At this time of year my garage is packed to the rafters. Sure, I have the usual assortment of snow shovels, ladders, fertilizers and other garden products. There is a rack of boots, some brooms and the garbage cans…normal garage stuff. But from December through April, my garage is also packed with plants.
There are some plants that may not survive in containers outdoors, yet they don’t need to be in the house either. Some, like the fig trees (somehow we ended up with three large pots of Brown Turkey figs), lose their leaves and are dormant. Others, like the huge bay, are semi-dormant and do well enough by a small, eastern-facing window. Then there are the potted Hydrangea and Agapanthus: these are placed wherever there is a space, allowing that the cars do need to be able to pull in before a snowstorm.
In short, the plants are more stored in the garage than they are grown here.
Some plants are grouped near one of the eastern-facing windows. I guess “grouped” is a nicer term than “piled,” but the stacking doesn’t seem to bother the ones that are dormant and the top pot drains into the bottom one, making watering a bit more efficient. Or so I tell myself.
And they do just fine. The key to success with garage storage is that this area is attached to the house but not heated. The garage never goes below 32 degrees but tends to hover in the 40’s and low 50’s all winter. This keeps the plant dormant but the plants never freeze.
Watering is needed, but not too much or too often. I’ve found that if these plants are watered every three to four weeks, depending on the temperatures and the size of the container, that this is perfect for keeping the roots from drying up. Too much water is likely to rot the roots, however. When plants are dormant they are not absorbing much water, so if the pots sit in saucers that are filled with the overflow this can lead to root rot. Yesterday I had to use a broom to sweep excess water onto the garage floor and then out the door, since these pots are too large to easily move them out of the saucers so that they could be emptied.
The saucers under the figs ended up being flooded after watering. If I left this much water the figs’ roots would suffer. A broom quickly pushed the excess out and as a bonus, the surrounding garage floor got cleaned as I used a push-broom to move the water outside. Two-for-one!
Other than watering, the only tricky part of garage plant storage is what happens in February and March. As the days lengthen the plants start to break dormancy, even though there really isn’t enough light to sustain this growth. If the weather is fairy mild I can pull varieties such as roses and hydrangea outside to slow them down. But if it’s too cold they must remain in semi-darkness until the weather improves. At that point I need to gradually reintroduce them to the real world so that the leaves don’t get sunburned. I do this by grouping them near the garage door and opening it for short periods so that the sun can come in. I might do this for only fifteen minutes in late-March and moving to longer periods in April. Finally, once the weather is mild enough, but hopefully on a cloudy day, I move the plants outside for the season.
The Agapanthus stay green all winter. On an especially mild, sunny day we open one of the garage doors so they get some light. But keeping this plant in the cool temperatures of the garage is what helps them to flower well in the summer. People who live where it’s too cold to grow blue hydrangeas outside can use this method of over-wintering them in containers. The BloomStruck hydrangea in the foreground is spending the winter snuggled up to one of the fig trees. It would be bud hardy in most winters on Cape Cod but I’m growing it, and a few other hydrangeas, in containers to show what those in colder regions can do.
I use an inheated room off my garage. Put begonias, geraniums and a pot of marigolds with seeds sprinkled on dirt. No watering till April when they get to go outside as long as not too cold.
I have a tropical hibiscus that I have been over wintering in .y garage for several years. It is insulated, but u heated, with 2 decent sized south facing windows. My father in law recently gave my wife his potted lime tree. It’s too large to fit through the door ways into bring in house. It rarely gets below 50 during the winter in our garage, and never below 45. Can the lime tree survive on that environment?
Gregg,
It’s dicey for the lime in that citrus trees don’t go dormant in the winter – they continue to grow and often flower and bear fruit during winter months. I doubt you’d be successful unless your garage has a sunny window.
Thanks, I do have two south facing windows that get quite a lot of sun. Maybe a supplemental space heater when it gets real cold outside.
In zone 5 how do I put a large potted Azalea into dormancy in my garage where it remains 40-50 degrees through the winter?
Leave it out as long as you can. If the temperature is only going to dip to freezing or slightly below at night, leave it out. If the temperatures are going to go into the twenties, time to bring it into the garage. If you’re willing, you could bring it in on the coldest nights and outside again if the temperatures are into the 40’s or above. Once it gets really cold, leave it in the garage.
I would like to transfer from my neighbor some hollyhocks. Can I keep the uprooted plant in my garage over the winter? I don’t know how many good days are left to plant!
You’d be better off planting them outside right away, or doing it next spring.
