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Overwintering

marieS24marieS24 Posts: 23
in Problem solving
Hi all. I know we are a while away from worrying about this but worrying I am. I am very new to this as all I have ever done is purchase plants but I am having a whale of a time growing them so wish to continue.  I have foxglove, echinacea, aquilegia, geums, rudbeckia amongst other baby seedlings. Would I do any thing to these over winter? Would I need to cut back the new growth or just leave them to do their own thing? 
I have tried looking this all up but all information seems to be for established Plants and mine will be anything but come the winter. 

Also, should I grow on the cuttings I have taken that have rooted and keep them protected over winter or should I plant them out? Eg. Dianthus, hydrangeas, honeysuckle. 


Many thanks. Marie. 

Posts

  • BiljeBilje Posts: 811
    A lot depends on where you live, what facilities you have, and how big the plants will be in Autumn. Foxgloves are biennial, but it depends on the variety you've sown. i.e. Grow in year one(now) and flower the following year so when big enough should be planted where they are to flower.
    if the rest of your plants are perennials i.e. Longer lived than 1 or 2 years. Keep potting them on into pots that are only a little larger than their current home. They don't want to be sitting in a large amount of wet compost. As the weather turns cold wet protect them, that depends on what facilities you have.
    They will either stop growling and die back to regrow in Spring, of just sit there growing not at all or slowly. I wouldn't see the point of cutting back growing plants. 
    Youll have to judge your cuttings by their size compared to the adult plants better to cherish them in pots until your sure. 
    Good luck
  • marieS24marieS24 Posts: 23
    Hi Bilje, that was loads of fantastic very useful information thank you.

    I live down in the south Very close to the coast(Hampshire),  we have just purchased a cheap greenhouse for me to use for overwintering my ever growing collection and I am widening boarders and rearranging pots to try to accommodate them all next year. 

    The foxgloves are Dalmatian pinks and the rest are all perennials. 

    Thank you. Marie. 
  • marieS24marieS24 Posts: 23
    Dalmatian mix not pinks. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited July 2020
    Foxgloves need no winter protection. They're totally hardy. 
    I don't grow Echinacea or geums, but the others are the same - they don't need to be protected. 

    Assuming they're in a reasonable sized pot by then - ie not smaller than 3 or 4 inches - they'll be fine outside all winter. I leave all sorts of things outside, even in small pots. I might stick them against the house wall if there's a lot of snow/ice or prolonged periods of sub zero frosts, but otherwise they just stay out there. 
    Keeping them too protected encourages soft, weak growth, and makes them more likely to succumb to pests and diseases.  :)

    The last three are the same - hardy and tough.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • marieS24marieS24 Posts: 23
    Thank you for the great advice fairygirl. I’m very happy that I can leave most of them outside in a sheltered spot so I have room in my small greenhouse for my more tender plants. You’re all great. Thank you. 
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    All those plants are hardy. If you were to get an unusually cold winter with hard frost then putting them in a cold frame would be helpful. Keep them on the drier side as very wet soil in pots can freeze solid. 
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