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Buying 9cm perennials now - how to over-winter?

NollieNollie Posts: 7,052
in Plants
Eek, I noticed while window-shopping that the perennials I planned on buying mail order early next spring are getting low in numbers and I don’t want to miss out! Salvias and Geraniums, mainly.

If I ordered them now, how best to over-winter them? I only have an unheated poly and temps will drop to -7/8 as winter gets going if past record is to go on.

Will they be fine in the unheated poly or better indoors, say, a spare unheated bedroom?
Pot on now, or keep them in their little pots and pot-on in Spring?
Keep them just damp or water once then ignore?


Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,145
    I'd pot them on so they have extra growing room for their roots and insulation too.  Give them a good drink then put all the pots together in the polytunnel for cosiness.  If it gets really cold maybe make a tent of fleece or sacking of some sort or even cardboard laid on top for the coldest periods as they'll all be dormant anyway so not in need of light.   

    However, if your geraniums are really pelargoniums I'd keep them in a frost free room once potted on as they don't do even light frosts well.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,052
    The cardboard as insulation is a good idea @Obelixx, thanks. No fleece, but I think I have some spare bubblewrap somewhere I could also wrap around the outside of the huddle if necessary. The geraniums are of the hardy variety, not pelargoniums. OH will thank me if they are not cluttering up a spare bedroom!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,313
    I agree with @Obelixx, Are the Salvias Greggii/Macrophylla types? If so then just pot them on and give them a drink - they will be fine. I have left first year cuttings of these plants outside over winter against a south facing wall and just fleeced them when it was very frosty.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,052
    They are Salvia Verticillata @floralies. But, having got to checkout, I noticed there was an option to select your delivery date, so have selected the end of February - problem solved, the nursery can nurse them over winter for me! Thanks.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,313
    That solves that problem @Nollie!
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,052
    It certainly does, but thanks for your advice anyway @floralies and @Obelixx, I will store it up for future use!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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