Perhaps a cool basement with several windows would do as well?..Im going to try it..Good ideas here…
Absolutely, Stephanie – a cool basement with even a little light can be a good place for dormant plants. One key is to not put them down there too early however – let them cool off outside as long as possible without freezing.
i will put my hibscus in garage for winter
Vivian,
If your garage goes much below 50 degrees in the winter you’re better off keeping the Hibiscus in the house. Some plants do fine in the 35 to 50 range of the typical unheated garage, but tropicals don’t do well below 50. Hibiscus is one that does better indoors where the temps are warmer.
I am in zone 4. Winter is quite harsh here. I overwintered crocosmia corms and a butterfly bush successfully using our unheated, attached garage. Kept the corms dry, in a box. The butterfly bush was in a pot near the ‘man door’ which has a small window. I gave it small amounts of water weekly starting mid January. By April it had a few pathetically small leaves. It perked up beautifully for the summer, so will try it again this year.
Bonnie – it sounds like you found a good way to keep these plants alive in your cold region. Well done1
Hello all. So I am in NYC in a studio apartment. Let me preface before I continue that all of these specimen in about to list are in a plastic pot, terracotta, and glazed terra. Watering I have 100 %. Last year, I kept them in my closet in the hallway. No heat, the perfect temperature 40-50 degrees. However, no light what so ever. Black. I have a lonicera sempervivens, Rosa “ crepscula”, woodland salvia, echinacea purperea, three different asclepias ( swamp, tuberosa, and purperaceans), viburnum nudum winterthur, and two clematis ( viticelli and evergreen) . This is JUST the fire escape plants that I grow. I have an even bigger collection of specimen on the roof. Because the closet method invited pests and also being too cumbersome to take them to and fro the closet for monthly waterings, I want to make it easy on myself. This is where you all come in:
There is a top portion of the building right before you go outside on the roof that has bright indirect overhead light but is not heated. Unfortunately I can’t fit everyone of them inside in that top hallway portion. Do you think I would have better luck keeping one of the batches of plants on the roof in a sheltered location OUTSIDE. Keep in mind it is 6 stories high. If I keep them in a sheltered location, and cover the plants with a tarp and add a decent layer of leaf mould on top of these pots they will survive ?
I don’t really care about the terracotta cracking, I do care about my plants surviving. Maybe sorting out the bigger specimen with larger root structures to go outside ? And keeping the younger guys inside at the top of that building.
Sorry this is so lengthy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated !
Joseph,
If I were in your situation I would Google the plants you have for their hardiness zone. Any that are hardy in a Zone 4 or 5 are likely to be okay outside – plants in containers usually make it if they are hardy two zones colder from where you are. Do not use a tarp – when the sun gets warmer in February this will create too much heat underneath. If you wanted to mulch, use leafmold, or hay, and hold it in place with burlap. Then put the less-hardy ones in that light space you describe. (Note – one thing I do in my garage is put the largest pots on the ground, and then put some smaller pots on top of those if there’s enough space between trunk and edge of pot.
I would , too, but it’s still blooming! It’s at least 5 or 6 years old, and will bloom all winter (on and off. ) My home is in S W Pennsylvania.
I live in northeast Ohio and I use my attached garage. I’ve been doing this for the last several years and we get some pretty cold snaps. I over winter verbena, geraniums, I did a gerbera daisy last year and am doing it again this year, and I’m trying out lantana and mandevilla this year as well. Also dahlia tubers. I only water occasionally as they do better on the dry side BUT do need occasional moisture.
Were you able to overwinter the mandevilla successfully? If so, how did you do it?
Deb,
Mandevilla, being a tropical plant, needs to be kept in temperatures above 55 degrees. They are easy to keep alive in a sunny window, BUT when you do, and put them back outside when it’s warm enough, they don’t come into flower until August. They have to go through long days moving into shorter days to come into flower. After the first year I did that, I decided that 1) I wanted a plant that was in bloom from May to hard frost, and 2) buying a new plant in the spring was less expensive than providing the electricity/grow-lights for those long days in January, February and March. Not to mention I don’t have to fight mealy bugs etc. So now I happily let my plant freeze every fall.
I have a key lime bush and a tangerine bush I’m not sure what to do with. I do have a mud room with three windows but it gets too warm there because the furnace is in there . I do have a garage but I cant put the plants near the windows because of other things are there.
Your key lime should go in front of a sunny window or slider in the house. Mine is in the kitchen by the sliding glass door! They need temps above 50 and sun.
I have a small Japanese garden, all plants in potsI move in during the winter. This year the bamboo is to heavy for the house. My an is to place it in a leaf bag insulated with large bubble wrap and covered with a light filtering no frost bag.
