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Archive for the overwinter tag

How do I overwinter small potted evergreens?

November 4, 2020 • Leave a Comment

Can I overwinter boxwoods in plastic pots (about 5-gallon size)? I’m not sure what variety they are. Or should I plant them in the ground even though it is November?

Any small ornamental evergreen or conifer in a container needs special treatment to overwinter a zone 5 winter (-20 degrees). If you have the space, you can bury the entire container in the ground and mulch leaves and compost over the base to protect it from freeze and thaw. If the location is subject to winds, a wind barrier of burlap or fabric to protect the leaves and needles is essential to avoid desiccation. You can also surround them with a staked chicken wire cage and fill the space with fall leaves. This also protects against sunscald. If no ground space is available, then place the boxwood containers in a sheltered area, cluster them together for protection, and place a windbreak around them for added protection from desiccation. Once the soil is frozen, the shrubs can’t take up moisture through their root systems to replenish what is lost in their leaves. You can also use an anti-desiccant spray on the foliage to further prevent moisture loss.

Once ground soil shows signs of thawing, night temperatures remain above freezing, and you see signs of spring growth on other plants, then you can remove the heavy winter protection. Give them a few weeks to acclimate and day temperatures to warm before moving them from their sheltered location.

Garden Snapshots: Valerie Nava’s Fig tree

December 17, 2013 • 1 Comment

Valerie Nava proudly shows off the fig tree she propagated from a cutting and is growing in northern Oakland County, Michigan. She covers it up in the winter and it comes back year after year. According to daughter Catherine, her mom’s motto is, “I never give up.” As a result, Valerie and her green thumb can tell you about many plants and how to grow them.

Do you have a snapshot of a plant you have overwintered? Post it to our Facebook page.

Can I overwinter annual ornamental grasses?

August 6, 2011 •

In containers this season, I planted Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ and ‘Burgundy Giant’ (fountain grass) as well as Phormium (New Zealand flax), which are treated as annuals. I don’t have a greenhouse, but can they be overwintered indoors? I successfully overwintered cannas last season.

Around late August, move the ornamental grasses and Phormium into a very shady spot outside and remove any other plant material from the container. Doing this will help your plants acclimate to indoor light conditions. Remember, full sun inside is about the same light as full shade outside. After a few weeks in the shade, remove any plumes from the grasses. Check both the plants and their soil for insects, and spray if needed. Find a location inside where the plants will receive as much sunlight as possible (a south or west exposure is best). Keep in mind that Phormium is a tropical plant and enjoys very warm temperatures, so be very careful to keep it away from drafts. Wait a couple of weeks and prune back the grasses to 6 inches above the soil line (not necessary with Phormium). Be sure to cut back on your watering through the low light, winter months. Next spring, after one more trim, set the plants outside in the shade again and gradually move them into the sunlight over a 2-week period.

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Archive for the overwinter tag