Overwintering pots

In a message dated 8/16/2005 11:16:59 AM Central Standard Time, 
bhayes@pronetisp.net writes:
regarding using big pots to keep perennials in, I just did this to some 
"fairie'"roses which I've had a long time, 
moving them over and over to get them to do better;  I think the pot will 
work, but need the lowdown on how 
to keep them over the winter, here in NYS, zone 5;
You need a location that will avoid the conditions that kill a plant when 
overwintering:

Freezing and thawing in the winter.

Too cold or warm

And growing to soon in the spring.

If the plants are hardy its best to have the pots freeze in the fall and stay 
frozen until normal spring growth should occur. I use straw and tarps for 
this. with only a few pots you should move them to a location that is out of the 
direct winter sun, cover the pots after they have frozen solid.  Rodents can 
be a problem too-so the use of some bait for mice and "VOLES" is needful.

If the pots are not to large for you -- digging a hole in the ground and 
burying the pots a few inches over the rim works very well. Cover with some straw 
or leaves.

You can over winter less hardy material by digging a deeper hole and burying 
them deeper in the ground-if we have snow cover I can over winter zone 6 
plants this way here in zone 4.


I have late hard frosts here and trying to keep any thing in the garage or 
basement does not work because it starts growing to soon in the spring.


Most plants overwinter best on the dry side instead of being wet.

Paul

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index