Placed near a garage window.
I also have a jasmine and a Gardenia. I thought I would do the same . We are snowbirds so no one would water for extended period. December to March.
What do you think?
Bamboo is very resistant.
The jasmine and Gardenia are in their 3rd year.
Thank you.
Use this as your guide: in order to live outside in pots over a winter, a plant should be hardy two zones colder than where you are. So, for example, if you live in a zone 6 you will want the plants in your pots to be hardy in zone 4. This is because pots get about 20 degrees colder than ground temperature. Also, the larger the pot, the better your chances since the more soil, the better protected the roots. Good luck!
I have had good results putting blueberries in the garage in a heavy garbage bag. It is unheated, but attached do the plants don’t freeze. I am going to try this with my hydrangeas that I started this summer.
I live in SW VA and the winters can be very cold. Today, I pulled my plants into the garage because of a forecast of frost.
I have over – wintered them in the unheated garage for years but I’m always weary that the 9 year old mandevilla, the ferns, geraniums and spider plants will not make it. At the end of the winter , they usually are on their last legs.
Any ideas for a heat source that would be safe and minimal – enough warmth to just keep there from getting so bedraggled ?
I’m feeling bedraggled tonight after the plant move turned into a partial garage cleaning! Thanks!!
Bucky’s Mom,
I feel your pain. We spent two days cleaning the garage before the plants could come in! The spider plants and geraniums are best over-wintered in the house in front of a sunny window if you have the space. I would take a few of the “offspring” off your spider plants and put them in one pot for the winter, then separate and grow larger come spring when they are outside. I personally don’t usually over-winter the original geraniums but take cuttings, again, rooting six or more in one wide pot in the house and then separating them into new pots in April.
And if the ferns are Boston Ferns, warmer temps are better for them as well. I end up with plants like these in my bathroom, laundry room and guest room. I suppose you could get the seed starting heat mats and plug them in, and keep the pots on them…which would be safe since they are made to be waterproof, but they are small so you’d need a few, and I don’t know what that would do to your electric bill.
Can a potted gardenia tree survive winter in the garage?
Vadim,
Usually yes – as long as the garage doesn’t go below freezing. They will look pretty sad by spring, but you can cut them back and fertilize when you put them outside in the spring. That said, the best way to overwinter geraniums is in a sunny window in the house.
Does anyone use a grow light? We have only one window in the garage and moving the plants to a garage door is not feasible. I’ve got tropical hibiscus, bougainvillea, hydrangeas and others.
M,
Yes, you can use lights for those tropicals that will keep their leaves. The Hydrangeas should lose their foliage and be dormant, so they don’t need lights until they break dormancy in late February or March. You can either use grow lights or plain fluorescent lights – tube lights in a shop fixture should go fairly close to the plants (six inches to a couple of feet).
My Aunt lived in Maine and had a huge pot of geraniums that she overwintered for 25 years. It was gorgeous. I can’t remembe how she did it. It went into a cold shed and she never took it out of the pot. I can’t remwmber how she did. It! Could you help?
Mildred,
If she kept it from year to year her shed didn’t go below freezing. Many people save geraniums in cool places where they go pretty much dormant during the winter, and then they leaf out again in the spring. But they can’t be where it’s below 32. Also, if kept in the same pot you’d need to periodically add some new soil to top and fertilize.
Can I winterize my tropicana and canalilies in pots near my house with bubble wrap around them- the pots are too large for me to move? I live in area 8- I used to move them into the garage, but they got aphids (my garage is clean, but have had to spray outdoors in summer because of aphid infestation).
In Zone 8 you might get away with having them outside, but if there’s an unusual dip in the temperatures you might lose them.
Thank you for your wonderful article. I live in Amarillo, TX which is in zone 7A. I interested in putting plants in my garage, but our temperature in winter varies greatly. We have days in January and February that can reach 75 degrees and two days later it will be 5 degrees. then it is not too uncommon for the daily high to be in the mid-sixties for several days, i.e. 5-7. im afraid the plants will start to come out of dormancy during these warm spells. i would appreciate your opinion.
thank you.
Jim,
The reality is that most plants will start to come out of dormancy in late February or early March anyway, because they sense longer days from any light that comes into a garage or shed, and because of the temperature swings. So my hydrangeas leaf out in March, as do the figs. How I handle it is that if I’m home on a hot day I’ll open the doors and let the plants get some real sunshine. If the temps are cold I keep the doors shut. I water the plants when they are dry, and later I’ll put them out into part-shade first so that the foliage that broke dormancy early isn’t sunburned by the “real world” conditions. So it’s a dance, but not a very complicated one.
