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Overwintering Penstemon plants.
LINDA F
Posts: 162
Hi good morning all. I have 4 penstemon plants bought last week still in the pots. Am I better to leave in the pots and put somewhere sheltered over the winter or plant them into the ground? I lost 3 plants last year which were in the ground and would really love to hold onto these. I live in the West of Scotland. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.
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Posts
Leave the top growth on and cut back in Spring. It is believed to protect the plant more. If you lost one lot in the ground , pot them into larger pots if pot bound, and keep sheltered and on the dryish side until Spring. Against a sheltered wall, if you haven't got a coldframe.
Verdun the pots are 5ins . The plants are about 10 ins high. I do have some spare ground to plant them in. Are the pots big enough or should I pot them into something bigger?
Are any penstemmons reliably hardy in the UK? (Most years that is.)
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
Thanks Verdun will plant them in today.
Thanks from me as well Verdun I will plant them next year. (I am in South Cheshire)
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
I had a number of penstemon which survived a many of winters apparently unaffected. Then we had a winter with an extended cold period and I lost the lot! Not 'reliably hardy' in our area.