Over wintering plants in garage

GrahamN

Over wintering plants in garage

Post by GrahamN »

Hi

I recently moved house, and am in the process of sorting out the garden - but it's taking longer than I thought and I have a query on overwintering some plants that I purchased a bit early...

I intend to put up a small greenhouse, but finances mean that this will probably be in another year or so. In the meantime, the only area I really have is the garage. This is integral to the house and has 2 walls adjoining living room and kitchen, a cavity outside wall and a metal door.

The plants I need to protect are - Strelitzia Regina (about 12 years old, but has never flowered), some Musa Basjoo, Ensete, Trachycarpus Fortunei (very small), and an Agave Attenuata. I'm hoping that the garage will be warm enough - but of course there is no natural light and I am unsure whether I should rig up a daylight bulb, whether I should water (and if so how often), and whether I should add any extra protection such as fleece. Unfortunately bringing any of the plants inside the house is not possible, and I can't afford to heat the garage.

I would really appreciate any advice as I would like to try and keep these plants for planting out next year (except the Strelitzia which I will keep potted).

Many thanks
Blairs

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Blairs »

I have the same type of garage and mine is certainly frost free. When the tumble dryer is on it heats up well into double figures even when frosty outside.

All those plants need light over winter. An ordinary light-bulb is not going to work. You need a full spectrum light bulb on each plant...so I would leave outside as much as possible.
pdid

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by pdid »

My old garage (now converted to play room hmmmm) stayed frost free and was a similar arrangement to yours. As far as overwintering, I overwintered ensete and brugmansia in mine but I'm fairly sure your other plants will be fine as they won't be growing. It's only if it gets warm enough for them to grow that you'll have problems.

Only water if they start to look dry.
Blairs

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Blairs »

pdid wrote:My old garage (now converted to play room hmmmm) stayed frost free and was a similar arrangement to yours. As far as overwintering, I overwintered ensete and brugmansia in mine but I'm fairly sure your other plants will be fine as they won't be growing. It's only if it gets warm enough for them to grow that you'll have problems.

Only water if they start to look dry.
Some Ensete can be overwintered dry in the dark, others still grow and need light - we do not know what type he has. Brug's can be overwintered as you cut them down and leave them to go into dormancy but certainly that is not true of all plants. Agave, Trachycarpus and the Strelizia certainly need light over winter, hence I mention the full spectrum lightbulb to provide the needful. I would keep the soil on the dry side of a bit of damp, nothing for the Agave.
Kristen

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Kristen »

Might be an option to put the plants out on mild days, so they get air and light. Only any good if you don't leave home too early, or get back too late in the evening. Might suit anyone working from home, or working a night shift!
GrahamN

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by GrahamN »

Thanks

I think I have a daylight bulb somewhere - can I use that? I don't work, so could bring the plants out sometimes, but do struggle lifting them, so would prefer not to if I can get away with it.

The ensete came from B&Q in their sale - I don't really know anything more about it.
Kristen

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Kristen »

Something like this would do

http://www.3ch.co.uk/grow-lights/fluore ... d_120.html

whether you bother with reflectors (or just dangle the light above the plants), or have larger / smaller wattage bulbs is a matter for debate. Consensus seems to be to provide just enough light for tick-over (particularly if temperatures are kept low, and plants aren't growing / much).

The power of the light falls off with distance by the inverse-square law, so you want the light as close to the plants as possible and thus I think you would be better off with several lower wattage bulbs, such that each was reasonably close to one/several plants, rather than trying to get lots of plants to share one bulb.
pdid

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by pdid »

Blairs wrote:
pdid wrote:My old garage (now converted to play room hmmmm) stayed frost free and was a similar arrangement to yours. As far as overwintering, I overwintered ensete and brugmansia in mine but I'm fairly sure your other plants will be fine as they won't be growing. It's only if it gets warm enough for them to grow that you'll have problems.

