Storing the Non-Cold Hardy

As desperate as we are for color in our winter landscape, it’s not a good idea to leave some of our ornaments outdoors to suffer the rigors of winter. Glass gazing globes and most clay pots should be brought indoors and out of harm’s way for the winter.

There are some planters that can get through the winter without damage. Containers made of fiberglass and plastic are pretty tough and can be left out—a good thing because they can get heavy with a full load of potting soil. Inexpensive plastic pots become brittle with age. I’ve coaxed an extra year out of them by dragging them in close to the house onto the concrete patio where they are covered by a deep overhang.

I don’t expect anything to survive in the planters I leave out for the winter. Plants I can’t do without I will dig up and store in the garage. I’ve collected several pineapple lilies (Eucomis) that are reportedly hardy to Zone 7. Since winters are unpredictable here at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, I bring them, pots and all into the garage, and place the pots on top of a sheet of Styrofoam to help insulate the root ball. The roots are what need to be protected, after all.

This summer, I experimented with breathable fabric pots in which I planted my Eucomis and other non-hardy plants that I wanted to save. I planted the Eucomis, fabric pot and all, in a large container, leaving the handles and about an inch of the top of the fabric above the soil line. This made it easy to pull the fabric containers out in the fall, and stack them loosely into a lightweight container that I lined on the inside with bubble wrap.

A Word (or two) About Mulching

Whether you make your own mulch by mowing up the fallen leaves, or buy it in bags, timing the task is important. Applying a thick layer of mulch over plants that are still actively growing in late fall tells their roots to keep on working. I consider Thanksgiving a good signal to mulch away. Of course, I have so many trees around my garden I don’t have to mulch, there are plants that require their own individual treatment.

If you don’t have the benefit of fallen leaves, you’ll want to check your coral bells (Heuchera), which are just waiting for an excuse to pop out of the ground. The phenomenon is called frost heave, and some plants are more susceptible than others. The best way to prevent heaving is to follow these guidelines:

• Mulch no more than 3-4 inches deep
• Keep the mulch away from the crown of the plant (Typically at the center of the plant; the point from which the leaves and stems grow).
• Apply the mulch after a hard frost. (See “Predicting the Weather”)

One last thing to consider when trying to talk yourself out of dealing with the dead stems is how your garden will look in spring when the bulbs come up. Nothing detracts from a spring bulb display more than a bunch of dead stalks looming over the sprightly blossoms. You did remember to plant bulbs, right?

IF YOU’RE REALLY INTO WEATHER DATA:

The NOAA Regional Climate Center has a page from which you can extract historical last and first days that temps dipped below 32 degrees F. It’s not user friendly, so NOAA Weather Forecaster Julie Dian-Reed from the Ohio office gave me the parameters to use:

Single Station: First/Last Dates

Options Selection: YEAR RANGE: POR-2016 (this means Period of Record)

Criteria: Min Temp < 32

Period Beginning: July 1 (this keeps your requests near the ‘growing season’)

Station Selection: You need to narrow by the Chicago office. No- unfortunately it’s not alphabetical by city name, its alphabetical by office ID — Chicago’s ID is LOT