I’ve got a Hardy hibiscus appx 3ft tall in a planter, too big for house & unheated garage w/broken pull down door. Thinking of moving her to a metal framed shed, Still no heat & here in GA. it gets below 50, winter’s run 40 – 20 degrees.
Once I move her to Shed, THEN WHAT? Do I Wrap her, give another top soil cover?? Thank You Soo Much!!
Collin – if this is truly a hardy hibiscus, not a tropical hibiscus, why not just plant it in the ground outside? You can either leave it where you plant it, or dig it up in the spring and put it back in the planter. I don’t think you need to do the shed for a Hibiscus moscheutos.
I was away all winter and stored some potted plants in my unheated garage……..It is early May and my potted Hostas have emerged!! They are pretty tall but have no color ( white!!) since they had no light. Can I save them if I put them out in heavy shade??
Jan,
They should be fine. Put them out in a fully shaded area at first – if it’s still below 45 at night where you are, you might want to put them out in the day and in the garage at night for 4 to 7 days, then move out into shade for good. Gradually introduce more sun. Don’t fertilize until the plants have greened up on their own.
Hello
I live in Chicago suburbs and am wanting to hold plants while I intentionally kill off and prepare a bed for next spring.
I have a 3-season room attached to my detached garage. 3 sides are windows with eastern, south & western exposures.
Do you think this environment would be well suited to harbor plants over winter?
So far I’d like to host day lilies, hostas, peonies, Japanese lanterns, lemon drops and an assortment of ground covers.
I’m just trying to avoid temporarily transplanting.
Mary,
That room would only be good if it goes to well below 40 and stays there. I’m worried that even if it’s unheated during the day when the sun shines in the space will go well above 50 and then the plants will start to grow. Isn’t there another place outside where you could dig a trench and park them in the ground? Either that or cluster them together and mound mulch on all the edges so that it’s 16″ thick, then top with a couple of inches over the group.
I have a very large potted hibiscus tree that is way too heavy and tall to bring in the house over winter. I have an attached unheated garage with 1 small window …how can I make sure it survives in a Chicago winter
I have a very large potted hibiscus tree that is way too heavy and tall to bring in the house over winter. I have an attached unheated garage with 1 small window …how can I make sure it survive in a Chicago winter
Nikki – short of building a heated greenhouse around this plant, there is no way it will survive outside in a Chicago winter. Once the temperatures drop below 32 it will die, no matter how much mulch/protection you might put around it.
I always TRY to save all plants. Heavy pots are difficult. I bought some of the wooden plant movers. They help me move plants. If you do not have any, place large pot on thick cardboard to help slide into garage. I would leave potted plant on two thickness of cardboard. Many catalogs have burlap in rolls. Wrapping pot with that and maybe the bubble wrap over the burlap. You are trying to save the roots. Wrap under bottom of pot to protect roots. I hope some of my advice is useful. It never hurts to try. I am in zone 6a. My garage is half full of plants and room for one car.
Hello,
I have a few tiger eyes sumac dwarf trees that I recently had to transplant from planter boxes on my roof deck into large Aeration fabric bags. I live in Chicago and will not be able to replant them on my roof deck until late spring. Will they be ok stored in an unheated, attached garage with no natural light. An artificial light is always on. Or, would it be best to take them to a friend’s deck and winterize them?
Thank you so much for your advice.
Brian
Since they are dormant in the winter and don’t need light, you could put them in the garage but unless they start to break dormancy in February or March, leave the lights off. Lights would encourage them to grow at the time they should be resting. Of course, if you have a “Polar Vortex” period like last year (I was in Chicago for that!) they might not make it. But better in the slight protection of the garage than outside. Putting something like bubble wrap around the fabric pots might help…
I live in zone 8A and have 3 tropical hibiscus plants in pots that I bring in each winter. My garage has no windows so I keep a couple of lights shining on them through the winter and water them less often. When it starts warming up in the spring I’ll open the garage for a bit and then bring them back outside. I usually trim them down about 1/3 when I bring them back outside. Does all of this sound okay? I wish I could put them in the ground so they could grow better because I know they’re very root bound having been in the same pots for several years. I can’t repot them because if the pots are any bigger I can’t move them by myself. I’m fairly new to gardening and am just looking for advice!
Betsy,
Sounds like you’re doing things well, but I understand about bigger, root bound plants. Most tropical hibiscus are true zone 9 plants, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to grow them outside through the winter. I know that most people don’t like throwing plants away, but it’s always an option when a plant gets too large to leave it outside (maybe planted in the ground) and if it makes it that’s fantastic and if it doesn’t, oh well. Then you start with a new one in a pot that is smaller…at least at first! Enjoy!
