What sorts of tropicals are we talking about?

DeltaTropicsGuy is correct - - it would help to know which plants you are going to overwinter inside.

My most tender tropicals (trop. hibiscus, plumeria, etc) are planted in pots so that I can yank them inside with little notice. And I have already taken cuttings off of my tender plants that I want to overwinter as small plants.
I started using a soil drench systemic insecticide in my pots to help kill off some of the bad bugs. I use very little pesticides during the growing season (and yep, I have a lot of holely leaves), but have found that using a systemic insecticide 2-3 weeks prior to bringing plants inside makes a huge difference on fighting aphids and spider mites during the winter months.

Most of my brugs are covered in buds and will bloom right up until time to bring them inside. My more tender ones (versi's and variegated) are grown in pots, and will be moved inside first. I am still debating over which brugs to lift and store dormant, versus just taking cuttings off of.

I probably will start lifting my ears this weekend, but will wait to lift until after the first light frost to lift my gingers.

Like a crazy person, I watch the Weather Channel daily and try to wait until frost is immenient before taking things up.

My list of possibly tender plants. I'm not sure if some should be left outside? If not, I would like to know how to prep each to come inside, what size pot, light or darkness, soil moisture for overwintering, etc. I would like to know what insecticide drench you use, Cheryl, as this sounds like a good preventive measure.

Brugmansia Versi-peach (according to its label from Cheryl)
Brugmansia Peach (this one gets shorter, squattier buds than the versi - not sure of the name? It wasn't as vigorous for me as the versi, either.)

I'm not thrilled with the "shortness" of these two - they Y'd at about 3 feet tall, so they never got "tree-like" - what can be done about that, other than take cuttings and start over next spring? Versi will probably open its blooms tonight or tomorrow (4th flush), and the peach one about three days from now (2nd flush).

Calladium
Variegated hibiscus - the one with the leaves that are white, pink, and green, and shaped like Rose of Sharon leaves - wish I knew the botanical name!
Tamarindus indica - Tamarind tree
Elephant's ear - is the one from the grocery store Collocasia or Allocasia?
Magilla perilla
Guara both hot pink, and tiny starts of the white "whirling butterflies"
Confetti plant
Clerodendron thomsoniae Bleeding Heart vine - when do I take cuttings of this? I'd like to bring them to the MidTN swap, but they won't be rooted by then - will they live?
Stachytarpheta Porterweed (aka snakeweed)
Angelwing begonia
Hardy begonia
Ginger from the grocery store
Ginger from the East TN spring swap - Never flowered for me
Tradescantia - such as baby bunny bellies, etc. (Thanks, Ione!)

Regina, I will have to check the label on my systemic and post the name later. It is a granule that I get at Mayos, plus I have used one of the Ortho systemic liquids.

Brugs - - I take my versi's inside once the night-time temps drop into the mid 40's (I store my dormant). Since I don't know exactly which one your unnamed Peach is - - hard to tell if it can be left out longer. There isn't much you can do to encourage these to grow taller (except plant them in the ground). If you take cuttings, you may or may not get a larger plant next year. However, if you plant these in the ground next year (mature root balls!), chances are you will start to get some ground level suckers that will grow taller. But I will tell you that my inground brugs (mature or this year's cuttings) are all huge. Some are more bush like, while others are standards. I store my versi's inside a closet in the basement (temps above 50).

Caladiums - if in pots, bring inside once the foliage starts to die down. If you are having to lift the corms, I recommend you do it BEFORE the foliage dies down or you will have a hard time finding the corms. Important - store in darkness above 50 degrees. If storing lifted corms, put in peat moss to keep them from drying out. DO NOT WATER.

Variegated (Tropical) hibiscus - bring inside once night time temps go below 40 degrees. Can be brought in sooner, but be sure to not let it get cooler than 40 degrees. Tropical hibiscus either need to be kept growing at temps about 65 with LIGHT, or in a semi dormant state above 50 degrees. NOTE - most but not all will come back from being stored semi dormant.

EE's - should be safe to let light frost kill foliage. I usually take my ears in before then - - just because it's easier for me to! Store in dry, cool place.

Magilla Perilla - - self seeds and comes back for me

Clero Thompsoniae - - I take mine inside right before the first frost. Cuttings taken now should do ok if kept warm. I keep my mature plant in the garage at temps above 40 degrees. It does go dormant but leafs back out in the spring.

