Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

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Yorkshire Kris
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Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching: Melianthus, Eucomis, Arundo donax, hedychiums, Gunnera etc, Dahlias etc


http://youtu.be/SBruBDbZrxI
grub

Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by grub »

Nice vid Kris but I don't mulch any of those, don't think you need too either :?. As in, they live or die. Arundo has never faltered here -18C says to me it's hardy, same with the Gunnera, Hedychiums I grow and Eucomis.
sanatic1234

Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by sanatic1234 »

I did exactly that with my eucomis kris last year and it would not wake up this year, i tried bottom heat, and on my brightest windowsill all sorts but it was reluctant to wake up. :|
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

sanatic1234 wrote:I did exactly that with my eucomis kris last year and it would not wake up this year, i tried bottom heat, and on my brightest windowsill all sorts but it was reluctant to wake up. :|
I think a lot of things died last year because they froze through. In some years mulching won't make any difference if the weather is mild they will survive anyway. All the plants in the video can be lost in winter. Mulching will minimise this in the harsher winters.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

grub wrote:Nice vid Kris but I don't mulch any of those, don't think you need too either :?. As in, they live or die. Arundo has never faltered here -18C says to me it's hardy, same with the Gunnera, Hedychiums I grow and Eucomis.
Good to hear that the variegated form of arundo can take minus 18
grub

Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by grub »

It's the yellow 'Golden Showers' one that's useless Kris :lol: , couldn't get that to grow properly let alone cruise through winters.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

grub wrote:It's the yellow 'Golden Showers' one that's useless Kris :lol: , couldn't get that to grow properly let alone cruise through winters.
Who in the right mind would call anything "Golden Showers!?" :lol:
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

sanatic1234

Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by sanatic1234 »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:
sanatic1234 wrote:I did exactly that with my eucomis kris last year and it would not wake up this year, i tried bottom heat, and on my brightest windowsill all sorts but it was reluctant to wake up. :|
I think a lot of things died last year because they froze through. In some years mulching won't make any difference if the weather is mild they will survive anyway. All the plants in the video can be lost in winter. Mulching will minimise this in the harsher

Mine was lifted and stored indoors, so the weather didnt kill it, but it certainly didnt want to wake up thats for sure. :roll:
Darlo Mark

Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Darlo Mark »

possibly dried out then San?
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Dave Brown »

I never buy anything in to mulch, just cutting down dead top growth and laying on the base of the plant.

Things that need root protection from frost should be planted deeply to start with if possible as this stops shallow roots getting frozen.

Just as important to some plants is keeping the area drier over winter, so maybe a layer of plastic will help. If you don't like the look of the plastic put the mulch over the top of that. It also makes it easier to remove in late winter. :wink:
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Dave Brown wrote:I never buy anything in to mulch, just cutting down dead top growth and laying on the base of the plant.

Things that need root protection from frost should be planted deeply to start with if possible as this stops shallow roots getting frozen.

Just as important to some plants is keeping the area drier over winter, so maybe a layer of plastic will help. If you don't like the look of the plastic put the mulch over the top of that. It also makes it easier to remove in late winter. :wink:

Yes good point about keeping dry and well drained. Bulbs/tubers etc are more likely to rot because of bad drainage in heavy soils rather than the cold in many cases.

Putting clear plastic down over beds in spring is useful for warming up the soil and giving a head start to things like gingers etc.
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by JoelR »

Was your Melianthus left out last winter Kris? Always had mine in pots and store in the garage. Lost all the foliage on my two well established plants for the first time in winter 2009/10 but they both grew back. The same treatment in 2010/11 winter and nothing regrew. I know they are more vulmerable in pots but these pots were in my garage with a single layer of fleece around them. It would have been 5 or 6 degrees warmer than outside.
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

JoelR wrote:Was your Melianthus left out last winter Kris? Always had mine in pots and store in the garage. Lost all the foliage on my two well established plants for the first time in winter 2009/10 but they both grew back. The same treatment in 2010/11 winter and nothing regrew. I know they are more vulmerable in pots but these pots were in my garage with a single layer of fleece around them. It would have been 5 or 6 degrees warmer than outside.
Yes outside for the last three bad winters. Less established ones in the ground didn't make it. Those were newly planted cuttings.
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Re: Overwintering frost tender plants by mulching VIDEO

Post by Dave Brown »

JoelR wrote:Was your Melianthus left out last winter Kris? Always had mine in pots and store in the garage. Lost all the foliage on my two well established plants for the first time in winter 2009/10 but they both grew back. The same treatment in 2010/11 winter and nothing regrew. I know they are more vulmerable in pots but these pots were in my garage with a single layer of fleece around them. It would have been 5 or 6 degrees warmer than outside.
Lack of airflow is just as much a killer as cold. Before putting heating in a storage area I'd set up a fan. :wink:
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