Ritchie,

I was hoping someone in a zone closer to yours would answer. I'll share with you my experience here in Zone 9. First off, I don't think you have much of a chance unless you have a greenhouse or a conservatory or enclosed heated pool. They generally don't make it in the house even here in the deep South where our cold weather is only a few months long. I haul all of my potted tropicals, including heliconia, into my greenhouse around the last of Nov./first of Dec. when the night time temps drop consistently below 50. By the time March 1st rolls around and I'm safely able to bring them outside, they look like hell from lack of sunlight, spider mites damage, mealy bug damage. If you have a greenhouse or something similar, then water only once a week, no fertilizer, provide air circulation and keep the humidity over 50%. Watch for spider mite infestations. Spray with your favorite spider mite killer. If you need more information, send me a private email.

Steve

I have a Heliconia bihai in a pot that was started from a rhizome last spring in a pot, was kept indoors overwinter near a sunny window, and this spring I submerged the pots into the garden, there are about 7 canes now from 1 rhizome, but I don't see any signs of flowering.

Based on my experience, I disagree about not being able to keep them indoors for many months, I think the real limitation is pot size and adequate light for a large specimen.

Thanks for your input. You know you always want the tropics when you live in a fridge. Ritchie

I have a number of Heliconia in pots for the last three years or so. They spend the warm and hot summer days basking in the sunshine outside and I haul them, and the other tropical planty things indoors in September.

I just have a living room, no GH, but they do well and thrive inside. I place my plants with a higher light need near windows. For the Heliconias and the Cloud Forest orchids and others they *must* have high humidity or they will look less than fantastic. I simply bought one of those Vick's Vaporizers from WalMart and have that as the humidity source. They need to be watered less often in the winter and no food.

They all get a misting from a spray bottle of water twice daily too. So far, I have not had a problem with spider mites.

They go outside again starting in late May here.

Hope this help your situation.

C3D :-)

Funny, I just brought a heliconia today from HD. This is one plant that I cannot seem to keep alive. Don't know what it is. If this one dies, that's it. Definitely not the easiest of tropicals!--I've had better success with overwintering coconuts.