Angel Wing Begonia - - I take mine inside right before the first frost. VERY prone to fungus - keep on the dry side. I usually try to keep mine growing in the garage under lights, but will cut them back in mid to late winter if fungus takes over. They DO come back from being cut back.

Hardy begonia - - are hardy here if planted in the ground. If in a pot, just stick them in a cool, dry place.

Ginger from the East Tn Swap - - I am presuming this is a Hedychium like Butterfly. Can be hardy here if mulched (if planted in a place with good drainage). I lift mine and put them in huge pots (cut back the foliage to ground level). They can be stored in a cool, dry place dormant, or given a LITTLE water and moderate light for them to resprout. Regina, these need a long growing season, and consistent watering all summer to bloom late in our summer. Mine are gorgeous now and smell wonderful!

Brugs can stand colder weather than most folks think. Now the tender tips will shrivel up and die with the first frost, but established hard wood and roots can stand below freezing temps for a little while.

I am slowly cutting mine back in preparation of digging them up. I'm doing it a little early this year as I have to move them soon and won't have time for a proper trimming when that day comes. Usually I spend one whole day right before frost cutting and digging.

I take all mine up as I like the quicker and more frequent blooms of an established plant. I store them in the basement/garage wher the temps get down to 40ish regularly. They do fine and that itself helps with spidermites. Aphids seem to stand it sometimes though. But since I try to keep any new growth plucked off, they don't last long if they do manage to get a foothold.

One thing you might try to get taller brugs is to take yours in, but cut them off at the soil line---they'll put up new shoots that will grow to whatever their genetically-determined 'proper' height is before forming the main Y.

Hedychium coronarium is probably the one your got at the Swap. Leave it in the ground, and in a couple of years you'll have a nice big patch of it, and some of the most fragrant flowers imaginable! They even out-scent brugs, AND they're fragrant during the day, too.

The last couple of years I've been lifting my caladiums (today, in fact!) and sticking them in the pots with other things, like my tender EEs, tropical hibiscus, etc.

That hibiscus is probably some cultivar of H. acetosella, and definitely tender. Any chance you're bringing cuttings from it to the swap? (*grin*)

Guara should be hardy in the ground.

As for Colocassia versus Alocasia---all the Alocasias I've seen have leaves that point up from the stem, while Colocassias' leaves hang down from the stem.

"Baby bunny bellies"??? That's a new one one me. (*grin*)

Judith -- isn't that a great name?? It's called that because it's fuzzy and very, very soft. :-) Ya want some?

OK, here's two pics, one of each of my brugs - see if they look familiar to you, Cheryl (TNShadyLady) - I think they came from you, as both were in pots with "tic-tac-toe" boards of tape across them, to hold the cutting upright in the soil:

This is the "versi-peach" I believe... note the long unopened flower pod:

This is the "peach" - really it was just a brighter flower than the versi-peach, and I couldn't decide if it was peach or pinkish. I'm not sure of the name since I believe it was marked "white"! This is the one that took longer to get going and is only on 2nd flush. Note the shorter, more balloon-like unopened flower pod:

Neither of these brugs seems to have a scent.

Hi Regina,
Great pic's!!!! What is the plant under the versi peach?? I'd love,love,love to have a piece or start of it at the swap. I love how your pic's turn out-I think I have camera/operator envy,lol.
Marianne

Regina, Versi Peach should smell like lemons. About 8 o'clock tonight, go stick your nose in one of those blooms and let me know if it is still unscented. It's a funny thing how the scent is only released during certain hours.

On the second brug, I have a short memory and can't remember all that I brought - - but it looks like it has suaveolens influence - - probably a Frosty Pink.

And Judith, I never heard of any H. acetosella that had variegated foliage. Would LOVE to see a photo of one or get more information on that. I do have Snowqueen (tropical Hib) that sounds alot like what Regina described.

I decided that my hibiscus is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis based on pics I found on Dave's Garden.

The plant beneath is Magilla Perilla, and yes, I'm bringing at least one that is already rooted. It's yours, Marianne!

I forgot to mention I have two avocadoes coming up! I planted them in late July and they are just now pushing up from the ground. Should I bring them in or just put cut 2-liter bottles over them for the winter?