Looking back thru old posts, I read that a lot of folks north of Zone 8 were going to try Mickey Mouse EE in the ground over winter.
How did they do?
Robert.
Hardiness reports for X.atrovirens: "Mickey Mouse"
Does the lack of response mean "prognosis negative"?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
R.
Hi raydio.....I have it but have never left it outside for the winter. Are you gonna give it a try? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/48859/index.html
Robert sorry!
I missed this thread.
I don't remember a thread on wintering Mickey Mouse
in the ground.
I know Big Dipper, Pink China and plain green Colocasia were dicussed.
I'm not sure any Xanth would be hardy out of zone 8.
I have enough trouble w/ it over-wintering in the GH. lol
Ric
Robert,
I moved up here last winter from Zone10b. My MickeyMouse's, as were all my ears, in pots until sometime in February. Last frost was in late March.
All the ears died back as we had some temps down to 17 for 4 hours. When I was finally able to put them in the ground, I didn't know who was what.
I saved any soil I had in pots and put that in the ground too. I have Mickey Mouse come up in my shade garden and by my pond.
So, does your ground freeze? If not, I would venture to say that with a heavy mulch, your MM might survive.
Ric, how cold does your greenhouse get?
Molly
:^)))
The new one on the Porch gets down to about 55.
Only a certain part gets Winter Sun though.
The old Hoophouse in the mid 40 to low 40's.
It gets full Sun all day though.
My problem is they don't 'quite' do dormant.
So they get weak and watering becomes an issue.
I think this winter I'll opt for the lower temps but more sun.
Possibly under the benches would start dormancy there?
Ric
OK! Thanks for the responses.
Henry10~
There wasn't a thread on MMs, but when I searched them, I found a few posts where people said they were going to try them in the ground, north of zone 8. I had mine in a poorly lit basement and they never went fully dormant for me either and watering was an issue for me as well. I pulled the main bulb out to keep it from rotting and it was dormant at the time, but other parts of the plant at the surface weren't and they began to weken, die off and decompose.
They seemed to be slow coming back in the spring, so I unpotted the 2-3 gallon pot they were in and discoverd why: the very bottom was full of pups and they had a long climb back to the top. I seperated them and have ove a dozen 1 gallon pots that have roots coming out the drainages, though each plant has only 4-5 leaves.
Anywho, I'm going to put a couple in the ground and see what happens. I have enough to risk. I'll be setting them 4-6 inches below soil surface and piling leaves on top of that. A dried leaf cover has worked miracles for me before w/ EEs. I've had runners survive that weren't even in the ground, just on top, covered with leaves and they were in tip-top shape the next spring.
With the ones I bring in, I may have to hook up a grow light and see if that helps.
Thanks, and if anyone else has anything to add about this, please post your experience.
Robert.
