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wendyb_gw4

Overwintering heuchera

WendyB 5A/MA
3 years ago

I bought two heucheras on impulse over the summer and never planted them because I couldn't find a good spot. (that should be a lesson that I should have learned long ago! Sadly, I'll probably never learn).


I still don't have a spot to plant them. Even if I did, I think it's kinda late because heuchera tend to heave a lot anyhow. Newly planted ones must be worse.


I am thinking of keeping them in the pot in the garage. I've done that with many perennials in the past and its usually fine because they go dormant. Heucheras don't always go dormant so it could get tricky. Garage generally stays above 30 (except that -5 degree night where I left my door open by mistake!). It gets some morning light (unless I hide them from light).


Suggestions?


They are both in 1 gal pots and the roots have escaped into the garden soil a little bit.

Comments (12)

  • Deb C
    3 years ago

    There's a book called Heucheras and Heucherellas: Coral Bells and Foamy Bells by Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries. Some regard it as something of a Bible on Heucheras. You may be able to get a copy of it at your library.

  • BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
    3 years ago

    You could sink their pots in the ground. I've done that with my mini hostas, and they act just like in ground plants in terms of dormancy, cold tolerance, care, etc.

  • dbarron
    3 years ago

    I started seedling heuchera this spring and would like to plant them out..but we're in a serious drought and it's not safe to plant out yet. I still plan on doing it, they're tough. I'm just waiting on rainfall to resume.

  • peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
    3 years ago

    Agree with BlueberryBundtcake. Sink them at ground level at a bit of an angle so that snow/ice/water does not collect on the tops.

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks but I don't have a place to put them in the ground. I would need to do some serious editing to make room. That's on hold til spring.


    I think what I'll do is sink the pots in boxes of styrofoam peanuts in the garage, leaving the foliage exposed. I've done that in the past for other plants. That should help control soil temp changes. There won't be freeze/thaw in the garage, but probably still good to keep soil temp somewhat even. I looked up the cultivars and they are both zone 4.


    Fingers crossed.


    I hope I saved a garbage bags worth of peanuts I used to have.... Shippers don't use styro peanuts anymore so I hope my old supply is around somewhere. Bubble wrap should be a good substitute.


    p.s. Thanks Deb C for the Dan Helms reminder. I spent the morning drooling over their website heuchera pictures!



  • roxanna7
    3 years ago

    Regarding winter heaving of heucheras: Several years ago, I placed bricks around each of my in-ground heucheras, snuggled close to but not covering the crowns. It has worked beautifully here in Massachusetts, zone 5-6 (I cannot keep up with zone changes). Just a suggestion!

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    3 years ago

    Several years ago, I placed bricks around each of my in-ground heucheras


    Me too!

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I’m not sure why but I’ve never had this ‘winter heave’ problem with heucheras... Certainly I’ve had lots die/disappear in their first winter but I’m not sure that ‘heave’ was the cause. They just didn’t come back. Maybe I should have looked closer...? If something can’t survive the winter conditions here without a lot of fuss, it’s not welcome in this garden! ‘Survival of the fittest’ and all that... :-)

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    3 years ago

    'woody', it has been my experience that some varieties are more prone to heaving than others.


    (My fave heuchera is RIO and even as an established healthy plant, with mulch all around in the Fall it still would 'heave' each spring. But I have a couple of others that stay in place just fine) .

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    On a warm winter day with little snow cover, I would go around and step on my heucheras (and anything else sticking up). Yup, right on the crown! Gentle but firm. The heaving seemed more prevalent in the areas of poor drainage.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    My comments probably not the slightest bit helpful to anyone on the east coast but heucheras here are fully evergreen so no "coming back" involved :-) They overwinter perfectly well and since my soil never freezes, no frost heaving either.

    Feel free to tell me just butt out. LOL!

    But they do experience crown extension.........