When do you move them back outside. Went out in the garage and have a small hydrangea and the leaves are starting to sprout out on them. Zone 5
Cathy,
Don’t move the hydrangeas out until you see the ones outside opening their leaves – once the plants that are growing outside have leaves the size of a quarter, you can put them out. Let them do what they will do in the garage. Don’t overwater and don’t give any fertilizer. Once you put them out, put them in the shade at first, and move gradually to more light so the leaves that opened in the garage don’t get burned.
I live in Iowa , I have 2 hibiscus that are in 2 larger pots too big to bring in I have transferred them both to the same foam pot with drainage. So the amount of soil is limited, I am moving them into a tucked under garage it has some light .
Can I put something around pot or put I a bag to limit evaporation.
They have dropped leave do to a light frost… I want them to be dormant.?
If you cover them you are in danger of creating mold. I am assuming that your garage never goes much below 38°, yes? If so, they will probably be dormant and live, but you’ll need to checck the soil and water when it’s starting to get dry. Do not keep it constantly wet, however. If your garage goes below freezing these will die.
I live in Southeastern NH about 30 minutes from the coast. I have a bunch of perennials that I have over wintered in my garage. When will I know when it’s warm enough to move them outside for the summer?
Move them out now so they can break dormancy outdoors. If you see that the temperatures are going to fall into the 20’s overnight, or that daytime temperatures will be below freezing, put them back in the garage. But in early April this would be unusual, so get them out soon.
Thank you! Just put them outside. Do I water them and prune them now too?
Remove any dead leaves and stalks – assuming these are not “woody” plants such as lavender or shrubs. Water when soil is dry.
I have a full eastern and a full southern-facing window in my unheated garage. I want to winter over geraniums and two hibiscus plants, potted. Should I place them right next to the window for direct sun or further away for just light? and is the eastern or the southern window better. If not directly next to the window, how far away> The garage is attached to the house at the basement level which does not god below 60 degrees. Not sure what the garage temperatures are in winter. I live in Batlmore, and recent winters have been mild.
In front of the window will be great – put trays under so you can water them well when dry. If they’re in sun the soil will dry out faster than if not in sun.
What about an Inclosed patio that gets a good amount of light?
Jemara – it all depends on how cold it gets. You want a place where the temperatures are below 50 but above 32 f. If your patio goes below freezing the roots of your plants will freeze and the more tender plants will die. If it’s a sunny room the temps might swing drastically between very warm in the day and cold at night – and that can be hard on many plants. So keep track of temps in the winter and you’ll have better information.
I have a huge aloe Vera plant that I cannot put in the house. Can it be stored in the garage?
Wilda – only if your garage has a window and doesn’t go below 50 degrees. Since Aloe is evergreen and only rests, but doesn’t go dormant, you’ll need it in some light. It doesn’t have to be a lot of sun, but you do need it in light and this plant doesn’t want temps lower than 50.
I have two large citronella plants and a garage with no windows. Our basement has a very small north facing window. Any chance they’ll make it through the winter in the basement?
Give it a try – no harm, right? Place them as close to the window as possible and know that they will lose leaves.
I have a Little Miss Figgy dwarf plant. I live in NW Arkansas. Now it’s in a pot on our deck and doing great. What is best to do for the winter?
I don’t know your weather so hard to advise…call your local garden center.
I live in Northern MinneSNOWta and as of today (10/19/20) we have 4″ of snow on the ground and more coming. My predicament: I have 4 cinnamon ferns and two clematis on the way. Is it safe to winter these in my garage if I am unable to get them in the ground before it freezes up here?
Lisa – you still might be able to plant them – 4″ of snow in no way means frozen ground. But if you can’t, put them in potting soil in pots that are about 8 to 10″ in diameter with fresh potting soil, water them well and keep them in an unheated garage. Check them every couple of weeks to see if they need water – the soil should be moist but not wet. They might start to break dormancy in the garage in March – just let them do what they do (don’t bring them into the house) and then put outside in April or when the temps are above 50 degrees.
I have a very large tropical plant, a ponytail palm, that I have put in my garage. I live north of Houston, TX. We are about to have several nights of temps in the upper twenties (about 8 hours each day of those temps). Will it survive in the garage?
Cheryl,
It all depends on how cold the garage gets – if it’s attached and insulated it might not go below freezing. But if it’s an unattached garage or not insulated, it might drop below 32 which will kill the plant.
