I am interested in what can be overwintered, dormant and in the dark without water, either:
a) in a closet at room temperature, or
b) in the garage at maybe 55 degrees.
I buy tropicals here and there and then try to figure out how to overwinter them. But I've decided that what I am doing is backwards because I don't have enough space for a lot of house plants, I don't really want them, and I always forget to water them over the holidays. But I do like tropicals in the yard in the summer.
So I want to find out what tropicals can easily be stuck out of sight for the winter, and will pop back up when it gets warm and they get a bit of water. And these are the ones I'll buy.
I know brugs, older elephant ears (the new ones aren't as successful), amaryllis, cannas and callas all are dependable in the garage. Caladium are dependable in a warm closet in the house.
Do you have other ideas?
What can be overwintered dormant in the dark, no water?
Plumerias can be removed from the pot, all leaves carefully removed, and the dirt gently hosed off the roots. Let them dry well outdoors, then they can be stored in an area with some circulation and not too cold. See advice on overwintering here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/599185/
Thanks. I killed the only Plumeria I tried -- maybe I need to try again!
You can cut the foliage off tropicals with large tubers or corms (such as dahlias, cannas, tropical bulbs) and store them dry over the winter, in temps between 40-50 - just check for signs of rotting. Just do a google.com search, using the exact words you used to ask this question - you will find tons of information.
