Q. This past summer I hired a landscape designer. In his design he recommended several types of perennials, including day lilies. Can I purchase some of these plants or bulbs over the winter and store them for spring planting?
A. Most Wisconsin garden centers and nurseries have heeled their plants in for the winter. Many still have bulbs available, and you can keep planting them until the ground freezes. If you do secure plants now, heel them in for winter until your beds are ready for planting next spring. Simply dig a trench, set the pot into the ground and cover with soil, or group plants together and insulate the roots with wood chips.
Bulbs can be stored in the refrigerator or potted and heeled in for spring planting. Otherwise, spend winter fine-tuning your plant list to the perennial and bulb varieties best suited to the design. Online sources and garden catalogs allow you to order at various times with shipments made at the suitable planting time for our region.
Q. I bought a honeysuckle vine this summer and have it in a large pot. How should I care for it this winter? I think it’s going dormant, but I’m not sure. Should I keep it in the house or garage, or bury the pot? I’ve kept it out of the frost the last few weeks.
A. The key to success is to keep your plant dormant while protecting the roots from extreme cold and drought. Be aware that glazed and ceramic pots are prone to cracking when the soil freezes and expands. You can bury weather-resistant pots in a vacant garden area in a sheltered location in your landscape, or set it on a board and surround it with insulation materials (packing peanuts, bags of potting mix and other such items) and store it in an unheated garage.
Make sure the plant is watered whenever the soil is thawed and dry. Throwing a scoop of salt-free snow on the pots in the garage will make this task easier and keep your neighbors wondering, “Why are they shoveling snow into the garage?”
Moving the plant indoors for winter is the least successful and most labor-intensive method. It’s difficult to keep hardy trees and shrubs dormant in our warm homes or thriving in the low light indoors.
Q. I’m on my second orchid. I had a beautiful one die, so I’m a bit leery. This one looks good with new shoots and leaves. What can I do to keep it going?
A. Orchid care varies a bit with the type of orchid you are growing. Here are some general guidelines: Grow your orchid in a sunny window; south- and west-facing windows are the best. Don’t let the leaves touch cold windows or trap the plant between curtains and the window in winter. Keep the soil evenly moist. It’s better to err on letting the plant go a bit too dry than overwatering. City tap water is fine, but avoid softened water that can damage the plants.
Fertilize actively growing plants when the soil is moist. Use a dilute solution of a complete fertilizer such as a 20-20-20 labeled for use on orchids or flowering houseplants. Avoid excess fertilization that can cause damaged black root tips, green floppy growth and no flowers. Most orchids prefer daytime temperatures around 70 degrees and lower at night. For more information, visit the American Orchid Society website, aos.org.
Q. I have a peach hibiscus I have been growing for several years. I move it outside in the summer and back indoors for winter. This fall it produced double magenta flowers on one of the stems. Is this a fluke, or do I have something great to share? And whom should I contact?
A. Take several cuttings from the magenta-flowered stem of your peach blooming hibiscus. If this was caused by a mutation, it is possible the unique flowers will also develop on plants started from the cuttings. If it’s a fluke, you have more peach flowered hibiscus to share. If you feel it’s truly a unique and outstanding new flower, start searching the Internet for similar varieties and companies that propagate and sell hibiscus. You could approach them with this new beauty and find out if they’re interested.
Email questions to Melinda Myers through her website, melindamyers.com, or write her at P.O. Box 370331, Milwaukee, WI 53237-0331.
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