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Looking after my gunnera
Leslie Longstaff
Posts: 4
I have a magnificent gunnera, in a pot, sitting just in the water at the margin of my pool, and I don't know how to look after it through the winter. Should I make a bog garden for it, which it could share with my gunnera perpensa? Should I remove it from the water, and put it somewhere sheltered? Can I leave it where it is, but mulch the crown?
I'd appreciate some advice, please
0
Posts
It depends on how cold your garden gets in winter. They come from Brazil and the central crown where the new growth points are is frost tender so you need to fold a couple of leaves over it and pile on a thick mulch of garden compost to protect it.
However, since yours is still in a pot you could also lift it and keep it in a sheltered spot. I sunk mine in the greenhouse border last winter and it was fine but we had a mild winter. This year it's in a larger pot but will still be moved to the greenhouse once frosts are forecast and I will be sure to keep an eye on it and protect the crown more fully as we surely won't get two mild winters in a row.
Covering the crown with the large leaves is the way to keep them alive over winter and as per Obelixx's advise I would move yours as it is in a pot to a mild spot.
Mine is in a pot, the bottom of the pot touches the surface of the pond, im in the west mids, ive had mine for 4 years, havent protected it yet (more because i forget than anything!), so i wouldnt worry too much, but i would do as they guys above said
I had one wiped out completely but a surprise - 8C frost in October one year. It had previously survived -20C under a 3' pile of compost.
This one is getting winter TLC in the greenhouse till it's big enough to plant out and will then get a very thick blanket of compost and straw every winter. It's currently on my terrace in a 50cm pot sat in a saucer so it holds water and stays moist and is very happy.
Thank you very much to blairs and bekkie for your helpful advice.
Obelixx - thank you for the info - mine is in a 35 cm pot, has super leaves, had flowers, and now has a very large pink growth in the middle, which I'm assuming is the new growth. I shall follow your advice about moving it to the greenhouse - does it need to be in the heated greenhouse, or the cold one? And one more question - at what size will it be big enough to plant out? And one more!! Where's the best place to plant it? Thanks - Leslie
Hi LL. Mine will be moved into a cold greenhouse lined with bubble wrap. I will sink the pot to its neck in the compost filled bed. I do have a heater I can put on at night if I think it's going down below -10C and I can also cover it with a couple of layers of horticultural fleece for added protection.
Next spring I will start wtareing gently when the temps get around 5 to 8C which is when I expect it to start thinking about growing again and then I shall take it out again after the worst frosts and pot it into a bigger pot for it to grow on and get bigger.
Mine will be planted out when it reaches a pot size I can no longer carry with OH so 60cms max or 90cms if I use one of my plastic terracotta effect pots which are so much lighter. I keep mine on the terrace in summer and it gets full sun most of the day but has a saucer of water to keep it moist. When it does get planted out it will be at the edge of my unlined pond where it can get its roots deep into moist soil. It will be in full sun but they can take partial shade too.
Here is what the RHS says about them - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=890
Hello Obelixx,
Thank you for this - I'm very grateful for your help. I shall have to beg for space in my husband's cold greenhouse, and move it to the heated one if we have an extended period of sub zeros. He also has a weather station, so I should have good notice!
I like the idea of having it on the terrace too, it's such a lovely plant, and I'll be able to see it from the kitchen window. Many thanks.
Hi there, Leslie
Just spotted this thread. Perhaps you are sorted here. Just wanted to add my Gunnera isn't in water but I have been overwintering it outside for many years now and it has come though some pretty cold winters here in Scotland.
It's all about protecting the crown. I've an old 2007 blog on what I still do with photos see http://blog.shirlsgardenwatch.co.uk/2007/10/gunnera-winter-ready.html
Good luck with yours. If it were mine, I might take it out of the water (because you can) protect the crown as I do above and store it in a sheltered corner outside. I don't imagine you'd need to keep yours in a greenhouse - perhaps you could bubble wrap your pot for really cold spells.