Saving Plants for next year

Fall frosts may kill your tender plants that are not protected. I have Hibiscus plants alive  that I purchased at Frank's Nursery and they closed years ago. Winter is sure to do them in. Some are worth the effort to save.



How you ask? I bring them into the basement for the winter. They will survive under 4 foot fluorescent lights. The bulbs should be mixed cool/warm white etc. Grow light bulbs are over rated and too expensive for most people but are great if you can afford them. I rig the lights to hang from wire so I can adjust the height as needed.  12 hours of light is my standard up until March when I start increasing the light to match the current day light hours. I have also kept them alive in an unheated attached garage. Some winters it is mild enough to get by with this tactic.

All I try to do is keep them alive. I do not need them to prosper as this just makes more work for me. What have I had good luck with keeping alive ?

Hibiscus , Ferns, Geraniums, Crossandra,  Impatiens, Gerber Daisies, Begonias. Plus many others too numerous to list.

Many of these are kept in the same pots year after year and treated to a soil change in the spring. I remove the bottom couple of inches and outside also. Supplying new soil and room to expand. Some plants, such as Lantana, are dug up and placed in a pot to over winter in. The top must be pruned as severely as the roots were if they are to have a chance of survival.

The Impatiens, Geraniums and Begonias will all be duplicated as spring approaches. Please inquire if you need to know how to do this with these plants.