Taking in herbs for winter

16 years ago

Hi! I have several herbs that I usually leave outside in my garden, that I need to take in this year (because I had to pot them and remove them from my garden - long story. But, they are in pots, and won't survive under those conditions outside).

I'm Zone 6. The herbs I'm taking in are as follows:

Tri-color sage

Sage

Lavender (three types: one I'm not sure, Hidcote, & Mustead)

Rosemary

Stevia

Lemon Verbena

Chocolate Mint

Some other type of lemon herb

Possibly Basil

In my area, the Rosemary rarely survived outdoors, anyway, and Basil never does. Tri-color sometimes came back. Stevia wouldn't.

I'm not taking in the lemon balm nor the feverfew. I have some in the ground that I hope will come back (they usually do, but this year, only a few sprigs survived what had happened to them this summer. So, I don't know if they will come back or not).

Any advice for taking these in? Do they have to have lots of light? Or can they survive the winter with low light levels? I'll have to keep them in a hallway that has one small window, and they won't be near it. I may be able to take some into the apartment, but will they do well with regular room lighting, or do they have to have plant lights?

Thanks for any input!

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Comments (4)

fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
I would suggest definitely bringing in the stevia, rosemary, and lemon verbena. Bringing in basil isn't worth the effort in my opinion but some may disagree. The other plants I would replant back in the garden if possible. Wintering indoors is very tough at best.

FataMorgana
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
16 years ago
Regarding your questions about light intensity, they will not thrive and perhaps not even survive in dim light. You'll need to provide good artificial light sources.
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ourfamilygarden
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you FataMorgana & rhizo_1, for replying.

I'll definitely bring in the one's you mentioned, Fata. And, I'll have to figure out some sort of lighting, Rhizo. Don't know what. Home depot didn't have any plant bulbs. Seems they are not available any longer? I have a couple of old plant light figures. But, they use a lot of energy. So, I'll have to figure out another method. Perhaps the florescent fixture.

What are the chances of the lavender surviving in pots outside? Probably not good. I don't know where I'm going to be able to put them. I'd like to put up some sort of inexpensive temporary green house, but I don't think one without being heated would really do much good in my zone.
fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
I've got a venerable lavender (munstead) outdoors. Been there 10 years and never has been indoors. My zone is often more 5 than 6 with regards to plant hardiness. If your zone is a 6 you should be ok with english lavenders outside.

But drainage is absolutely the key to their winter survival. I would put them directly in the ground or sink the pots in the ground. I've always got various tree and shrub seedlings in pots that I'm trying to get bigger before planting in the ground. I sink the pots in the soil every fall. They survive.

Obviously there is never any guarantee but things like rosemary and lavender just die indoors for me. Mother Nature's snowy bosom seems to be easier for them to take than my winter indoor conditions.

FataMorgana