Overwintering Annuals - Page 2


© Susan Ward
Page 2
The experts at Hume Seeds advise that overwintered geraniums and fuschias will generally be quite slow to bloom the second year, grow taller and produce more foliage than freshly started plants. I've found this to be true too, but get around it by taking cuttings of the geraniums in February or March. For details on taking geranium cuttings, see an excellent article by Alice B. Russell at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8504.htm...

Begonias are another tender plant that you may want to overwinter. Like geraniums, potted begonias can be brought indoors and put in a cool, well-ventilated room. Begin withholding water from them and the foliage will die back. Within a few weeks you can easily remove the stem and leaves without damage to the tuber. Next, remove the tuber from the soil, clean it off, dust it with a complete soil dust and store it on top of dry peat moss until it is ready to be restarted early next year. For more information, see "Wintering Geraniums, Fuschias and Begonias" at http://www.humeseeds.com/wntrng.htm.

This year I'm experimenting with New Guinea Impatiens for the first time; I've potted up a half-dozen of them and brought them into my house to see if they can be easily overwintered. So far they've responded by blooming luxuriantly and putting on a much better display than they ever gave out in the yard last summer!

What are you overwintering this year and what technique are you using? Other readers could benefit from hearing about your past successes and failures. Email your experiences in and let other gardeners know how your indoor garden is doing. Just because the season has changed doesn't mean gardening is over for the year; it's just in another place.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

3.   Nov 10, 1999 5:36 PM
I've heard of people 'hanging' fuschias, too... but I've never tried this.

Has anyone else done this?

Susan


-- posted by sward4


2.   Nov 10, 1999 9:18 AM
Well, we're ducking wildly to avoid having our eyes poked out by two giant brugmansias. . .

But as to the "annuals" - the only things I brought in were a special coleus and a tender pennisetum with ...


-- posted by CarolWallace


1.   Nov 10, 1999 9:10 AM
I'm trying heliotrope this year. I did try it overwintered in a garage one other time, and it was a total flop, but this year I'm lucky to have a cool greenhouse, so I'm trying it again.

Of course ...


-- posted by mica





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