RE: mulching again

I use mulch to moderate the temperature changes that really bother plants in
my area.  Roots get broken during the frequent freeze-thaw cycles.

Yes, it might lengthen the growing season of a plant that needs cool season
weather, which is why it needs to be done *after* the plant has achieved
dormancy...unless you're using the season extension for, say, vegetable
harvests.

Too, you are right.  The moderation might be stressful for marginally hardy
plants of the sort that *need* all the cold season conditioning they can get
in your clime.

Since you live in a light frost area, the pots might be too much protection.
Condensation can build up in the upended pots, with the excess moisture
causing the rot you are trying to avoid.  What you might do, if rot is the
only problem, is to make sure your plants have excellent drainage combined
with some sort of lean-to type shelter from the drizzle.  One source I read
suggested shingles propped over foxglove crowns to protect them from the
weather.

Barb in Southern Indiana    Zone 5/6     <dorsett@blueriver.net>
   Midwest Gardener    http://www.suite101.com/topics/page.cfm/430
   Suite 101  http://www.suite101.com
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    A root is a flower that disdains fame.

> Not all of us experience a hard frost..while my tender annuals may be
> gone by the end of October, frequently Oregon frosts (at least on the
> balmy west side) are surface only.
> I like the idea of up-ending a pot over perennials..that way I know where
> they are next year.
> Would we do this after the plant has died back even in areas where there
> is no hard frost?
> I would be sort of concerned that this might lengthen the growing season
> of a plant that needs the cool season weather.
> I only mention this because of an experience   I had last year.
> We replaced several large windows and I kept the old ones to use in a
> cold frame, propping them up along the outside of a deck railing where
> petunias, pansies, perennial grasses and bulbs grew in a raised bed.  We
> did this in early November.
> These did not die back all year but stayed green, the bulbs succumbing to
> rot in March.
> The grasses did fine, but they never died back entirely.

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