What Are You Going To Over Winter ?

[Nyboy]

Fall is here its about that time to start thinking about closing down of garden. I am going to try using the unheated greenhouse for more then patio furniture storage. I am going to try bring in my window boxes. I will try 2 different ways one I will just place in window and keep watered, another I will remove plants and store like dahlia. I have potted fig trees I will bring in. Debating about coleus. Have a lime and Lennon tree that comes inside and overwinters in my heated waiting room. What do you over winter and how and special tips for not over wintering pests ?

 

[digitS']

The Bt for mosquitoes is now being sold for fungus gnats. Imma gettin some of that, this year!

The greenhouse is something of a problem for the winter. It needs both a new film cover and some boards replaced on the southside. Sure. You think that those would be speedy jobs ... well, you won't have aging digitS' clinging to that roof!

There are a few dozen pepper plants in the greenhouse. Of course, they can't get through the winter in an unheated greenhouse but they might not be able to survive a few fall nights without cover, long before we get to the shortest day and indoor temperatures that they can't take.

Then the central bed has a heavy bench over it, right now. Last year, I was waiting for surgery ... before and after, unable to lift anything. If I'm gonna make use of that skinny area for Asian greens, that bench has to be moved.

Asian greens -- I cover them when temperatures drop below 15f outdoors. Long hours of darkness means no solar heat -- too cold to grow for even for those hearty things.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I am not worried about growth I just want survive till next spring

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I've got a vine of somesort that I've clipped several pieces and stuck in water. But we're not harsh winters in this area.

 

[digitS']

The plant that has been overwintered the most times in my greenhouse is lemon verbena. Perhaps that makes it a good example.

It's in a pot and cut back within a few inches of the soil. The plant spends weeks covered by 6mil film, only out from under that during the final weeks of late winter.

In addition to the film that cover things when outdoor temperatures are below 15º, a tarp is used at below zero. I neglected to say that.

The lemon verbena is back in the spring after even a minus 15º. It has a rating for hardiness in zone 8 to 10, according to Monrovia and 9 to 10, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Steve, that hardiness of your lemon verbena is astounding.
I have some sages (pineapple and melon types, don't want to get up to find the tags) that I wonder would survive a protected outdoor winter...but I don't really have the setup for that.
I guess I will just keep supporting the nursery I order them from every year.

 

[digitS']

Here I am on one of the last days of 2007, talking about the herbal teas that I had grown that year:

https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/the-pleasing-complexity-of-my-day.140/

The verbena was in the greenhouse then and subject to the covering and uncovering regimen that I came up with (off the top of my head ). I've never turned the heat on in there during the winter.

Disappointed that I promptly lost the Korea mint. I don't remember having it for another year. Perhaps, I thought that if it's a mint that it could stay unprotected outdoors. Gone.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I always try to take in as many non-zone 5 geraniums as possible, and probably some nice looking impatiens and wax begonias. I grew what turned out to be all white tuberous begonias in a big blue ceramic pot in my DD's shaded back yard, and I am bringing it in to the north facing window of the upstairs office for the winter. Don't wanna lose them!
I will rescue the purple basil that I grew from seed in aNOTHER pot at DD's to try to keep it alive.
ReMEMBER: More light by a winter window than less. The windows interrupt light candles and your plant will be getting less light than it has been getting outside.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I suppose I will HAVE to bring the Roselle in; the day length requirements mean it isn't scheduled to bloom until January.

Whether any of the beans get a finishing run (time inside to finish ripening any seed) depends I suppose on what is left when that time comes.

Taking the basil in seems sort of pointless; I have plenty of seed now and it will just get woody and whiteflied (plus, I really o don't like how this one tastes)

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

My miss mandarins and ensete maurellis