“Tree seedlings are 12” high, can I winter in unheated garage, no windows, attached to house, temp could be 4-5 degrees below freezing. I live north of Toronto
Give it a try – if you put them on a table so that they are higher, they won’t be as cold. The downside is that they may start to break dormancy in February, when the days get longer, and with no light that may be a problem. The other option is to bury the pots outside and let them go through a normal winter…seedlings do that in the wild all the time.
I have 6 plain green hostas,9 hybrid lillies and many more perennials to dig to get ready for foundation work and deck removal and expansion..
I’m putting them in large plastic storage bins,no lids, with a drainage device underneath each group ?putting in the garage and basement.
I think I’m good on the temperature and light scenarios. Just don’t know how I’m going to get it all done and plant tulips in this cold weather already in Milwaukee Wi !
If these were mine, I’d find a place outdoors to heal them in. Edge of a vegetable garden, for example. Then they’d go through the normal dormant period perennials do and can be transplanted next spring. And I get Wisconsin weather…I’m from Stevens Point.
I have large pots of Clematis. Would our unheated sunroom be a good place to winterize them? Or would it be better to place them outside on deck by the wall of the house—with blankets? And, what would be the instructions on watering in sunroom and outside on deck? Thank You!
I don’t know what type of Clematis you have, but if I had them in pots I would not keep them in a sunroom where day temps are high. I’d keep them outside, or even bury the pots in the ground for the winter instead of blankets.
Do potted fig trees in containers need to be covered in total darkness ( inside box enclosure) in the garage during the winter? or is it ok to keep them uncovered in the garage during the winter? Thanks
Dark isn’t needed. Just cool temps that are above freezing.
Thank you for this helpful article and the many comments/answers! I may be imagining that I can see a potted gaura in one of your photos, because that’s my current dilemma. I purchased one this summer that was a replacement for something unavailable and it arrived late due to the pandemic gardening frenzy. Since I wasn’t sure where it should reside permanently, I potted it in a large metal pot with a green patina that I forgot I had and set it in the sunny border of a garden space, and it’s gorgeous there! Will it go dormant such that I can bring it in my unheated central Illinois garage with no natural light? I thought of burying the whole pot where it is. We’ve had a few freezes, but it appears healthy for now. I also have a moonbeam coreopsis in a large wooden deck planter. It’s the only perennial in the planter, and we would like to tarp the planter for protection. Can I leave the coreopsis in the potting soil under a vinyl tarp over winter or should I tranplant it to the ground and mulch it for winter? I’m afraid the lack of circulation under a heavy tarp will cause mold or rot, and I’m afraid uncovering it occasionally during breaks in freezes and snows will cause more harm than good.
Anni,
No, there wasn’t a Gaura in my photos. In my warm Zone 6 garden white Gaura is hardy, although I consider it a short-lived perennial. (Three to five years.) The pink Gaura is not hardy for us and I don’t even try to keep it as it’s widely available in the spring at the garden centers. Note that because Gaura blooms for so long, it behaves more like an annual. If you want to keep it, yes, put it in your garage (coreopsis too – another short-lived perennial) – DO NOT CUT THEM BACK – Do not put a tarp over plants – prevents water from getting to the roots and doesn’t protect them at the end of the day. Also, in February when the sun gets warmer the plants can cook under the tarp…just like your car heats up from the sun in February even when it’s cold outside.
Hello, I live in Canada north of Quebec in very cold area -40 in winter and very windy” I bought the summer 50 roses David Austin . At the End of October when the nights start to be below freezing point I have put them in my heated garage which I keep close to freezing point 32F ( 0C) all winter. Until now ( Nov 28) my rose look very fine all canes are still green. . Note that I have remove all leaves to force them to go dormant faster and avoid sickness transmission ( Black spot etc) . I have install an artificial light system with a timer, which I plan to start not before mid march to give them a daily little light period when my garage will start to warm up by itself in spring and that it will be still to early yo bring my roses outside because the outside nights will still be to cold . I cross my finger and wishes myself success. LOL
Louis,
Sounds like you’ve got a good plan! Note that I have many plants that break dormancy in February, March, and April in my garage and are in very little light (one side window 12′ away from all plants) but when I introduce them gradually into real sunlight in May, they do just fine.
I put my hydrangea in the basement to go dormant. Room stays in the 50’s and it’s dark for the most part. I water it about once a month. Today I found new growth so not sure if I should bring it into the light and start watering more in a sunny window or cover to make it darker to try and retard new growth. It’s only the middle of January and I’m in Ontario Canada
Jeanne,
Mine always break dormancy in the garage sometime in February too. I leave them there, where they grow pale leaves and I continue with minimum watering. Once the weather warms I introduce them gradually to “real sunshine” by putting them by the garage door and opening it for an hour or two during a nice day. I can’t say what would be best for you, but what I can tell you is how I manage mine, and if I was in your situation I would not bring it up to a warm place this early.
