on the brink of stash the tender vegetation, with marianne willburn

IT IS NOT TIME fairly but right here for what I name the mad stash, storing these non-hardy vegetation for the winter that we want to hold alive for an additional yr of service. However it’s time to make some plans to just do that.

Marianne Willburn, creator of “Tropical Vegetation and Methods to Love Them” (affiliate hyperlink), and a critical mad stasher, is right here to assist us puzzle out what goes the place for finest outcomes.

Marianne is a contributing editor to the collaborative weblog known as “Backyard Rant,” and she or he’s additionally the creator of the 2021 e-book, “Tropical Vegetation and Methods to Love Them.”’

We’ve each been stashing many sorts of funding vegetation over a few years, with wins and losses alongside the way in which. So we needed to match notes that can assist you fine-tune your strategic plans for adapting spots in the home, cellar, storage, wherever, to enhance your overwintering outcomes with tender treasures (like Marianne’s bromeliads grouped in a terrarium on a pebble tray, above).

Plus: Remark close to the underside of the web page for an opportunity to win a replica of the e-book.

Learn alongside as you hearken to the Sept. 18, 2023 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant under. You may subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).

overwintering tender vegetation, with marianne willburn

 

Margaret Roach: So simply to kind of set the scene, Marianne, we must always inform folks the place we backyard and what our realities are that we’re stashing issues in opposition to [laughter]. I’m Zone 5b in New York State, Hudson Valley, and possibly I can get to minus 10 or minus 15. Generally we don’t. I can have frost in Could, even late Could. I can have it as early as late September; typically it’s not until mid-October. What about you? The place are you?

Marianne Willburn: I’m in Northern Virginia. I’m in 6b. Some folks prefer to kind of suppose they’re in 7, however they’re not [laughter]. We’re in 6b and it may get down as little as destructive 5, however zero is often round the place we’re. Our first frost is often round October fifteenth. It may go as late as November 1st, and when it does, it simply means we’re all exhausted, as a result of we will tackle a lot extra work because the season goes on.

Margaret: Oh, sure.

Marianne: You in all probability know that deal, proper?

Margaret: Sure, sure, sure. Yeah, we don’t need the frost or the freeze to return, the laborious freezes to return, however alternatively… It may imply, “Oh, effectively, I’m carried out with my chores for this yr.” [Laughter.]

Marianne: Oh yeah. After I go all the way down to Florida for Tropical Plant Worldwide Expo in January, and I see everyone working so laborious down there, I’m so grateful to have a break.

Margaret: Proper, to not have a 12-month season. So, I simply needed to match notes on what areas we use in our house form of worlds, what locations we name into motion. I retailer issues in my cellar, which is likely to be 40-something levels, actually below 50, however above 40. I’ve an unheated barn that I take advantage of for some issues, and naturally even the home in some instances. What about you? What are a number of the areas?

Marianne: Sure, there’s some similarities there. I’ve a storage that’s frost free, stays in that kind of 35-to-40 vary as a result of the boiler is there. I used to do the identical factor in my cellar, such as you did, in my final home. I used to maintain issues in an unheated barn as effectively, however I’m staying nearer to the home today, and I hold issues as houseplants, that are actually glad as houseplants. After which I hold kind of my “ugly nook” [laughter] of the high-maintenance vegetation that aren’t glad being houseplants, however they get to manage collectively in shared ugliness, and my care, and just a little little bit of added humidity from being shut collectively. And I take advantage of ugliness as just a little little bit of a joke. They’re not as stunning as a few of our basic houseplants.

Margaret: Proper. Effectively, and actually, I imply you had been simply saying “as houseplants,” so that you’re not speaking about your conventional houseplants which may even be indoors all yr. You’re speaking about vegetation that you simply convey into the home and say, “O.Ok., are you able to cooperate sufficient to remain alive for the winter?” [Laughter.]

Marianne: Precisely. “Can we simply make it by way of a number of months collectively? And this won’t be nice for you, it won’t be nice for me, however the finish is simply to get you thru this time interval.” And I do various things to make that occur. And likewise a pair completely different locations in my home. I all the time go for the good place in my home for these form of vegetation as a result of the cooler, the higher in a drier situation. So if I’m away from heating ducts, and notably considered one of my rooms that doesn’t have heating ducts, that’s the most effective state of affairs for these vegetation.

