Potted Perennials

I have a lot of perennials in pots and I'm not real sure what to do with them this coming winter.

I have Hosta, Coral Bells, Lilies-Oriental-Asiatic-Day, and in half barrels, I have rose bushes.

I don't know if I should stick them in the ground and dig them back up in the spring and put them back in their pots, or if I can keep them in the pots all winter.

If I keep them in the pots, will I need to protect them? If so, how?

Thanks. Darrell

Hi Darrell......I have the same perennials in pots. Plus a lot of bushes I have started from cuttings. I just bury pot and all in the vegetable garden for the winter. It's a spot where the snow catches and piles nicely. They always all survive the winter. Hope this helps. The roses I can't help you with. Any I put in even a raised bed never survive. I'd be tempted to plant them directly in the ground. All other perennials should be fine just burying the pot.

Im not a rose expert but I suspect you could take them out of the pots and bury them with lots of mulch on top and repot them in the spring. Maybe somebody on the rose forum could give you more expert advice.

Many common perennials are tough enough that, even in zone 3, they need no protection to survive in pots. However, having said that, it provides insurance to simply sink the pots into the ground, if you're not ready to plant them in their permanent spots yet.
Whether the roses can take this or not will depend on the type of rose - i.e. how hardy it is. We've had potted-up rose suckers of various hardy species and varieties winter over in pots without protection... but if it's not a very hardy type, I wouldn't count on it surviving, of course.

I'll plant them all in garden, leaving them in the pots. Then dig them up in the spring when I see new growth.

On the roses, I really don't want to dig them up out of the barrels. So, I'm thinking I'll just move the barrell and all into the shed for the winter.

How does that sound? Or is it the cold that kills the roses? My thoughts are that it's the ice and snow that will kill them and not so much the snow. If I put them in the shed, then they would be protected from everything except the cold.

Sound good?

Darrell

No, it is actually the cold that kills roses. However, if your shed doesn't actually freeze inside (seems unlikely if it's unheated, but then I'm not familiar with your climate), then it might be just as good as a coldroom (which is what we've used to winter potted tender roses). However, to be able to advise on what measures are actually needed, it's really essential to have some idea what kind of roses they are.

Also, I've been assuming your plants are in plastic pots (things you bought but have not planted yet for whatever reason)... if they are in decorative planters (i.e. ceramic), I wouldn't leave them in the decorative planters for sinking them into ground - the planters are likely to crack with the freezing and thawing of the soil.

I don't have roses in pots but have quite a few other perennials in large pots for my patio (daylilies, siberian iris, sedum, hosta etc) . I now lay them down on their side for the winter. This prevents rain and snow from getting in and causing the freeze thaw situation. Since I started doing this a few years ago I haven't lost a plant nor a pot from cracking. And with the added bonus that the following year I have instant mature plants for the patio without any work
Judy

It's the fluctuations in temperature that is the most damaging to roses, not the cold itself. We have potted roses that we put in an unheated garage. The temps are not as cold and it doesn't fluctuate as much. It's quite chilly, but water bottles don't freeze. It might depend on the shed as to whether it's suitable. And, when in the garage/shed they still need to be watered so that they don't dry out (maybe a cup of water once a month).

Well, the shed is out then.

I think, I'll just plant the roses "someplace", don't know where for sure, and be done with it. I didn't really want to plant them, but will.

I still don't understand all they "why's" and "wherefores", of being planted vs not being planted and left in pots.

If it's in the ground and the ground freezes a couple feet down, it's ok to plant them in the ground. If I leave them in pots and they freeze, it's not ok. Ha!

If I leave the roses in a pot and lay the pot on it's side and cover it with straw for the winter, it isn't the same as if they were in the soil and the plants bent down/laid down, covered with straw. This is all over my head.

I'm keeping the hosta and some of the others in pots and putting them in the ground, "if I can find the ground to put them in." If not, I'll bring them in the house and put everything in the spare bedroom for the winter.

If I bring them in the house, do I water them during the winter or do I treat them as though they are still outside and forget them till spring?

Hi Darrell- I'm in zone 3 and I leave a lot of plants in pots for the winter. As long as you have things in good sized pots-nothing less than 5" diameter X5" deep and pack them close together. I also put a blanket of chopped-up leaves on top of them or in the case of the larger pots I fill the pots with chopped leaves. Try to put them in a protected area and if possible in the shade. It is the sun hitting the pots and the thawing and refreezing that kills the plants. I thought I would take extra care of a tree rose last year by putting it in the shed but then I didn't water it and it died anyhow, yet the roses that I had potted up and left out like all the other plants were fine. if you have something you are really worried about then dig that pot into the ground, but for hostas, lilies etc., I would just make sure they are in big enough pots. The leaves are like an insulating blanket. If you don't have access to leaves then i would imagine straw would do the same thing if you can put it on thick enough, but i swear by the leaves. If i lost them, I wouldn't be heartbroken, so just to see how well it works, I have not lifted my glads for 5 years now, but i put about 4-6" of leaves on top of them. if you need more info let me know.
sandra

hi Darrell -I forgot to mention, if you have tea roses or grafted roses in your barrells, then i would do 1 more thing and that is to put extra soil in the barrell, so that the graft is well covered, (up to 2"Deep over the graft ) and then the leaves. If you are in an open area where wind might remove the leaves, then use chicken wire, netting, snow fence etc to cover everything to keep the leaves on. I even pack leaves between the pots, if I have any concerns about certain plants. Of course, 1st thing in the spring, you have to remove all of this. as before, any questions feel free.
sandra

Sandra,

Now, that sounds like a plan.

My Hosta, Lilies, Astilbe, Coral Bells, and Phlox in one gallon pots. I have Peonies in 5 gallon pots, and the rose bushes, "American Beauty" in half barrels. I'm guessing the barrels are 20 gallon containers or maybe a slightly larger.

The reason I have all these in pots, with the exception of the roses, is because I have a business I've recently started and I sell plants. To take them out of their pots and plant them would be sort of the last thing I would want to do. Leaving them in the pots and putting them in the ground is a good idea, but I don't have a lot of land to plant them in. (Not because I don't have a place to plant them, it's just that I have other things planted in the garden that I will divide up in the spring for re-sale.

It's hard to believe that all these nurseries around pot all this up and then plant it back in the ground again in the fall. But in a way it sort of makes sense. I just hadn't planned on that much work being involved. :)

If I thought I could get away with growing glads in the ground without digging them up every year, I'd do it in a heart beat. Right now, I grow all my glads in 5 gallon containers so that in the fall, I dump them out on a mesh screen and shake the screen to let the earth fall through and the bulbs stay on top of the screen.

How deep did you plant your glad bulbs?

Darrell

Hi Darrell My glads are planted the normal depth about 4-5" deep. there is a bit of a dip from my neighbours land to mine. It drops down about 10" and because that is where she has her garden, she has barriers up (boards and stones) to keep her soil from coming down onto my property. I planted my glads about 1 foot in from my property line here, so the snow stays there on top of the leaves. They are actually doing well, because they are multiplying. As I said earlier though, it wouldn't break my heart if I lost them during a really cold winter.
I would like to know more about you selling your plants, because that is what I do too. pls send me a D-mail, maybe we can do some business.
Sandra