'It would make my choices easier if I had lost some.' lololol I agree.

I'm overwintering geraniums (pelargonium) impatiens, wax-leaf begonia, cane begonias, fuschias, vinca vine,and will dig caladium tubers and canna tubers soon. I've only overwintered the pellies and impatiens before. I would love to have a hibiscus, but space is an issue for me as well. I potted up the begonias, fuschias, vinca vine, took cuttings of the impatiens, and the pellies, I'm doing cuttings, repotting, and the dormancy method. We see which works. My pellies had rust this year, so I'm trying very hard to not let that come in with the plants. We'll see. The cure might be worse than the disease. I'm rinsing them in a 10% bleach solution to kill the fungus. So far, the cuttings are taken, bleached, and potted up. Some are succumbing to damping off, some just died, (the bleach probably did that,) and a few hardy souls are struggling, but getting better. No signs of rust on the cuttings. The ones that will be re-potted are waiting in the garage. I have a few pots buried in the mulched bed, but love the idea of burying things in the veggie beds. Veggie beds aren't doing much over winter anyway. Great tip!

Can't Stop - you mention that you have experience with impatiens and that you are doing cuttings...what is your technique? And why do you focus on cuttings - I was thinking about trying to save roots...just put them into dormancy like canna roots then pot them up come spring...

Susz - you have me thinking about coleus...I haven't overwintered it before - how do you do it?

As for stuff I have experience with...this is the 4th year I have overwintered my tropical hibiscus (I recommend regular soap spraying so mites don't develop)...and I'm also bringing in bouganvillea and geraniums. I'll be digging up cannas, gladiolus and dahlias. FYI - Dusty Miller overwinters fine outside for me here in the Detroit area,

I've got a number of plants that come in and out each year. A Jasmine, a bunch of passionflowers, a lemon tree, a bay tree, kiwi vines, a mimosa tree I'm not ready to risk to winter (maybe next year), two gardenias and lastly a clematis I purchased very late in the season that was terribly difficult to locate and pricey so I will baby it over the winter and plant it in the spring.

I bought Persecaria 'Red Dragon' this year, and I will be taking cuttings (probably next week) and making sure that I have this plant another year.

I guess these make me an untypical Michigan gardener.

~Chills

WSW For impatiens, I take a four-six inch section of healthy plant, remove the lower leaves, so they aren't in the water, and just put it in a jar of water, until healthy white sprouts are about two inches long. Then I pot it up and grow it as a houseplant. Do be careful not to let it get too close to a cold window. I've had one succumb to the cold inside the house!

I haven't heard of letting impatiens go dormant like cannas, might be fun to experiment with that.

The reason I do cuttings, is then I have a smaller, less leggy plant, so it takes up less room in my small house. Of course, I took about eight cuttings, and won't have the heart to kill any, so it kind of defeats the purpose of saving space! lol

Impatiens root very readily in just a jar of water. I sometimes have to put a piece of tape across the top of the jar, to keep the cutting from falling in. That's about it. My favorite impatiens to overwinter are my double pink impatiens. They have a deep green leaf, and true pink flowers. Very cheery!

Chills, I've heard that some perennials will die if they don't go through their normal winter cold spell. I'd suggest putting it in the ground if you can. Maybe even in the pot. Or ask on the vine forum, maybe someone there might know. I just don't want you to lose a much-sought after plant :-)

I'll save any (pelargonium) geranium I've started from seed along with a couple of tender salvias, three banana plants, a fig, rosemary, a bunch of brugmansia (plants, plus maybe rooting some of the branches I had to trim to get the things through the door), pineapple plants I started, a few dahlia tubers, maybe a helioptrope and a few other tender things, plus the usual assortment of houseplants. Plus I'm toying with the idea of bringing in a hot pepper and seeing how it fares. Bright indoor space isn't a big problem, aphids and spidermites are, along with a spouse who doesn't like to live amidst piles of dropped leaves. I keep trying not to accumulate any more of this stuff, because sometimes I decide some of the plants need to go into intensive care--under the fluorescents with my seedlings. And that starts to cut into how much seed-starting I can do.

I'd like to get better at overwintering rosemary--sometimes I succeed with it, sometimes I don't. I generally try to keep it cool, bright and dry. Anyone who's consistently good at it got any tips?

I'll be bringing in my rosemary, I've found that it needs more water inside than it does outside. I know that's opposite of what you think is normal for overwintering indoors but I've been doing it for 6 years with great results. They usually bloom in March.

I'll be taking cuttings from two geraniums, and several coleus. It's a space thing for me. It's hard to let the one geranium go since it's so big, so I may still try to wedge it in somewhere!

I also have a large pot of gerber daisies that I will bring in. I may have to split it into two pots.

I don't have any place to keep canna bulbs and the like so I usually let those go and replace them each year.