Thinking of starting bamboo(supposedly hardy for boston,,zone 6) in planters this spring .considering using ~2′ long planters so they can be moved to ~45-50 degree garage with only small windows in garage doors during winter,.will this be sufficient or should I try to leave outdoors & mulch /insulate heavily somehow? Thank You
Larry – In general plants grown in containers that are left outdoors over the winter must be hardy two zones colder than where you are. This is because even in insulated containers the soil gets about 20° colder than ground temperature. If you leave these outside over the winter the bamboo is likely to die.
I have a Dipladenia and a tree hibiscus that I have overwintered in my garage and successfully brought out in mid-March and they have done perfectly the past 3 years. This year when I brought them out of the garage, the roots are getting a little too big for pot so I did some light root pruning, pulled some of the old soil out of roots and repotted in fresh potting soil. Then fertizilized with Miracle Gro. They have done nothing, no green shoots. Bare as can be. When I scrape some of the branches, I can see green so I know they are not dead. It is now May and still no green growth. Did I throw them into shock? If so, can I do anything? I live in North Carolina in Zone 7.
It takes plants awhile to recover from root pruning. Be patient!
I apologize for this long question. I recently moved from WA (near Tacoma) to Central OR (Redmond) and brought a lot of plants in pots that I used to winter-over in a greenhouse (I don’t have a greenhouse now). I plan on wintering them over in my garage (as long as it doesn’t get below freezing). I have quite a few geraniums; begonias; fuchsias and dahlias (all in pots). I plan on cutting back the dahlias at the end of the season, digging them up and wintering them over in the garage and then putting them in the ground next Spring. As far as the rest, the only light I have in my garage is windows across the top of my garage door. Will this be enough light? I am hoping it won’t drop below freezing in the garage (it’s an attached garage). I have a few heat lamps I could use if it looks like it might drop below freezing in the garage. Will my plants be ok? This will be my first winter here so I’m a little worried.
Pat – it’s totally impossible for me to know if the amount of light from your garage door will be enough for your plants since I haven’t seen your garage, the windows, the distance from the door etc. The begonias and fuchsias won’t like the cold, but if that’s the only place you have, give it a shot. Good luck!
I live in DC (zone 7) and don’t have an ideal option to store my begonias…
What’s my best/least bad option:
1. Detached shed that in Feb/Mar gets below freezing
2. Heated/damp basement prone to mold
3. Main house without much light
Thanks!
Main house and buy some of the table top, or clip on LED plant lights.
Evening,
I am going to try to winter over my lantana plants that are in pots and they are around 5 feet tall. I want to put clear plastic up in the garage because I am going to put a small heater on the inside and set it for 45 degrees because the garage is not heated.
Your thoughts please.
Sincerely,
Phil
If your garage goes below freezing your plan to heat is good, although be careful because electric heaters often cause fires. But I’d ask if it’s worth the cost of the heating to save these plants. If they grew so large this year, why not just plant again next summer? The cost of heating your area will be far more than buying new plants….
Hello. I have read your Overwintering Plants in the Garage article on your blog, and am wondering if we can do this with our bulbs/corms we plan to dig up after the first frost. We live in central Iowa, Zone 5 and want to save the beauties we had from this season, so as to save a bit of money for the next. Can we store them in wood shavings in plastic tubs without lids and keep them in our unheated attached garage? Our temps can drop to between -20 to -30 with windchill on occasion but we’ve never had any frost to speak of inside the garage. Would this work for us or should we abandon the thought of the attempt in the first place. If you think we could be successful, do we just check on them periodically in a situation like this (as others have done in warmer situations) and if shriveling mist a bit? Any information specific to our situation would be helpful. Thanks!!! We are fairly new to the flower gardening game.
We save our bulbs and corms in our garage – packed in layers of newspaper and cardboard boxes. We store them on a high shelf, not on the floor, because heat rises. If your garage doesn’t go below freezing, you’ll be fine doing the same.
I have a two year old pineapple plant that I brought inside last winter but is now too big to fit through the doorway. My garage gets pretty cold and there are no windows so it stays dark. Any suggestions to keep this big girl alive over winter?
I’m sorry but unless you find a sunny place that’s warm, it will be impossible to keep alive unless you live in a place where it never goes below 50 degrees. Maybe you know someone who has a greenhouse?