Margaret: Proper. So what we’re getting at then is that we have to perform a little form of evaluation of… And a variety of that is trial and error. I imply, I’ve had vegetation that the primary yr they lived with me, I didn’t make them very glad, after which I form of found out, , I learn the suggestions they had been giving me, and I did higher the following yr and so forth. But it surely’s kind of: can we hold it in lively development, or ought to we let it go dormant, or is it kind of going to be (such as you talked in regards to the ugly nook or no matter) that it’s kind of someplace in between. They’re not likely lively and plush, however they’re not likely completely totally dormant within the cellar, in the dead of night, within the chilly.

Marianne: Sure.

Margaret: So how do you, give us some examples of a number of the ones that you simply hold awake, let fall asleep, what I imply, what’s by which areas?

Marianne: Yeah, A very nice instance of which can be a few of my smaller Alocasia, and Alocasia has develop into a preferred houseplant. The elephant ears, however very particular elephant ears.

And these vegetation, actually, I used to be simply speaking to a grower the opposite day who stated, “I don’t know why these are houseplants.” As a result of the spider mites need them. These are very completely different than Colocasia, which, no method are you protecting as a houseplant. In case you are, you might be superb. However Alocasia are just a little bit thicker, just a little waxier typically. They’re often an upright leaf. There’s a number of different issues which can be just a little bit completely different about them, however these are all generalities.

And these vegetation, they don’t essentially need to go into full dormancy. You may put them into full dormancy in that cellar of yours simply frost-free. However they might quite keep “within the inexperienced” and so they’d quite keep in kind of a stasis state of affairs, the place they’re 50, 60 levels, simply kind of getting by way of. Effectively, I can’t give any of my vegetation that form of, “Oh, certain, I’ve received part of my home that’s 55 levels.” [Laughter.] That’s actually robust. So I put them within the coldest a part of my eating room for the littlest ones. The massive ones, I don’t care. You’re going into dormancy, you’re going into dormancy within the storage, you’re large enough to deal with it. [Above, ‘Pharoah’s Mask’ and ‘Morning Dew’ Colocasia at Marianne’s.]

Margaret: As a result of you may’t actually accommodate them in any other case. I’ve mates who’ve a sunroom and it has just a little warmth, nevertheless it’s not super-heated. And that’s the form of house. And I’ve one other buddy who has form of like a mudroom, vestibule form of factor that may be closed off just a little bit, nevertheless it has home windows on two sides. And so these are these transitional areas that we will typically pack with vegetation that need that stasis that you simply’re speaking about.

And with out making our home, the entire home, super-cold or no matter, and with out exposing them to the warmth of the primary home, , the primary elements of the home the place we had been residing. However not everybody has that house. Not everybody has that house.

Marianne: No, we’re aiming in the direction of as cool and dry as attainable, not that means we wish them to be dry, however you don’t need them to be cool and moist. That’s actually unhealthy. Chilly and moist is unhealthy, that’s rotting.

However what we’ve in our homes often is heat and dry. And that on one hand tells a plant, “Develop, it’s heat.” After which on the opposite facet, on the moisture facet says, “Cease rising. There’s no moisture.” And so that you’re placing these vegetation into this split-personality state of affairs the place they go, “What, do I develop? Do I not develop?” After which they only spiral down into demise spiral. So we need to push in the direction of the good that we will for these pickier vegetation.

Make some selections within the fall while you’re drained, that is the most effective time to do it. I do know you’re drained, I’m drained. You’re bored with rain, I’m bored with drought, and that is the time that you simply make these selections so that you don’t child a plant by way of the winter, undergo all this bother for it after which within the spring, “Oh, O.Ok., effectively I’ve to discover a place for that.” As a result of spring has come and also you’re excited and all the things’s nice, however now you’ve received an enormous workload. So making these selections proper now, being discerning about, “Do I actually need that plant? Did I find it irresistible this yr? Did it do loads for what I used to be attempting to create on my deck or patio or backyard?” That, I feel, is the most effective place to begin. Let’s be actually discerning in what we have to hold first after which determine how are we going to maintain them.

Margaret: Yeah. And that is going to take some homework, and once more, like I stated earlier, trial and error. And I feel the Alocasia and Colocasia, the elephant ears which can be all lumped collectively. There’s been a lot curiosity in them within the final, I don’t know, 15 years or no matter. There’s a zillion completely different ones and so they’re all just a little completely different. Some make, just like the Colocasia, I feel they make extra like a, is it a tuber or a rhizome? I don’t even…

Marianne: It’s a corm, yeah.

