bringing plants in for the winter

[Sandy Zone 3b]

I am bringing in an Ivy Geranium, it's looking better now then it did during the heat of the summer. It should grow reasonable well in a south facing window and hope it won't lose to many of it's leaves. I seem to have better luck with them then the other geraniums and I'm not sure what I do wrong!!

[RubyTuesday49]

I love the colours of your Ivy geraniums! I have a Martha Washington that I have just brought into the SunRoom. I took a couple of slips off it to see if I could start a new one. I'll see which one does best I guess! LOL

[Sandy Zone 3b]

I took some lime colored potato vine in already and they rooted very easily. The ivy geraniums are in the shop for now and I think I will try some slips off of them too!
I'm not sure if I will put them under the lights this time of year, as it just seemed like I just shut them off for the summer. Some of my plants seemed to take forever to get started!

[RubyTuesday49]

I will just do as I have in past years - take some slips, and leave others in the big planters and put them in the unheated Workshop and SunRoom. I barely water them at all til Spring. I did dig up the Martha Washington and put it in a pot - I'll see how that works. Do you dip your geranium slips in rooting compound? I heard that you shouldn't do that but my Mom wanted to try it, so we shall see what results. So far I noticed that the regular geranium slips have wilted a bit as they usually do at first but the MWs haven't wilted at all (yet).

[haili]

Ruby: I just dig up the whole plant but cut it back hard. They are a good size by spring and sometimes bloom at the end of winter. When I put them out they get ugly looking for awhile but then when they get their colour back, they are as big as those $30. plants you see in garden center planters. Once they start to look healthy I give them some fertilizer and they bloom beautifully. I know some people take slips and others hang plants in the basement but I'm too lazy for that and find it easier to just put them in pots.

[A Closet Canuck]

Haili, I was hoping someone would say they dug up the whole plant and brought it in for the winter. How easy is that?! Will try it.

[RubyTuesday49]

I've always taken slips but this year I'm going to do both slips and plants. The only trouble with taking in plants is that they sometimes bring in little flies & bugs and also it takes a fair bit of room. Lots of fun, planning & decisions - that's what makes life interesting.

[nel3]

i have a 14in ch pot full of Celosia seeds that keep coming back each year. i let the cold get to them but i do bring in my Coleus pot. i had the coleus as 3 plants in a 6 inch pot from the store but upgraded to a 10 inch pot. it stays out when its warm before the cold comes around. i think its 3yrs old already. its not my favorite variety as i do prefer the square stemmed pink variety though ive owned a square stem vanilla variety before, i think i might get another one in the future if i get the chance. my current coleus had taught me a good lesson. its grows so fast ive learned to toss most trimmings aside from 1-2 backup plants.

[haili]

Fungus gnats came out of the plants and I should have sprayed the soil before bringing them in, even though I used fresh potting soil. I let them dry out for 3 weeks and then watered with soapy water. They seem to be gone now and the plants are fine.

[B_BQ]

When we were in England in October I was really taken with some lovely shrubs I saw growing in many gardens. I asked my husband what they were. He said Fuchsia! I said no way. He said he grew up with them. They always had them in their garden and they just got bigger every year.
Well, as soon as I got back to Canada I had to find out whether I could grow them here. Too bad! Not in Ontario! Winters too cold! I was so disappointed.
This is a pic of one in the village where we were staying. It was about 3+ feet high x 4+ feet across. Gorgeous!
~BBQ