Knowledgebase

Maintaining Plants in Winter #771476

Asked September 14, 2021, 9:14 AM EDT

Hi We have few plants like Roses, Hibiscus, Tomato, mint, Indian curry Leaves, Indian Holy Basil (Tulasi), Thai Chilli, Jasmine, Aloe Vera and Chrysanthemum. I would like to know whether I could maintain these plants in winter with Green House. If so, would you recommend any particular Green House? I did find couple of it in Amazon costing between 60 to 100$. Do you recommend any warming light for the Greenhouse? We would be grateful for your guidance Thank you

Anne Arundel County Maryland

Expert Response

Some of these plants could be overwintered in a sheltered location, but others may be best kept outdoors - ideally in the ground. (In pots, even hardy plants may not survive the winter due to the greater exposure to temperature swings the pot experiences.) Cold-hardy plants usually need to have a cold dormancy period to "rest" before they resume growth in the spring; it also helps with timely flower production. Therefore, hardy plants needing shelter because they are being kept in containers can be stored in a cold greenhouse, such that they are chilled to suppress growth but kept from experiencing freezes; about 40 degrees is a good target temperature. Plants that are not frost-hardy at all must be brought indoors before night temperatures get too low; mid-October is an average time. Plants that are sheltered in frost-free locations can go back outside once temperatures moderate and cease freezing at night, which tends to average around mid-May in central Maryland.

Roses are a diverse group, but many are fully winter-hardy in our area when planted in the ground. There is a select group of miniature roses that are less hardy and forced into bloom, generally as a houseplant in winter or early spring, so these would need to be inside. Knowing the variety name of the rose you have will determine where it's best wintered-over. If you don't have a tag for it, you can send us photos so we can make an educated guess.

There are three main types of Hibiscus grown in our area, and overwintering depends on type. Herbaceous perennial species (Hibiscus moscheutos and kin) need to be planted in the ground and will survive winter just fine provided the soil doesn't get too dry. Their top growth dies back to the ground and the roots survive and resprout in late spring. Shrubby types (Hibiscus syriacus, also called Rose-of-Sharon) are also fully hardy and should spend the winter in the ground, though it shouldn't be soggy. They will shed leaves, but the branches survive. Both of these should be planted in a full sun location for best flowering next summer. Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is an evergreen tropical and must come indoors or be kept in a greenhouse that does not get below 55 degrees. When inside a house, it should be kept in bright light and above-average humidity if possible.
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/overwintering-tropical-plants

Tomato and pepper plants are treated as annuals (living for one year) here, though they technically are tender perennials where they are native. ("Tender" means they will still die if exposed to frost.) Tomatoes are not adapted to cold weather, even if above freezing; they have difficulty absorbing needed nutrients from cool soil and will not receive enough hours of sunlight during the winter months to grow and flower/fruit unless provided with bright supplemental lighting, which will probably be impractical as such fixtures are expensive. Peppers might overwinter in a dormant state (not actively growing or blooming/fruiting, so supplemental light isn't needed) if kept no cooler than 40 degrees. It would be simpler to just replace the plants next year.

Mint is a diverse group but most or all of the commonly-grown species/varieties are fully cold-hardy here. If you plant it in the ground, be aware that mint can spread aggressively and form a large patch over time. Containing it in a pot can help restrain its creeping stems, but may run the risk of winter damage if the weather is unusually cold. (They're so vigorous, though, that they should bounce back easily.)

Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) is another frost-tender tropical and must be kept above 40 degrees. Otherwise, bring it inside the house and give it bright light and above-average humidity, if possible. Use caution in watering since their usage of moisture will lessen in winter and over-watering a potted plant is easier to do unless you monitor for dryness before watering. Feel the soil an inch or more beneath the surface and only water once this layer is fairly dry. While some leaf drop is to be expected due to stress when plants are moved indoors, if this continues into winter, the plant may be getting overwatered or was allowed to get too dry between waterings.

Tulsi basil is a tender perennial but we are not familiar with its care as an overwintered plant. If you try, overwinter it like a pepper, where it will go dormant and should survive until spring if kept no cooler than 40 degrees.

Jasmines are also a diverse group, comprising several different species. Knowing which you have will determine temperature tolerances, but in general, they are tropical and do not tolerate freezing conditions. You can probably overwinter some in a cool greenhouse (guessing no cooler than 50 degrees), but usually they're houseplants. As with the above, give them bright light and higher-than-average humidity, and be cautious about overwatering.

Aloe vera is a tender succulent and should be kept inside under bright light; water only when the soil is fairly dry, which will probably be much less often than it needed water outside. Don't chill them below about 55 degrees.

Chrysanthemums are either cold-hardy or somewhat-tender perennials - there are many varieties and several species in that large group. Usually, the potted mums sold in autumn are treated as temporary annuals and not overwintered, though in mild winters (when planted in the ground) they may return for several years. Those sold at nurseries specifically in their perennial plant departments (often under botanical name Dendranthema, for instance) are fully hardy. If kept in a greenhouse, aim for around 40 degrees.

Cold storage in a greenhouse is tricky, because it will need venting to prevent too much heat build-up on sunny or mild days. Its purpose in that case is to merely protect plants from the coldest of weather, rather than keeping them as warm as the growing season. Warmth will not only interfere with plant dormancy, but can also encourage pest outbreaks like aphids, whitefly, mites, and others.

We do not have brand or model recommendations, but an important feature would be the ease of venting away excess heat. We do not have experience with heaters and don't have any specific tips regarding how to heat such a structure; how much heat is needed will depend on what the structure is made of and how insulating that material is. A location in as much sun as possible, especially sheltered from the wind by a house wall, may be enough for temperatures to stay around 40 degrees on their own with no heating. Using lights for the plants in a greenhouse is also complicated and a safety concern, because you need to have them fairly waterproof given the condensation that will occur and accidental spray from watering the plants or leaks from rain. The power usage and cost of the fixture themselves (for both heating and lighting, but especially heating) may not be worth the expense for plants that can easily be replaced in spring. Only plants with high sentimental value that shouldn't be indoors (if they need that chilling period) would be worth considering for such a project in our opinion.

 

Miri

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