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Best way to over winter perennials?
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Posted by deb118 z5NWIN (My Page) on Fri, Sep 30, 05 at 22:07
| I am in zone 5 and trying to decide the best way. Last year, I sunk the gal pots into my veggie garden and covered with shredded leaves. But the digging before and after winter is ALOT!!! Not to mention cleaning the pots. What do you do?? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| I overwinter mine in beds burried with wood chips. |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| The ones I overwinter outside I do pots in pots. That way you only have to dig one time. I don't cover mine here that are in ground in pots, as we get significant snow cover, and that seems to do well for protection. I pretty much only overwinter plants that are a least one zone hardier than us. Walters Gardens has recommendations on their website, by the way, might be worth checking out for you. Keep in mind if you are covering with straw, etc. to bait for mice, boy can they chew things up. Good luck, Polly |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| Thanks so much Polly, for the tip to Walter's! I will be following their method of plastic, straw, and plastic. :) |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| We used raised beds and plant everything in them to overwinter. Use straw, and unless you have dogs if you do have moles, watch out. |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| Great Deb, glad you looked at that site. Don't forget to bait for mice, I can't stress that enough, those little boogers. Please let me know how it works out for you, I've never tried it myself. Polly |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| Move them all to zone 11? |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| We put ours between two greenhouses and let the snow that runs off the greenhouses cover them. (It was about 4 ft deep last winter. HINT Clean the up as much as possible in the fall as there doesn't seem to be enough time in the spring. |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| I put them in a circle up against the compost bin and surround with bags of raked leaves and pine needles. and dump some more leaves on top of it all. |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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Thanks, All!
After asking more questions, here and there, I've decided to do like Wendy. I heard that covering with the plastic would smother them. I'd put them in the greenhouse, but the water will be shut off, and no way to water. I have an ample supply of leaves coming this fall, so I will suround the outside edges with bagged leaves, then pile loose leaves on top. This way they will be insullated, yet still get the natural moisture. I HOPE IT WORKS!!! lol |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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- Posted by Cady 6b/Sunset34 MA (My Page) on
Mon, Oct 24, 05 at 16:44
| I am heeling in some of my less hardy plants in a shallow trench in the compost pile. The heat from the the fermenting compost adds heat even in frigid weather. It's just enough to keep the roots happy. If you do that, yo udo have to be careful not to heel in too deep. I believe that core temps can cook plants even when air temperature is below freezing. |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| Hi Deb, it makes sense to try it the way Wendy does it. I can't believe Walters Gardens would put on their website something that is wrong, so I'm going to try the sandwich method with some of mine this year, and see how it works. Walters Gardens must be one of the largest growers, so I can't believe they would lead one astray. Good luck, Polly |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| Two blue tarps with standard cement blocks rolled up in the edges. Plus a diverse assortment of rodent poison placed every 50 square feet or so. Has worked for years. |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| I know what you mean, Polly. Walter's is one of the wholesalers I order from. I know they must know what they are doing. ;) But I think I'm still going to do it the other way. That way I know the plants are getting the natural moisture they will need. It may be a little more work, with the clean up of the leaves in the spring, but HEY! I'm no stranger to work :) |
RE: Best way to over winter perennials?
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| I overwinter my plants 5'x100' beds framed in wood with landscape fabric on the ground. Every 4' are pipes in the ground which I insert 1" PVC pipe used to make hoops. (If you have heavy snows put rebarb in the PVC for strength). I then cover with 2 layers of WHITE 4 mil poly and then use strips of wood attached to the frame to hold the poly down. And don't forget to bait, bait, bait. Good Luck and have a great winter. |
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