We live in the middle of Illinois in zone 5 and have two very young raspberry sundae hostas (planted bare root in pots mid summer – about 4″ high with about 4-5 leaves each) in shallow glazed pots on plant stands in our attached but unheated sunroom with windows facing east and north. Can I leave them right where they are all winter just as if they were planted outside? With being in the unheated sunroom, would that provide for the two zones warmer since they’re potted? Do I water them at all or only when it rains and snows outside to keep in step with what they would get outside? Should I move them into the garage where there are windows with filtered light through blinds and not water them at all?
Raspberry Sundae Hosta or Hydrangeas? Never heard of RS Hosta. I’m thinking you’re asking about Hydrangeas, since Hosta goes dormant in the winter. Are you planning to plant them outside eventually? R.S. Hydrangeas grow large so aren’t really good pot plants long term. They are hardy in Zone 5 so you could grow them in the ground. Yes, you could keep in the sunroom – check once a week and water when the soil is dry. They will probably break dormancy early, but they’d do that in the garage as well.
I want to comment that it might help someone else. I do not have an attached garage, just a shed that has freezing temps. So I put my plants under my house. They do not get any light or water from the end of October until it is time to take them out in the spring. I have overwintered mandevilla, Abutilon, shrimp plant, bird of paradise, and a few other plants. These plants will do fine for me. I have put cuphea under there, but they are a bit iffy as to whether or not they survive. My neighbors overwinter geraniums under their house. I am in zone 7a/8a in North Carolina.
I have 2 round pots 24X19x17 in. with hydrangers Also have 4 Earth Boxs 30 long 15 wide & 12 in. deep with Cone flower plants inside. I live in NY and want to know if they will overwinter in my attached garage. Also any other info you might have. I cant put pots in the ground for overwintering.
Yes you can pull them into your attached garage. If the temperatures there don’t go below freezing they will all be fine. They might break dormancy early, so once you can pull them out in May you’ll need to introduce them gradually to the real sunlight. Water any plants in the garage when the soil is dry. Check them weekly, but only water when dry.
I live in central NC and have a sweet potato plant and 2 kalanchoe all in pots that need to be brought in to avoid overnight frost. Can they all winter in in the garage (there are no windows)?
The Kalanchoe needs to be in a warmer window, with some sun. The SPV will die back in the garage but you can start a new plant from the tubers in the pots by moving them into fresh soil in a warm, sunny place next spring.
I live in Northern Illinois & am wanting to winter store giant begonias & mums in pots. Most of the winter my garage will stay above freezing, but we can have periods of very low temperatures & freezing will occur in the garage. How to I care for my potted plants during these cold snaps? Can I cover them & protect them or?
Begonias might be tricky, but worth trying. If it goes below freezing they will die, however. All plants in a garage should be checked weekly to see if the soil is getting dry. Water when it’s dry, and have a saucer underneath the pots so that the excess water can be taken up into the soil instead of pouring onto the floor. If the soil is at all damp, don’t water.
I just ordered a Chicago Hardy fig and live in Minneapolis, MN (zone 4-5a these days). Currently, our winter temperatures are running way above normal, but that could change in years to come. I am planning on planting the fig in a pot and moving it indoors to the basement which is cool in the winter. My husband and I are retired and I’m afraid moving a larger potted tree to the basement may be difficult in the future. We have an unattached, unheated garage. Do you think the fig would survive, wrapped in burlap, placed on some kind of mat off the garage floor during the winter months?
Ceejay,
I don’t know if it would survive in an unheated garage in MN or not, but what’s the worst that would happen? Chicago Hardy would be hardy for you in the ground, but you’d probably never get figs…since the plant would die to the ground in the winter, it wouldn’t have enough time to regrow from the roots and then make figs before winter hits again. I had that experience even in my zone 6 garden. The problem is that plants in pots get about 20 degrees colder than ground temperature, and I’m not sure the structure of a garage that’s not insulated would offer much protection. But give it a try! You’re not depending on this plant for your winter survival, so put it in the garage and hope for the best!
I grew some tomatoes,cucumbers and peppers and some flowers(marigold/zinnia/sunflower/cosmos/nasturtium)in containers(grow bags) on rooftop that does not have a greenhouse. I live in a townhome and rooftop is on fourth floor. I tried covering the plants with a frost protectant cloth but due to rooftop being windy especially in winter months, it did not help. Im not sure if I will be able to grow anything this year since I did not overwinter. I live in Pennsylvania. Any advicea/suggestions ?
If I were you I’d just grow annuals and vegetables there without planning on over wintering them.
Thanks. Appreciate it