Margaret: A corm, okay. And so once more, you may form of put them to sleep within the cellar the way in which you may, your Canna or no matter. However a few of these different ones, the extra showy, newer cultivars, particularly the Alocasia, not a lot. And what I’ve had occur is I’ve tried to maintain it limping alongside after which I’ve tried the dormancy. I’ve tried each. After which the factor doesn’t need to get up after I need it to get up, which is in spring, in order that then I can take pleasure in Could, June, July, August, September, my solely frost-free season. It won’t get up until July or August [laughter].

Marianne: Oh, sure. And I had that occur this yr. Yeah, completely. I used to be so late getting issues began due to a extremely huge talking schedule. So I received it late. I actually solely received my Alocasia shifting about three weeks in the past. Effectively, hiya. It’s July.

Margaret: Precisely, precisely. So that is the factor is that typically you don’t kill it, nevertheless it backfires for the utilitarian worth of the vegetation. So we have to additionally discover vegetation that, as you discuss in your e-book, are form of our greatest mates and good companion, I do know you’ve completely different phrases for them, however into the completely different chapters, you form of group them in these charming methods, nearly anthropomorphizing them.

However we have to discover ones which can be suited to the situations we will realistically supply and never spend $50 on one thing that, until we’re O.Ok. with that, that we would not be capable to overwinter.

Marianne: Sure, completely. I imply that $50 that you simply spend in Could for one thing that’s going to final simply till the start of October, finish of September, that’s a reasonably first rate funding for what’s in impact a flower bouquet that lasted that many months. Proper?

Margaret: Proper. It’s.

Marianne: That’s a summer time romance. However we would not need to try this with that many vegetation [laughter].

Margaret: Proper, and alternatively, I would for that value purchase a younger shrub and I would put it in a giant pot, a shrub that’s at the least as hardy as my space or possibly just a little hardier. And I would put it in a giant pot and I would then drag it into my storage for the winter. And I might need that as a bit of moveable backyard decor for 10 years. Or I would find yourself placing it into the bottom when it will get large enough, shifting it up into an even bigger pot a couple of times after which placing it within the floor. So it depends upon what we expect an funding, a superb funding and a superb return on our funding is. And for every of us, that’s one thing completely different.

A few of my finest had been shrubs or Japanese maples, small Japanese maple bushes that I’ve had 15 years in a development of bigger pots. And yearly they’re key fixtures within the backyard. They’re like my “annuals” as a result of they lived the remainder of the yr within the barn, however they’re nice [laughter].

Marianne: And really customized. They’re going to be completely different for every of us. We are able to try this with some tender vegetation like Brugmansia or Plumeria, which may simply get pulled into the storage, simply stored above freezing, could be beautiful, come again in a short time within the spring, and that makes a variety of sense. However if you happen to’re doing that with the Alocasia that we talked about, and it’s taking so lengthy, it doesn’t make sense. So figuring that out for your self, that’s actually necessary.

Margaret: If you need a superb return on funding, purchase cannas [laughter]. [Canna rhizome, above.]

Marianne: Oh sure.

Margaret: As a result of they’re rock laborious, they only, I swear, I imply I by no means lose any, they only go into the cellar and so they’re simply glad and it’s no huge deal. I truly ended up shopping for, I’ve so a lot of them now, I ended up shopping for a number of… On the like Greenback Retailer or one thing, the ironmongery shop, I ended up shopping for a number of of these plastic laundry baskets. It’s like plastic mesh. It’s only a huge laundry basket with the 2 handles, one on both finish. And it’s like I simply put them in there, carry them downstairs, after which I put a kind of a tarp loosely over the entire thing and that’s the top of that. After which I carry them again up within the spring. It’s simple.

Marianne: It’s ridiculous how simple they’re.

Margaret: Yeah. So what about, one factor I like and I’ve had combined success as a result of there’s so many truly several types of vegetation inside this group, however what in regards to the bromeliads? How about these? As a result of, and a few could be grown as houseplants and a few are extra fussy. And what about that? Do you’ve any of these in your assortment?

Marianne: Oh, sure.

Margaret: As a result of they’re so beautiful and so they’re so fantastic for open air in a kind of oblique mild form of, I feel. A few of them could be within the solar, however a few of them in a vivid spot. I like how they appear.

Marianne: Sure. You’ve simply touched on in all probability my favourite group of vegetation as a result of they’re fascinating. They’re statement-making and so they’re nonetheless very completely different. When you will get your hand on a superb one, you retain it. I’ve tried to maintain my assortment small in order that it’s workable.

