How do I save my plants from Jack Frost?

I want to save my Impatiens, Dianthus, Snapdragons, and Torenia from the winter frosts. I live in zone 6 (central Virginia). I'm hoping it's as simple as just brining them inside and putting them in front of a window :-) I'm also unclear about the whole annual/biennial thing. And when gardeners say "re-seed" does the plant do that on its own or am I supposed to do something?

Are these in pots or in the ground? If they're in the ground, I would leave them there. I have the snaps and they do just fine. When they say a plant reseeds itself, you don't need to do anything. The plant will take care of that part. If you want the seeds elsewhere in your yard, then collect them when they're ripe in the fall and spread them where you want them. At least, that's what I do.

Annual means the plant sets new seeds and dies every year. Biennial means it will grow the first year and the second it will flower, set seed and die.

I'm not the real expert but I hope I've answered part of your questions.

I am also in Zone 6. These plants are all annuals in this zone and I have never had any that either reseeded or survived the winter here. I sure do wish they would !

I'm pretty sure that only the Dianthus has even a slim chance of making it through winter if just left outside, but I was hoping that someone might know a method for preserving them indoors over the winter. They're already in pots, so I thought it would be worth a try.

Gro Lights certainly aren't the answer. Buying new plants would cost less and be a lot less trouble. Without a greenhouse, we have to be prepared to lose some of our darlings.

What about bulbs? I have some Dahlias that are planted in pots, do I need to dig up the bulbs or can I just bring the whole pot inside? I have found some "how to"s about storing bulbs for winter, but I'm not sure if this is necessary if you just bring the pot inside.

We can't grow dahlias here- too hot. Have you done a Google search on "dahlia bulbs winter" or some such? I'll bet you could find it. Also "dahlia winter hardiness."

Hi saw your thread and wondered who would see frost before me ^_^ Many dianthus are perennials or self-seeding annuals even in my zone. Do you know what dianthus you have?

There's a Dahlias forum, you can trying posting over there - I'll bet they can give you expert advice on what to do with dahlia bulbs in winter.

My dianthus are perennial and other than deadheading I don't have to do anything for them to make it through the winter. I have several variety of dianthus and they're all pretty tough. I'm Zone 4 on top of a windy hill. My snapdragons re-seed by ignoring them and not using Preen or excessive mulch near them. For me, impatiens won't re-seed.

The dianthus I have are called "strawberry parfait" and "raspberry parfait." They have white and pink or white and burgundy flowers. They are in hanging baskets, just like my snapdragons, should I put my baskets on the ground and mulch around them for insulation? Or will they be fine just as they are?

The 'parfaits' are hardy to zone 5 so should winter over for you. I have even have one that does in my zone but itsin the ground. I would put the baskets on the ground and mulch for insultation and so they don't dry out if you don't water/get rain. The snapdragons may overwinter that way too and also should self seed as duck-tollers do if they're not hybrids. Just don't mix up the soil in the baskets in the spring and you will get new baby snapdragons. Hope this helps.

Not sure what you should do to your Dahlias in your zone, do you get hard frosts? In colder zones we wait until a killing frost has killed the foliage of the plant, cut it back to about 6" and leave it in the ground for a few weeks. This is to encourage the 'eyes' to develop a little. They are then dug up, washed, air dried, then stored in a medium such as peat moss of perlite and placed in the coolest spot around that does not freeze. In the spring they are repotted. Some just place them in plastic bags once they are dry. If it does not get cold enough to store inside they could start sprouting at any time. Mine are usually stored at around 55 degrees. You should always leave a portion of the stalk attached when storing.

I.m sure someone else can elaborate a little more for your zone or my methods. Just thought I would post this in case you are not yet a subscibing member and unable to get into the Dahlia Forum.

Butterfly~ You can pinch off several branches of your impatiens and let them root in water, then pot them up and place in bright indirect light. Fertilize monthly with a very weak violet liquid fertilizersolution and you will enjoy gorgeous blooms throughout winter. Avoid drafty areas and heat vents. You can bring your pot inside, but you will have to prepare the pot throughly to get rid of insects, pests, and to clean the soil. If not, then your impatiens will not fare well indoors. Also, avoid overwatering them (as the stems will rot and the plant will bite the dust quick) What water is not absorb in an hour, dump out and do not water the impatiens again until the soil is dry. Hope that helps, as I enjoy having cheery impatien blooms every winter.

I am confused, garden6. You want her to root her impatiens in water, but you tell her that overwatering will kill them (rot the stems).

Rooting in water is different than overwatering them in soil--roots that form in water are a different type of roots than the ones that form in soil (if you want more info, I think we have a whole forum on hydroponics and the folks over there I'm sure could explain it much better than I can) Many different plants can be rooted in water but would be unhappy in soil that's too wet.

I was being facetious, ecrane3, and that was naughty. A number of trained horticulturists in both the profession and academic community have told me that water roots don't do well at all in soil; in fact, that they are so fragile that they snap off when a plant is potted up. There doesn't seem to be any advantage at all in rooting a plant in water unless the intention is to grow it in water. If it is going to be planted in soil, it saves time, and the cutting does just as well or better placed directly in soil kept moist but not wet until the cutting begins to develop, which is a sign it is rooting.

Even if you were being facetious, this is the beginner forum so there are probably people who would see your question and wonder what the answer was, that's why I answered it.

I've heard the same thing about water roots so personally I'd root things in soil, but many people have had luck with rooting in water, could be there are some plants that would root much easier in water than in soil so it's worth the extra step.

Thanks! .....Yes, rooting impatiens in water will give Butterfly what she's is looking for..an extension of her desirable blooms throughout the winter. With impatiens and so many other plants, the water offers a visible indication of healthy root development to transplant into a potting soil mixture.