wintering over perennials

19 years ago

^This question is two fold. . .

1St, I have a patio tree rose that I would love to try to keep. I know it won't survive here so I had a great idea of putting it in my friends cellar, a wise poster here brought to my attention that it wouldn't get water, that's why I love this place, many brains are better than one. I will have to supply the water manually, how wet/damp does the soil have to be for dorment plants? The cellar is pretty damp, if I water it or put it in there damp will it be OK?

Also, I started a bunch of perennial seeds this week, I have them in a raised bed made out of cynder blocks in mostly shade, which is due to the two buildings it is sitting between, I am hoping they germinate and I will have some plants going into winter, I plan on leaving them there all winter as we are building a house and I don't know for sure when it will be done, and I don't want to hunt for perennials in the snow if that is the case. (I plan on taking them with me) and we are renting now and I don't want to leave holes in the beds where I take the plants out, I can easily come get them from the bed. In doing this I am not sure how to winter "baby" perennials. I can make a cover for them using the two buildings. Or would a good cover of leaves, grass clippings and ever green branches do the trick. The buildings will just provide a shelter but still allow snow rain etc to get to them.

Thanks to any and all,

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Comments (4)

lindac
19 years ago
A tree rose will keep very well lying on it's side and covered with a pile of leaves or mulch held in place against the wind by branches. It needs to have a dormant period.
The same for the perennials....but how raised is the bed...of it's more than just one course of blocks it won't do well at all. And why would you plant them on mostly shade? That won't make for healthy plants either.
Linda C
party_music50
19 years ago
I wouldn't venture to comment on the rose. Perhaps you should pose the question on the Rose forum.

Re the perennials from seed: once they germinate and start to grow, they'll need approx. 6 weeks to be established enough to make it through the winter. Since you want them to be portable at any notice, I would have germinated them in pots and sunk the pots into the soil. Then you could remove the entire pots at any time and position them in a new (similarly cozy) location.

If you have already direct-sowed the seed and will definitely will leave them during the winter, then you only need to worry if they haven't started growing 6 weeks before your first frost/freeze date.

I've started many perennials from seed sown in July, and I'm also in zone 5, so you shouldn't see too many failures there unless you have slow germinating seed.
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athenainwi
19 years ago
The rose should be okay in the cellar or an attached garage if you have one of those. It should be some place that is cold, but not much below freezing. You'll want to let it go dormant, then bring it in. I think you are supposed to water it well when you bring it inside and then keep it dark during the winter. I don't think you need to water it much if at all (I think once a month at most). Head over to the rose forum for more advice on this. I haven't done it myself but I'm reading up on it so I can overwinter a couple of potted roses this winter.

I would follow Party_music50's advice on the perennials. You might find it easier to pot up everything now and then sink the pots into the soil. That way they can be easily pulled up and moved.
maidinmontana
Original Author
19 years ago
I have already direct sowed them. I don't have the room for containers or for that matter the containers. I am on really good terms with my landlords so I don't see a problem if I have to come back in the spring and get them. I just thought it would be better than tring to locate them in beds as they are all probably different as far as their arrival time. I was basically wanting to know how to protect them providing I have plants to protect. Thanks for you advice.