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alieliza

Overwintering Herbs

19 years ago

I have some questions regarding overwintering herbs.

I am in zone 7.

First, let me list the plants that I hope to save:

Lemon Verbena

Lemon Balm

Pineapple Sage

Scented Geraniums

Spearmint

Lavender Provence

Basil

I was thinking of bringing them inside, but my sunny window space is limited. There are only 3 sunny windows in the house, and most of them are already occupied.

I do have a grow op set up. I can put some on there with grow lights.

For my strawberries (not herbs, I know) I am planning to place them under the porch and allow them to go dormant. Can I do this with any of the herbs, and will they come back next year?

Thanks!

Comments (11)

  • 19 years ago

    Everything but the mints and lemon balm and lavender will have to come inside. I am not sure about your grow lights, are they the expensive kind? I mean like HID? most grow lights you buy like in Home Depot are nearly useless for anything more than seedlings. If you have a garage, the lemon verbena will do okay there if you can keep it from freezing. It will lose all it's leaves so can be kept in the dark, but if you can keep it above 20º, it will survive. Basil won't thrive below 80º, so most people just keep it as an annual.

  • 19 years ago

    Are your strawberries in pots or the ground? Strawberries are quite hardy and do not need to be lifted from the ground for the winter. If in pots, you need to protect the pots from alternate freeze/thaw cycles by covering with straw or mulch or by putting the pots in a protected area.

  • 19 years ago

    Everything is in pots. I have nothing in the ground other than non-edibles.

    So, the Lemon Balm, Lavender, and Mint can all stay outside in pots? Won't they freeze? The lemon balm is quite large, and the lavenders are next in size order, but the Mint is still quite small, and I am worried I will lose it.... though, I suppose I may lose it inside as well.

    I am planning to put the strawberries in pots under the porch, should I do this too with the others?

    Thanks for your help!

  • 19 years ago

    Plants freeze. Some are able to survive it, some aren't. The lemon balm, lavender and mint and the strawberries will die back, but that doesn't mean death. It's just what they do, like the trees stopping their sap from running, a way to not put energy into growing and to protect from damage. Some plants come from warmer zones, so never developed the genetic ability to survive freezes.

  • 19 years ago

    I doubt that the pots will protect the plants enough to allow them to remain outside all winter without additional steps. Putting the plants under the porch just assures that they will die from the lack of sunshine as well as the cold. You could always plant the pots into the ground to allow more insulation of the roots. I've had my mints planted in pots in the ground for years (to keep them from running amok in the garden)
    {{gwi:886635}}

    Some folks wrap the pots with burlap for insulation. Is there a reason that you can't just establish the perennial herbs and strawberries into an outdoor bed? I'm sure there are folks with balcony potted gardens that can give personal advice on how they winter over their herbs; but as for me I have the best results with planting things in the ground.

  • 19 years ago

    Plants that die back don't care about winter sunshine. I keep my plumeria in the garage during the winter. :o) But if they don't die back, the dark will kill them.

  • 19 years ago

    I cannot plant them in the ground for a variety of reasons.

    My backyard is very, very small. With a dog, we need to keep a good amount of the yard actually yard.

    I rent, and will be leaving this apartment eventually, and would like to be able to take some plants with me, therefore, a lot of the stuff stays in containers.

    Also, I have never had the soil tested, and Im worried about what, through 25+ years of being a rental, this soil has seen. It worries me to plant edibles in the ground (like strawberries), in this urban environment.

  • 19 years ago

    Ah, yes I understand your not wanting to plant items that you would have to leave behind. A large pot buried in the ground may be your solution because you get to choose your soil mix and its easy to lift and move the plant later. Keeping lavender alive indoors is very tough; you really have to have very good sun exposure and not too much harsh dry air from the heating vents and no wet feet in the pot.

    If you are wanting to keep the pineapple sage, basil, scented geraniums, and lemon verbena alive they will have to come indoors. The spearmint and lemon balm do die back to overwinter, but the lavender does not and will need sun.

  • 19 years ago

    You can get cuttings from your pineapple sage. They will root in a sunny winter in water.

  • 19 years ago

    Putting the pots to over winter outside in a crate packed with mulch and up against the wall of the house should do it. You could try the pineapple sage, geraniums and lemon verbena under lights. HD or regular 48" daylight fluorescents are the best - don't buy grow lights. Basil is an outdoors plant - even with a very sunny window I couldn't make it happy inside.

  • 19 years ago

    I would leave your lemon balm, strawberries, and spearmint alone outside until you get a good killing frost or two so the plants die back and go dormant before moving them someplace unheated (garage, shed, under the porch). If they naturally get some moisture throughout the winter under your porch, you should be all set. If it is some place like a garage, you may be to check the soil occasionally and give a little water only if too dry. Essentially, you don't want the roots to become too dried out. But too much water will rot them so go the neglect path (think cactus).

    I would get these guys back in their permanent locations after your hard freezes are over but before your last frost date. Strawberries come up early.

    If you have terra cotta or ceramic pots, you may want to move your outdoor plants into pots that you are not overly attached to. Ice can do a fair bit of damage.

    FataMorgana