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"As the temperatures cool and frost is
predicted, out come the blankets, bed sheets, paper bags, bushel
baskets and anything else that will help protect those special
plants just a bit longer," said Greg Stack. "Then comes the time
when even these measures are not going to be enough to protect the
plants from the inevitable. "However, when we think about plants
to bring indoors, we realize that many of the annuals we use in
Midwestern gardens really don't do well once indoors. No matter how
good they look in the garden, it is sometimes best to just let them
go."
Yet, Stack acknowledged, "that has never stopped many gardeners
from trying."
One example is the ever-popular and always-salvaged geranium. It
is, perhaps, the easiest to overwinter.
"There are two ways to handle the overwintering of geraniums. One
is to pot them up and maintain them as growing plants indoors. The
other is to carry them over as dormant plants," he said.
"As potted plants, geraniums do fairly well as long as they are
grown in the proper conditions. Just before frost, dig up the plants
and pot them up. Use pots with drainage holes and fill them with a
commercially prepared potting mix."
The transplanted plant should be watered well and cut back to
one-half to one-third of its height.
"Inspect for pests and, if clean, bring them indoors to a very
bright, sunny location where it is cool," said Stack. "Once indoors,
geraniums like to be kept on the dry side, so water only after the
first inch of soil is dry. If the plants are grown in low light
conditions, they will start to stretch and get spindly, giving you
the hint they need more light.
"During the winter, if the plants get too tall, don't hesitate to
pinch them back to maintain short, compact plants. Flower production
may not be the greatest and you may get some yellow leaves, but that
is to be expected due to the low light conditions."
Stack recommended overwintering dormant plants if you don't have
the right conditions to keep them growing all winter.
"If geraniums were growing in pots, bring them in, cut them back
by one-half, and store the plant in the pot in a cool, dark area,"
he said. "Keep the soil on the dry side, only watering sparingly to
keep the stems from shriveling, but not enough to cause leaf growth.
In the spring, bring the plant out, trim it back, water well, and it
should resume growth."
Hanging geraniums upside down in the basement or crawl space does
work, he noted, but success depends on providing the right
conditions.
"When houses had cellars, they were usually cool and damp," he
noted. "These are perfect conditions for storing geraniums. But
modern basements and crawl spaces tend to be warmer and drier, so
some modifications need to be made.
"In the fall, before frost, dig up your plants and shake the soil
from the roots. Next, hang the plants upside down in a cool -- 45-50
degrees F -- dark area such as a basement or crawl space or even in
a garage that does not freeze. While in this condition, check on the
plants monthly to see if they are getting dry and the stems are
shriveling."
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If the plants are dry and the stems
shriveling, Stack said the roots should be sprayed with water. If
they get too dry, take them down and soak them in a bucket of water
for an hour to rehydrate them.
"To help prevent excessive drying, some gardeners will place
their plants into individual paper grocery bags that are left
slightly open at the top," he said. "The bags help reduce moisture
loss. Occasionally open the bag to check on the plants and mist if
needed."
In the spring, the plants should be cut back by one-half and
soaked, roots and all, overnight in water before potting. This
should be done four to six weeks before they are moved outdoors in
the spring.
"This hanging method is not 100 percent, but you will be
surprised how many plants will make it through the winter this way,"
Stack said.
With all the great coleus available, these plants are easily
overwintered and make great-looking house plants. Coleus is very
frost-sensitive, so before the first frost, dig up the plants and
pot them up. Cut back the plant by one-half, place it in a sunny
location, and water as needed to keep the soil uniformly moist.
"Apply a half-strength fertilizer about once a month," he said.
"Occasional pinching will keep the plants compact. The cuttings are
easily rooted if you want to increase your inventory of coleus for
the garden."
Hibiscus is a very popular tropical woody plant that is sold in
large quantities for use as a container plant on patios or in the
garden as a specimen plant. Hibiscus can be overwintered as a
growing houseplant, but it demands a very bright, sunny location.
"Before bringing the plant indoors, inspect it for pests, cut it
back slightly, and if it was grown in the garden, pot it up," said
Stack. "Place it in a very sunny location and keep the soil
uniformly moist. Fertilize about once a month with a liquid
houseplant fertilizer. The plant may lose leaves while adjusting to
indoor conditions. It may also not flower as freely as it did
outdoors."
Hibiscus can also be overwintered as a dormant plant by storing
it in a container in a cool, dark basement. Keep the soil on the dry
side, watering very sparingly to keep it alive but not producing
leaves. In the spring, prune it back one-half to one-third and
resume regular watering. The plant should start to produce new
stems.
"Some annuals are just not made to be brought indoors, no matter
how good they look or how much we like them," Stack said. "Plants
such as impatiens or wax begonias may be spectacular plants in the
garden or baskets. Once brought in, they start to get very leggy,
leaves start to fall like rain, flowering stops, and stems start to
die back.
"For gardeners who have sunrooms or home greenhouses, they might
be able to overwinter these plants and do well. For most of us, you
can bring them in and enjoy them for a short time, but eventually
you'll have to discard them in favor of new plants in the spring."
Source: Greg Stack, Extension educator, horticulture,
gstack@uiuc.edu
[University of Illinois
news release]
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