Cantstopgardening....I will place it into my basement with my figs in about a month or so. It will let it get its dormancy without me worring about losing it. (I will probably be checking on it too much though) I'll give it about two months down there where the temps get low enough for them to count without risking losing it.

Janet, I've tried the same thing, but my problem is root rot with rosemary in the winter. Seems I can't get the water right and it just dries and dies. Fortunately I have managed to overwinter rosemary outdoors 1/2 of the winters I've attempted it (3 of 6 so far).

~Chills

geramiums are always overwintered, but I may have waited too long this year as all their leaves are frozen. I brought in a lemon verbenum, whose leaves retain their lemon scent even when dried. I thought I lost it last year when I was gone for 4 weeks in January and my son did not water it. It was just a bunch of stick and no leaves. Well, that is exactly what is suppose to happen, you let it dry out completely, lose all its leaves and take a rest. I started watering it in February, it slowly grew some leaves and I gave it some worm castings after I put it outside in the spring. WOW.

I overwinter several types of annuals each year. It is really fun. I have an expensive lighting system, a humidifier and a fan that makes things easier. My favorites from last year were the creeping snapdragons, felicia daisy, portulaca, pimpernel, ageratum and of course, like all years, pelargonium and impatiens.This year I'm trying Gazania. I have had them inside for not quite a month yet, but they are doing sooo well (lots of blooms)! They love the bright light I give them and they tolerate low household humidity. Also this year I am trying Nierembergia (spelling?). But I have no idea what to expect from that one. Good luck to all you indoor gardeners!

-tg86

Chills, the one time I tried to over winter rosemary outside we had one of the coldest winter in years! Zone 5 winters are bad enough but we had no snow cover that year.

Janet, I'm amazed you've had success with rosemary indoors for the winter. I've tried once or twice but with no success. : (

Chills, I'm also surprised that you've succeeded in overwintering it outside. Don't know anyone else around to succeed at that. Do you do anything special for it?

Paul, now that I know it's hard they'll probably croak! LOL!

believe it or not it was in a Large whiskey barrel and half buried in thyme both times that I've had it survive. I do tend to keep the barrel full of snow when its available and I try and water once a week when there is no snow.

Last winter I had one in a raised bed and it was ok til about march when I fell behind on my watering and checking on the plants (we had a baby last March and he took all the free time we had). I noticed mid april that it had dessicated and died, but it was ok til mid March.

mulch with leaves and give it a shovel of snow to bury it whenever possible. I'll be trying again this winter, and we'll see how it goes this year.

~Chills

Someone please help...I have three HUGE geraniums that I cannot handle losing....but the big ? is....either 1)treat them as houseplants throughout the winter and watch them lose all their leaves and get extremely leggy or 2) hang them upside down sans soil blah blah blah....help!!!! Tried both...they all were a disaster. If I choose to disect (choice 2) again should I put them in garage (very cold here in WI usually) or basement (I think too warm)...I know there is a geranium thread but that confused me more than ever!!! Is there a definitive answer??? These guys are getting more action than me (that is into the kitchen, back outside for the day, into the living room, bathtub for watering)...oh yeah should they be watered if inside or "slightly misted"...whatever...help!!!

Hi Jenn,

I brought geraniums in for the first time last winter, so I am no expert, but I didn't do a thing to them (except pluck off dead leaves, and they did not get leggy on me. I did put them in the sunniest spot I have (south window). Basically, they freaked out when they first came in (lost a lot of leaves), then went dormant from Nov to Feb (did nothing), but then as soon as the days started to lengthen in March they kicked into gear and started putting out growth like crazy. They did not really flower until they went outside in May, but after they went out - they flowered like champs. I am definitely bringing these guys in again this year...this will be their second winter and if things go as they did last year, I hope to have 3 foot tall geraniums come spring (I have them staked).

Last year my rosemary overwintered just fine, and even flowered in December! It was right up against the glass at the south facing window over my kitchen sink. I think that's the secret, to have it as close to the glass as possible to stay cool, and to not let it dry out too much. At my last house, I wasn't able to give the rosemary enough light, and it died quickly.

Last year, I overwintered Salvia superba (pineapple sage) and Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue.' I quickly got tired of vacuuming up the fallen leaves. The S. superba flowered in February, and their red flowers were a welcome sight, but this year, I just CAN'T go through that again.

Does anyone know of a way to make them go dormant so I don't have to water them at all?

So do you ever overwinter something that really doesn't warrant the fuss?
I have a brugmansia that won't flower because the pot it's in isn't big enough but is about the biggest size I can handle to move in and out of the house. So I cut it back and overwinter, which it seems to like. Why do I bother? No idea, except it's so exuberantly healthy otherwise and it was given to me when I bought this house. Go figure :)

I also overwinter my potted mandevilla.
I don't bother digging anything up (i.e. dahlia bulbs or anything NOT potted) to bring in. Wayyy too much hassle, considering the choices of hardy perennials and low-cost annuals (I do collect seeds, though)

C.