Only water if they start to look dry.
Some Ensete can be overwintered dry in the dark, others still grow and need light - we do not know what type he has. Brug's can be overwintered as you cut them down and leave them to go into dormancy but certainly that is not true of all plants. Agave, Trachycarpus and the Strelizia certainly need light over winter, hence I mention the full spectrum lightbulb to provide the needful. I would keep the soil on the dry side of a bit of damp, nothing for the Agave.
How much natural light do you think this lot got in Yorkshire Kris garage?

http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... &start=345

My guess is not a lot. I also kept a butia, jubaea, dasylirion and brahea along with brugs, ensete and canna in a frost free shed with pretty much no natural light last year. Everything was OK.
fern Rob

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by fern Rob »

Welcome
Blairs

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Blairs »

pdid wrote: How much natural light do you think this lot got in Yorkshire Kris garage?

My guess is not a lot. I also kept a butia, jubaea, dasylirion and brahea along with brugs, ensete and canna in a frost free shed with pretty much no natural light last year. Everything was OK.
But those plants are not Agave and Strelizia. They both need sunlight over winter as they continue to grow and have no dormancy. You do not want to kill them with lack of light.
pdid

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by pdid »

Blairs wrote:
pdid wrote:
But those plants are not Agave and Strelizia. They both need sunlight over winter as they continue to grow and have no dormancy. You do not want to kill them with lack of light.
Fair enough, I must admit I keep my strelitzia in the conservatory mainly because it usually flowers over winter and I only have a few small agave which again are kept in the conservatory.

I think your best option is to move in or out as weather dictates which shouldn't be a problem if only a few plants. A 12 year old strelitzia might take some moving though.
daz h
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Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:41 pm
Location: oxfordshire

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by daz h »

i dont know how much light the plants you listed need but i have used cfls in the past


125w cfl bulbs like those linked are pretty much useless for more than one plant apart from for seedlings as the they need to be hung so close to the plants to get any usuable light off them , and you definately need a reflector with them to get the most out them .

you can grow using cfl daylight bulbs( and cheaper) which might be a better option if you build something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eFpTvzV3yY

once again they need to be hung very close to the plants to get any usable light off them but you would be getting a better spread over a larger area.

if you build a relfector do not use foil as it creates hot spots which can burn your plants , use mylar for the best light relectivity and if possible paint the surrounding area matt white (not gloss)
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

How much natural light do you think this lot got in Yorkshire Kris garage?

viewtopic.php?nomobile=1&f=135&t=7167&hilit=garage&start=345

My guess is not a lot. I also kept a butia, jubaea, dasylirion and brahea along with brugs, ensete and canna in a frost free shed with pretty much no natural light last year. Everything was OK.

Exactly, not much! I'm doing the same again this year in a bit smaller garage which has slightly more daylight. I do also have three daylight bulbs on for around 8 hours a day although this hardly helps. Most plants that do dormant/slow down in the cold are fine without light in winter. I have got the odd agave through like this too and this year I have a small Strelizea in there.
Blairs

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by Blairs »

In my American tropical gardening book (The Exotic Garden) and they say to either overwinter Strelizia on a sunny windowsill or dry in a frost free garage....so it looks like it may be possible with those. That still leaves the Agave that needs sunlight.
pdid

Re: Over wintering plants in garage

Post by pdid »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:
How much natural light do you think this lot got in Yorkshire Kris garage?

viewtopic.php?nomobile=1&f=135&t=7167&hilit=garage&start=345

My guess is not a lot. I also kept a butia, jubaea, dasylirion and brahea along with brugs, ensete and canna in a frost free shed with pretty much no natural light last year. Everything was OK.

Exactly, not much! I'm doing the same again this year in a bit smaller garage which has slightly more daylight. I do also have three daylight bulbs on for around 8 hours a day although this hardly helps. Most plants that do dormant/slow down in the cold are fine without light in winter. I have got the odd agave through like this too and this year I have a small Strelizea in there.
icon_thumleft

I thought you kept your mediopicta in there but wasn't sure. As I said earlier in the thread, if it's cool enough to stop the plant growing then it should be fine in the dark.
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