I'm wondering the same thing as pondluvr... infact I
was going to post the same type of question. I have a couple
Hostas in pots, the tag said they can take -20f to -30f
(but i'm assuming thats if planted in ground)... It can get
to alittle more than -20 here but its not too common (can
be almost guaranteed that there will be some below zero
weather during the winter though)
It looks like the leaves froze last night when the temp
got down to 17 (can't say for sure since it barely got
above 20 today). Anyway...
Will they be ok outside for the winter?
Should i put them in the crawlspace where it probably
never gets below 20 even on the coldest nights?

You can use the search function on this forum to see older posts about overwintering.

Here is a link that might be useful: clicky

leave them to freeze solid... but before they freeze tot eh ground

then stack them on their sides on the NORTH side of a structure... absolutely NO SUN ON THOSE POTS UNTIL LATE APRIL ...

and do not move them out.. until other hosta a normally appearing ...

get them dormant.. keep them dormant.. no problem ..

ken

OR,You ca bring them into your garage,place them on the floor,do not water them,just forget they are in there,and come spring, pull them back out side.
If you have an open,underside,porch, you can stick them under there also.
I do both,and what Ken recommends,plus, after they are frozen solid,and turnened on their sides,i cover them with a tarp.Come over next door(to the conversation side,there are several postes there right now.
cAROL

I should also add that this is obviously my first year
growing Hostas .. at this point I only have 2 and not real
big, but i'd hate to kill them.

They are on the north side (on the deck) where I've had them
all summer as I wanted to keep them out of full sun... :)

Why should I lay the pots on their side? Is it to keep
the dirt from being snowed on?

The garage can get warm on winter days as it faces south
(probably too warm..i'd be afraid they might try to grow)
I also have a shed that they could go in, but it'll be
just as cold there as outside (my only worry would be
when it gets below zero)

Will try the search here as well

Welcome to the wonderful world of growing hostas. We all keep our fingers crossed hoping to see what comes up in Spring.

You put them on their side to keep the water (snow)out. The roots will rot if they are wet and cold for very long. The roots are really happy being frozen solid. So the only time you need to worry about them is when they get above freezing, and even then they will be fine as long as they are cold and on the dry side. Your only worry might be that the pots could crack over winter.

-Babka

btw.. i was presuming they were winter proof containers ...

if not.. the hosta will live.. and the containers will crack ...

ken

Mine go in the attached garage and in the detached shed and I've never lost one in about 6 years. I'm not sure they HAVE to freeze, just go into a cold dormancy for many weeks without water, something your garage probably can provide. There are more expert hostateers that may disagree with me, however.
Pat

the only reason to freeze them.. is if you are stacking them on top of each other .... on their sides ...

on the side.. prevents water from freezing the media into an ice cube... so knock them over ...

my attached garage is at least a z7 ... so there is an issue of them breaking dormancy months too early ...

but for me.. it was a volume issue.. with 1500 pots ....

its probably not all that complicated with a dozen pots or so ... get them dormant.. KEEP them dormant.. and dont let them get to wet.. or too dry .... thats about it

ken

Does this still hold true for the fragrant and tokadama varieties???

No they don't have to freeze, mine never have, but they do need to be kept cool. Mine (all 80+) do fine with 6 weeks of nights below 40 degrees, in the shade and on the dry side. No snow here. Ken is right on when he says that the whole idea is to KEEP them dormant...the longer the better.

-Babka

Thanks for the info/help everyone!
From what i see both here and searching other posts it looks
like cold isn't so much the issue as wetness (and keeping
them dormant). :)
So today i cut off the leaves (sorta hated doing that but
they did get frozen on the night it got down to 17). For
now i put them in the shed (which is on the north side and
gets no sun)...at this point i think thats the best place
for at least fall/early winter - it stays cooler there in
daytime. Plus will protect against varmints (squirrels)
that like to dig in leaf-less plant pots

If the dirt has completely dried out should i give a small
amount of watter?

one way to water a pot in the dead of winter.. in the cold white north ....

is to put an ice cube or snowball on every pot that is in a protected structure ...

that way ... when the temps warm a bit.. a bit of water is released .. according to how warm they get..

NEVER FORGET... in the north .. winter is the ABSOLUTE DRIEST SEASON .... all the water is tied up in ice and snow.. and then the freeze drying effects of wind.. think year old meat in the freezer ...

ken

Good idea wouldn't have thought of that one...Thanks
I think i will try it in december once winter has set in
Its deff very dry here in winter...I've even seen ice
just 'evaporate' over time (in the shade) when it is well
below freezing.

For now i'm just gonna give _small_ amounts of water only
when the dirt is completely dry.

Here in the Keweenaw, sun on them isn't a problem Ken! It's not strong enough to go through that 10-13 feet of snow that the snow blower covered all of our side yard with!

Same goes for watering.... I have self-watering pots for at least 5 months while all that snow piles up and then takes it's time melting!

Just had to say that :-)

I've been overwintering pots for years. I just bring the pots into the unheated garage after the first killing frost, and leave them be until spring. I've been most successful with 8" or larger pots. I don't water them until the weather breaks and I start putting them out on warmer days.