wintering unpotted liatris

15 years ago

I had a row of liatris on a wall in fiber containers for a couple of years (roof garden). I usually leave them over the winter and they come back in the spring when I would take them out and freshen up the soil and put them right back.

This year the containers needed to be replaced. I removed all the liatris (as clumps) a couple of weeks ago..they were no longer in a growing state...and thought I could store them as clumps and basically exposed to the elements, although some were on top of others, in a big open barrel until spring when I would replant them in new containers. I just took a look at them and they look like they might be drying out too much so I sprinkled them with water.

Does anyone have experience with this? Should I get them repotted before the winter frost sets in? Will they make it through the winter in this unpotted state? I don't want to lose them.

Please advise....I hope I haven't killed them already.

pictures of how they looked during this summer.

http://www.mihaus.com/Liatris.jpg

http://www.mihaus.com/Liatris2.jpg

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
i dont know what the barrel does ... can you explain the theory ....

i would set them all in a pile.. and cover with some loose mulch or hay .... very lightly for now.. and then come late dec .. cover them pretty well.. light and fluffy ...

mother earth will temper any wild fluctuations of winter temps... and the straw will keep sun off them..

as always... the key is: get them dormant.. and keep them dormant ... [another dime please]

right now.. they are probably just drying out from the insult of un-potting .... i doubt any long term injury

may i presume you dont have some open soil ... where you could just heal them in for winter????? that would probably be the easiest and safest.. i used to use the veggie garden for such ...

ken
missminni
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Ken
The "barrel" is just an old planter about 30" wide and 24" deep that had some old soil in it and I just put the liatris corms (?) in there. it's not a covered barrel, but the corms are on top of one another...a couple of layers. Basically they are in a pile (as you suggested) with some dirt underneath.
I do have soil that I could put on top of them ,,, would that be good? I can also cover them with a lid that would fit loosely...that would keep the sun off them...
what do you suggest?
did i do any harm by watering them this morning? I sort of
panicked. they looked like the were so dried out. The sun is out today and they are exposed...should I cover them?
thanks again for your advise...
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
the drying harmed them.. not the watering..

they will need air.. any cover must let in a free flow of air movement.. hence the straw suggestion ...

ya know.. you sound like a worrier.. if they lived for years.. hanging in baskets all thru winter.. i dont know how much you should worry about them..

the only thing you have changed.. is exposing the bulb/corm ... so.. figure out how to cover the corms.. w/o causing damage ...

review prior answer.. rather than me repeating it all again..

good luck

ken

ps: ... instead of putting all of them in one system... you might want to throw half on mother earth .. in full shade.. on the north side of a structure ..... and cover with straw ... just in case one system fails.. the other may not ... spread your odds of failure ...