Hi,

Chris, saw your post about your brugmansia and wanted to let you know that you can root prune your brug and repot in the same pot. Brugs get tons of roots and I wondered what to do to avoid having to go up in pot size all the time. I got the word from a very knowledgeable lady who grows tons of brugmansias . She told me you can trim off up to 1/3 of the roots with out harming the brug , you could do it in the spring when you are getting ready to bring it out of dormancy. I did some of mine when I brought them in to go in basement.

Signet

So far I have brought in some bulbs - Hymenocallis, fairy lily, and a few Dahlia. I still have some Dahlias blooming, but I think the rain today will finish them off. Those bulbs will come in along with the Caladiums.

The pelargonium will come inside today (only one though). I cut it way back, then in the Feb/March I take cuttings for the several more I want.

I've tried the fushia before, no luck. Never thought about the impatiens. I actually raised some of the bigger impatiens from seed this year. I never even thought of bringing them inside. They have been gone for a while. :(

The gladiolas next to the house survive the winter just fine. I found out the Dusty MIller do fine also in a semi-protected area.

Also, I left one pineapple lily bulb in the ground last year accidently and it came up fine this spring. So they are all being left in the ground now.

I save the seeds from coleus and Ageratum and start them in early spring under lights.

Mandevilla vine, trellis and all comes in each winter. I think I'm going to dig up the Brugs now that I've read through these posts...they didn't blooms this year-maybe if over wintered they will next. I have also learned to protect some plants out of doors by surounding them with a wire structure then wrapping a good layer of newspaper directly around the plant and then stuffing the structure full of leaves. If extremely sensitive, I then cover the entire structure with plastic. Have grown fig bush here successfully now 2 yrs by doing this. I honestly try to avoid items that have to be babied as I hate dragging in a bunch of plants that I really have no place for.
Luckily, I've found that by planting certain items in protected niches that I create a zone6 effect.

toomanyanimals, I have a number of Dustys that are over 5 years old -- They aren't in a very sheltered area either. IME, good draining soil soil seems to be the key.

Glads I've also overwintered -- both right up against the house and also out by the shed [by a woods].

I've even had a few calla lilies that have overwintered for a number of years now. They're planted out around a birdbath in the middle of the yard.

Come to think of it I have also had dahlias overwinter too.

Amazing what plants can do when they don't know any better!

: )

Advice, please:
- Burying pots in the ground: what to do with this holes in the spring and summer - leave as is or else?
- How to reduce size of Hibiscus tree, Brugmansia or Mimosa tree to keep size of pot in movable limits?
- Lenny2, did your Fig tree survived without burying?
- Does anyone heard about successful overwintering of Oleanders or Eucalyptus by burying in the ground (zone 6a)?

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

townhouserOnt
"Burying pots in the ground: what to do with this holes in the spring and summer - leave as is or else?"
--- put similar sized pots of potted plants in those holes [tender perenials like dahlias might be a good choice since you should lift those in the fall anyway].
--- 'screen' the holes with other plants like hostas

"How to reduce size of Hibiscus tree, Brugmansia or Mimosa tree to keep size of pot in movable limits?"
--- I've had a hibiscus bush in the same 9" pot for about 6 years now. Only thing I pruned in the fall were the branches. Better would likely be to prune the branches and the roots though I've never tried to prune roots before. [Sounds like a question the folks on the bonsai forum could help with.]

Thank you, Paul, great idea!
How much did you prune hibiscus: all branches to the 2-3 nodes, or 1/3 each year? Thanks again!

townhouserOnt
In some years by as much as 1/2 -- yes we're talking a MAJOR haircut

Thanks, Paul!

I also live in the U.P. so our growing season is to short for me to not try and overwinter as much as possible. I have a banana tree (from seed two years ago)and a large elephant ear that come inside. Cannas and gladiolas, oxalis,a lantana I grew from seed this year and a nice containerof Ganzia and tricolor sage and Orange celosia I refused to give up to the cold. I have a small grow room that I start seedlings in the spring that most of the pots
are at with a sunlamp for light. I have two special geraniums that Im trying the no soil,brown bag method. I have a large strawberry pot with rosemary, thyme and a curry plant in the southside kithen window. A eucalyptus and sunset hibiscus and two types of Abutilion in same window. Ive had two large Hibisus that Ive had for ten years that come in and out depending on the night temps.
Ive had good luck keeping rosemary alive most of the winter in a cold porch with brightlight but this year Im keeping it inside and well watered, keeping my fingers crossed!Even if I lose this one It wont be till after Xmas and It makes a nice xmas plant.