These vegetation want, over all, just a little bit extra humidity if you happen to may give it to them. And so what I’ve carried out is in a spot in my workplace, which is cooler, it’s completely freezing to me within the winter [laughter], I’ve a terrarium in there that’s open on the highest and a pebble tray within the backside of that terrarium. And I can get about 4 to 5 bromeliads in that. They usually sit on that pebble tray that I continuously fill with water, and that additional humidity that’s constructed due to the glass sides of the terrarium and the truth that these vegetation are shut collectively.. They do want some air motion as effectively; they’re finicky about that, however that enables them to do rather well. They usually’re in a sunnier window, so that they have just a little bit of sunshine. I’ve received a mister after I’m feeling bored and in the midst of an article that I’m simply mind-blocked on, I can simply sit there misting them, enthusiastic about it.

So, they work rather well. This final yr I had a Vriesea bloom for me in the midst of the winter and I’m like, “Effectively, I’m doing one thing proper with these guys.”

Margaret: Wow, good. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Marianne: After which after all my Tillandsia, that are bromeliads, these are my air vegetation. These are even much less care wanted. These embellish the kitchen. I like placing a xerographica, Tillandsia xerographica [above at Marianne’s], up in the place my rolling pins are that come out, a number of of them are in my kitchen.

Margaret: [Laughter.] Somewhat creature. Somewhat creature.

Marianne: It’s. And people are enjoyable. They usually simply get a shower as soon as every week. They get a pleasant dunk as soon as every week and so they’re good. The bromeliad, kind of those that folks consider as bromeliads, the Neoregelia, Vriesea, Aechmea, these sort of issues, these I fill the funnel and allow them to have sufficient water at that method.

Margaret: In order that cup like central at their crown, a cup-like space.

Marianne: Sure. And I imply, I keep in mind Liz speaking to someone at Bullis Bromeliads down in Florida, actually fantastic grower, and she or he was saying, “Don’t fill the cup. It may be unhealthy within the winter.” However that hasn’t been my expertise.

Margaret: No, not for me. If I don’t fill it, they appear sad.

Marianne: Yeah, and in order that has additionally proven me that what’s working for one particular person is probably not working for an additional and that we’ve to play with these vegetation. Trial and error is a method of claiming it. I prefer to say taking part in with them, as a result of we’re determining what our boundaries are, our limits are with them, and the way they’ll reply to what we’re giving them.

Margaret: Yeah. And there’s some no-nos, such as you talked about heat and dry. Some locations in our houses are simply inconceivable for sure sorts of vegetation, like those you had been simply speaking about. They’re not going to be glad in a super-dry, super-warm spot, the bromeliads in all probability. But when a plant needs to be kind of asleep and you retain soaking it, hold watering it and stuff, that may additionally trigger its decline. Have you learnt what I imply? It’s like forcing somebody to be half-awake or three-quarters awake who doesn’t need to. Or if it’s too chilly and it’s chilly and moist, that’s a extremely unhealthy mixture, too. So it’s additionally kind of determining that and when to again off.

Marianne: I imply ideally I’d love in some unspecified time in the future to, I simply received a greenhouse final yr, received all of it up and going. I’d like to warmth it to about 50 and put all these guys into stasis there, however that’s going to be actually costly and is probably not value it to me.

Margaret: Yeah. And it’s a variety of work, too, as a result of one thing all the time goes improper. There’s all the time an emergency. Everybody I do know who has a greenhouse there’s… I’ve by no means had one, however there’s all the time some emergency, some drama.

Marianne: Yeah, And I feel that there’s power on this e-book in that I did all of this work with tropicals and subtropicals with out assistance from that greenhouse. So it’s to indicate folks, “Hey, you are able to do this and not using a greenhouse. You are able to do it with one, too.” However there’s methods of getting round it. And once more, it involves paring down the vegetation that take advantage of sense for you.

A few of my huge statement-making vegetation outdoors are a few of my finest houseplants inside. Issues like my massive Schefflera or a really massive philodendron that I’ve. These, I’ve received a stupendous Beaucarnea recurvata, the ponytail palm. It’s unbelievable inside, it’s unbelievable outdoors. And so it’s a win-win all yr lengthy for me, the one draw back to it truly is simply taking it out and in on the dolly.

Margaret: Proper, and I agree. I feel that assertion kind of houseplant, vegetation that may be accommodated and are glad to be inside and can be then utilized in our vignettes outdoors within the backyard in the appropriate spots. That’s your largest 12-month plant, the plant you’re going to get 12 months of glad service out of. So I’ve a variety of these as effectively.

And I need to ask you about, kind of fast, “What to do with…” As an illustration, lots of people have been rising these crimson Abyssinian bananas. Is that one thing, do you chop it again and convey it in or what do you do with that, as an example, actual fast?

