA?

I got a bunch of garlic bulbs to plant a couple weeks ago but winter struck early and I didn't manage to plant them yet. We've had a foot of snow and 2 cycles of snow/thaw so far, and for at least two ...
cr0's user avatar
  • 1,945
2 votes
1 answer
360 views

What is happening to my Agave attenuata

I have owned the depicted Agave attenuata since about half a year. It was outside until early November when local temperatures became too cold. Now it resides in in a light, moderately heated room. (...
Drux's user avatar
  • 1,292
4 votes
1 answer
512 views

Should I water my indoor plant with warmer water during winter?

At the moment where I live the ambient temperature ranges from -5 to 5°C (23 to 41°F) and will get colder. I have an indoor plant and I noticed that after I water it, the pot and the soil remain ...
Aesir's user avatar
  • 193
3 votes
1 answer
107 views

My particular geranium situation for winter (must keep it at desk at work, can't do it at home)

I have a geranium which I really like, and I need to do the right thing for it this Fall/Winter. It's too cold here to keep it outdoors, but I can't keep it at my house because we have a cat who will ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 131
6 votes
1 answer
82 views

Keeping up the chili pepper ripening process while suffering from drastic climate change

With the frost approaching rapidly in my area, I brought inside a few potted chili pepper plants for overwintering. Some of the plants, however, still have lots of unripe peppers on them (hundreds in ...
J.Deschenes's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
65 views

Heat and light a 6’x7’ room for plants

I have a 6’ x 7’ room (1.8/2.1 m) that I want to heat and light to bring my outdoor potted plants in for winter. How much light do I need? Will a 150 watt r40 flood light do the trick? Hibiscus mainly....
Ty Cooke's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Are my mini roses well and truly dead?

Last year I bought a potted mini rose. When it started doing poorly on the windowsill, I decided to let it try its luck outdoors. It turned out to be two plants and they both took off. Here's one last ...
Luke Sawczak's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Should I remove or leave the plastic around the trunk of my new tree?

This tree arrived today to me via mail: (Click on the pictures for larger view.) It is wrapped in several layers of plastic. I plan to plant it in couple of days. I will remove the plastic ...
VividD's user avatar
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