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Pot protection for annuals

Tiffany Marshall

14 years ago

I've got my rex begonias and coleus in the ground already, but today is supposed to be chilly and no higher than the uppers 40's, with a chance of frost tonight and no high than low to mid 30's. Sadness. I wonder if I can use pots and just place them on top of the plants?? Tape the holes closed?

I feel for my wisteria. First year it is having its full bloom. Much luck to it as it would need a large tent of its own for protection.

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Comments (6)

Donna
14 years ago
You can certainly use pots to cover your plants. No need to cover the holes. Better yet, dig them up (at least the coleus), repot and wait until not only the weather is warmer, but the soil is too. Coleus will not like cold soil one bit.
Tiffany Marshall
Original Author
14 years ago
The weather has been mild to warm, ranging from upper 50's to upper 70's. Just a day or two here and there that cause for concern. Not sure how warm the soil must be. Oh the joys of spring.
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I agree with garden fanatic. Roots need oxygen for normal metabolic processes & roots that formed in soil would be unable to absorb enough oxygen if suddenly thrust into a water environment. It's possible that they might adapt, with all soil removed, but that doesn't seem to be in the offing here. Though roots form readily and often seemingly more quickly on many plants propagated in water, the roots produced are quite different from those produced in a soil-like or highly aerated medium (perlite - vermiculite - seed starting mix, e.g.). Physiologically, you will find these roots to be much more brittle than normal roots due to a much higher % of aerenchyma (a tissue with a greater percentage of intercellular air spaces than normal parenchyma). Just as roots formed in soil are unable to absorb sufficient oxygen from a water environment, roots formed in water are poor at absorbing water in a soil environment. If the plants were to be set in a reservoir of water (the pool) & remained saturated for more than a couple of days, anaerobic bacteria in the soil would multiply rapidly & rot the roots. Al
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Where do you plan to grow these seeds. A window even a sunny south facing window doesn't get enough light to keep plants from getting leggy. The eaves of the house ensure that you don't get direct light, only reflected light. You really need a light setup or some way that plants would get direct sunlight. Most plants grown from seed need 6 to 8 weeks to germinate and grow to almost the size you purchase from the greenhouse. Some need longer and a few need less. Nasturtiums. Marigolds and zinnias are fast growers. I'd concentrate on Nasturtiums and zinnias and plant them directly into your pots. Start your Nasturtiums the first week of May. They don't freeze easily so it doesn't matter if you get a couple of light frosts but then being in pots you could always bring them inside at night. Soak the seed for 24 hours before planting. This softens the hard outer shell and helps with germination.. Place your pot in a sunny but protected spot. Near the house is best because they will get some heat from your house. Zinnias are fast growers but they will freeze. Choose the dwarf variety for pots. The height and growing instructions are on the seed packet. For both these you can make cloches out of plastic bottles. Just make sure they are large enough so the plant leaves don't touch the sides of the bottle. Cut the bottom out of the bottle and remove the lid. Depending on the size of the bottle plant a few seeds in the center. Water them well and place the bottle over them and set outside in a sunny protected spot. The bottle protects them from wind and acts like a mini greenhouse. Excess heat can escape through the top where the lid was. Check out the winter sowing forum on this site for more growing outside tricks and tips
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Do you always bring the plants inside for the winter? Do they do well for you? (Just curious) Your coleus and hibiscus are very cold sensitive, resenting temperatures that approach 50F. I have already taken cuttings from my coleus, as here in northern Alabama the nights have dropped into the 40Fs. They are sitting happily in my sunniest windows right now! I don't know about the SPVine, I would consider it disposable myself. Don't they and the hibiscus erupt in whiteflies, aphids, and spider mites inside? I don't bring my showy containers inside for the winter. I used to store caladium corms (dry, cool, dark) but they never returned to anywhere near the quality of the first year. Better get organized, lol! That'll teach you to rely on the calender for weather related routines!
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healing in pots ... so mother earth can temper media temps is not unknown ... and is commonly done ... as noted.. the size of the pot ... related to the mature size of the plant is important ... especially with annuals ... which complete their entire growth cycle in one year ... in other words ... if you bought it in a 3 inch pot ... but it can usually fill a two gallon pot with roots in one season .. perhaps an exaggeration to make my point ... then you will end up with water issues ... as there simply wont be enough media to hold enough water to maintain the plant ... which might not be all that big a deal since you are in a cool short season region ... perhasp as compared to trying the same thing down south .... there might also be an issue of how the abundant water is applied ... as whether it will actually get into the pot.. once the plant covers the top .. when i did this with conifers.. i could sink the pot.. and put them in my nursery.. where i could position the drip tape to water the pot ... ken
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
Covering your plants should do the trick. If you do cover the holes, it will trap the warmer air that will come from the soil, creating a nice little protective tent.

It's always a good idea to check with your local extension office to find out what the AVERAGE last frost date is in your location, if you don't already know. Then plant tender plants a couple of weeks after that! That date is a good guideline and will prevent you from jumping the gun when spring fever hits.

The one thing you shouldn't do is to judge good planting times according to what the local weather is doing lately. Best to consider that long established average last frost date.
calliope
14 years ago
And please, especially in your zone, don't trust seeing them suddenly appear at box stores and super markets as any indicator it's safe to plant them. They appear earlier and earlier every year to try to catch the market. It's monetarily driven, not culturally. I saw tender annuals like impatiens and marigolds outside of my food market in mid April. It's frosted at least four times since then and I'm a zone warmer than you and I'm not considering it safe for those until mid May. Especially things like begonias. They're especially tender.
mxk3 z5b_MI
13 years ago
Don't mean to beat up on you, as what's done is done - so take these posts as a learning opportunity.

Agree with Calliope's post above re: when annuals turn up for sale.

I don't even consider planting annuals until the middle of May, even then it's iffy and weather-dependent, and a lot of times I plant the last week of May.

Even if temps are okay and are not predicted to dip low, have to take into consideration how warm it has *been* (re: soil temps) and how wet the soil is. Cold, wet soil is death to annuals, and it's common even into May - don't let warm sunny days fool you, if in doubt invest in a soil thermometer and check, and check the soil to make sure it's not too wet.

Soil in pots warms faster, obviously, and also dries out faster, so often can get away with planting in planters mid-May or so, but again - have to check the soil.

April/early May is tree/shrub, and perennial planting time, it's a different ballgame for annuals in colder zones. :0)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
it would help if we knew where you are ...

in my z5 .... the for sure no frost day.. in my 30 years ... is about 5/25 ... yeah.. really ... you were only about a month early ....

BUT!!! .... kansas city is also z5 ... and i bet its early may ..

so you need to figure out when your most predictable frost free date is .. and live by it ...

mother nature is a cruel ***** [mistress] ... you dont mess with her.. lol

as noted.. call the county extension office.. ag office.. or soil conservation office.. and ask.. heck.. call all 3.. and see if the answers are the same.. for last frost date ... i tell you.. those farmers know everything about the vagaries of nature.. or at least they think they do .. lol

ken

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