Marianne: I do. These vegetation are very, very simple to retailer till they get very, very huge. And then you definitely’re going to begin rethinking, “O.Ok., I can begin once more subsequent yr with a brand new plant.” They develop in a short time. However if you happen to received one thing that’s possibly one to 3 years outdated, I dig it. It’s very, very shallowly rooted. Don’t be afraid that these roots are very tiny simply across the base of this plant. Take them into the storage. I wrap that rootball with an outdated towel, as a result of it acts as a humidifier, principally, a regulator.

After which I put a plastic bag excessive of that and I put that into a big 10 gallon or 20 gallon trug that I can transfer round if I have to. But it surely just about stays in the identical place.

At all times retailer them vertically, as a result of if you happen to retailer them horizontally, and also you’re going to need to since you need to stack them or one thing, they’ll begin to develop ever a lot and they’re going to distort through the winter, and it takes some time to get them out of that.

You narrow off all of these leaves, depart the rising level, you’re going to begin to see some development within the spring because the temperatures are beginning to choose up at, I say spring, however let’s say finish of February, starting of March, as temperatures are getting just a little bit hotter, that’s while you’re going to repot them and get them able to be going outdoors for like a Could… For you guys in all probability Could fifteenth.

Margaret: Sure, precisely. Precisely. I simply need to discuss some issues we retailer as a result of they’re tasty. [Laughter.] You and I each have a freezer factor occurring. I can’t develop herbs yr spherical outdoors, however I’ve sufficient, and so I freeze all the things from parsley to varied pestos of tons and plenty of completely different inexperienced herbs, every kind of issues, tomatoes, and who is aware of what. So I freeze plenty of various things. However you additionally freeze a few of your kind of “edimental,” ornamental-edible tropical goodies, like gingery kind of issues. Inform us a pair actual fast of that you simply do, you freeze.

Marianne: Effectively, I’m awash proper now in turmeric [laughter], and in order that’s considered one of them. And I do develop this as an edimental, it’s precisely proper. It’s very stunning within the backyard. And people roots, these rhizomes are edible. And so I’ll do a pair various things. I’ll both depart them complete and simply grate them straight from the freezer with a microplane onto the highest of rice or what have you ever, give it that lovely yellow colour, turmeric rice. Or I’ll chop them very finely and put them in an ice dice tray so I can simply add some turmeric to, I’m speaking actually fantastic. [Next year’s turmeric for the garden in storage at Marianne’s.]

Margaret: Sure, and I try this with a variety of my herbs too. Precisely. Make kind of like an ice dice out it with only a tiny little bit of water.

Marianne: Yeah, and I’ll try this additionally with ginger, with younger ginger, as a result of I can not ripen ginger the way in which that it must be ripened. So I get to have the younger ginger as an alternative, which is unbelievable, chopped up.

I additionally save Kaffir lime leaves, Makrut lime leaves, as a result of these aren’t all the time accessible for me within the winter, and that’s the flavoring behind a superb inexperienced curry.

Lemongrass. I’m truly going to be doing my lemongrass in all probability this week as a result of it’s been so dry. So I’ll be reducing these and saving them in little bundles to place into the freezer. And that’s scrumptious. To not chop up, it’s a taste agent.

Margaret: Proper. The way in which we use a bay leaf in a recipe.

Marianne: Precisely.

Margaret: Effectively I’m all the time glad to speak to you and the mad stash lies simply forward. If we will simply make it to the end line. I hope you get some rain. I’m so sorry. I’d’ve despatched you some, however I didn’t have management over it.

Marianne: That’s O.Ok. And may I simply say, Margaret, I like the time period mad stash. I’m going to make use of that on a regular basis now.

Margaret: Oh, good. As a result of I’ve all the time considered it like that as an alternative of the mad sprint, it’s the mad stash. So yeah, so I hope I’ll discuss to you once more quickly. Thanks, Marianne. Thanks.

Marianne: Thanks Margaret.

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I’LL BUY A COPY of “Tropical Vegetation and Methods to Love Them” by Marianne Willburn for one fortunate reader. All it’s a must to do to enter is reply this query within the feedback field under:

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No reply, or feeling shy? Simply say one thing like “depend me in” and I’ll, however a reply is even higher. I’ll choose a random winner after entries shut Tuesday September 26, 2023 at midnight. Good luck to all.

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MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its 14th yr in March 2023. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Japanese, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Sept. 18, 2023 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You may subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).