There are many designs for simple cold frames..... that said bury the pot & cover with leaves will work..... The main thing is the root ball must be wet when the ground freezes..... The other thing is the burning bush MUST go through the cold period before it will initiate new growth.

Thanks georgez5il,
For your help. Greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Mary-Jane

You're much colder than I am (Oregon, zn8), so you have a challenge that I'm probably not qualified to give advice on, but even here I have had difficulty overwintering young hydrangea plants. They tend to die back quite a bit (even established shrubs), and if the cuttings are small without many buds, you may lose them. I lost all of the 40 or so 4" pots of hydrangea that I tried to overwinter outside last winter, to a late freeze. This year I have a small greenhouse I will keep them in. I also work as a propagator for a wholesale nursery that does a lot of hydrangeas, and at work we overwinter them in a minimally heated greenhouse (kept above freezing) for the first year after rooting them. They seem to do fine once they get some size - they can tolerate a little dieback then. I think you'll be OK with the other shrubs - they're hardier. I agree that burying the pots and mulching them should work. Hydrangeas will also root from hardwood cuttings taken in late winter just prior to budbreak, so if you do lose the ones you have, you might try that. Then get just as much growth on them as you can prior to winter.

Hi willameadows,
Thanks so much for the advice. I'll overwinter the Hydrangea cuttings inside for the winter. And bury the other ones outside for the winter with leaves.
Thanks
Mary-Jane

I also have some 2 little hydrangea and 3 mockorange cuttings. They are just rooting NOW in Minnesota. I think they may be too young to even bury outside. What would happen if I just kept them in the house as a houseplant then gradually hardened them off outside in the spring? Would they keep going with vegetative growth? I could keep them under lights to increase the daylength. I realize they may need a cold spell to bloom, but I think they are too little anyway.

I have never tried overwintering hydrangeas at room temperature, and in general I don't think temperate shrubs would perform well as houseplants, but in your case it may be the only option. I agree that they are probably too young to keep outside, even buried. I know that you can keep hydrangeas growing thru the winter and it doesn't seem to hurt them (although like you said they may not bloom), but I have only done it in a minimally heated greenhouse. I think the challenges you will face in a house are not enough light and the potential for botrytis (gray mold), which soft growth of hydrangeas are very susceptible to. So if you try it, put them in just as much light as you can - a grow light just a few inches above the plant might work. And you may need to treat them periodically with a fungicide. (A weak solution of hydrogen peroxide in water is effective.) If they show signs of mold, pinch off the affected tissue. Good luck!

This is an older post, but I hope someone will respond. You've got a newbie here! I have 2 three-month old lace cap hydrangea clippings in one pot that still have plenty of leaves on them. The height from the soil to the top of the leaves is about 4". I am in Boston. Should I bury the 4.5" pot (actually a stonyfield yogurt container) right into the ground up to the top of the container? Should I poke holes in the side of it (already have them on the bottom) for drainage/air? Should I wait for the leaves to go before covering plant up with grass, leaves or mulch? Thanks so much!

Maryjane - I overwinter plants in three different ways, depending upon the needs of the plant. For many potted flowering plants like gardinias, I place them on a shelf in front of a window in an unheated garage; it works fine, but they get a bit leggy. For smaller plants that I will eventually transplant out side and some cuttings that are developing roots, I use a florescent light system on stach shelves in my basement. The basement is a little cool sometimes, about 55 - 65 degrees but they also do well and are less leggy. For plants such as artichokes that I leave in the raised garden plot, I mound up compost around the base of the plants and cover the plants with ground leaves. Over the chopped up leaves I place a basket, pot or tub for added protection. On hot days I remove the basket. After the last frost uncover them and remove the leaves and use them for mulch.

Maryjane - I overwinter plants in three different ways, depending upon the needs of the plant. For many potted flowering plants like gardinias, I place them on a shelf in front of a window in an unheated garage; it works fine, but they get a bit leggy. For smaller plants that I will eventually transplant out side and some cuttings that are developing roots, I use a florescent light system on stach shelves in my basement. The basement is a little cool sometimes, about 55 - 65 degrees but they also do well and are less leggy. For plants such as artichokes that I leave in the raised garden plot, I mound up compost around the base of the plants and cover the plants with ground leaves. Over the chopped up leaves I place a basket, pot or tub for added protection. On hot days I remove the basket. After the last frost uncover them and remove the leaves and use them for mulch.

Maryjane - I overwinter plants in three different ways, depending upon the needs of the plant. For many potted flowering plants like gardinias, I place them on a shelf in front of a window in an unheated garage; it works fine, but they get a bit leggy. For smaller plants that I will eventually transplant out side and some cuttings that are developing roots, I use a florescent light system on stach shelves in my basement. The basement is a little cool sometimes, about 55 - 65 degrees but they also do well and are less leggy. For plants such as artichokes that I leave in the raised garden plot, I mound up compost around the base of the plants and cover the plants with ground leaves. Over the chopped up leaves I place a basket, pot or tub for added protection. On hot days I remove the basket. After the last frost uncover them and remove the leaves and use them for mulch.