So light is a necessity if you intend to keep your tropicals alive and actively growing all winter. Tropical plants can make an outdoor area look like Hawaii, even if you live in a climate zone that receives frost or snow in the winter. The divisions go to friends and acquaintances. Had I kept the banana in its own pot, I could have overwintered it in a cold, dark basement room where it would have gone dormant, and I could have repotted it in the spring for another summer of growth. Most houseplants are tropical plants, which enjoy a little “summer vacation” in pots on your patio or deck. You can overwinter your tropical plants by continuing their growth phase indoors, allowing them to hibernate, or by using overwintered bulbs, tubers, and corms to regrow plants. I also have a lemon tree that flowers in the spring but pouts for much of the summer. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. : Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) trees are great patio plants with showy flowers. If things start to get really dark, try placing an artificial bulb above any … Generally, you should lightly water your plants after transplanting. Make sure you’ve checked the plants for pests before moving them indoors. Limited beer, wine sales allowed with to-go orders of food, but cocktails still prohibited. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,782 times. Less Water. Small potted fruit trees that spend the summer on a deck or patio can also live indoors for winter. Home COVID-19 care easing pressure on Minnesota hospitals, 'Staggering' surge in violent carjackings continues across Minneapolis, UK authorizes Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, In 'swift, decisive and serious' action, St. Paul police chief fires officer who shot, wounded man, Disputing Trump, Barr says no widespread election fraud, Trump has discussed with advisers pardons for his 3 eldest children, Giuliani, Ron Lindner, who founded a family fishing empire, dies at 86, Pohlad-owned Go radio stations sold to Christian music nonprofit, UND hockey players explain why they'll kneel during anthem today, Twins may not offer contract to Eddie Rosario by tonight's deadline, The pandemic makes it harder for newcomers to make friends in clannish Minnesota, We the people must take back the streets of our city, Local alternatives to Amazon abound for safe, convenient holiday shopping, Join us for a Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest virtual cookie exchange, Woman who fled business fraud sentencing seeks early release, Minnesota restaurants push to-go cocktails for COVID-19 relief, Minnesota radio host resigns after bullying another DJ on the air, 7 more restaurants close in the Twin Cities, some temporary and some permanent, 'All my love, Elliot': Actor Page comes out as transgender, A Minneapolis mindfulness expert's tips for helping kids find calm. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. You may want to have a permanent cover, like a plastic mat, to catch any loose dirt or decayed plant matter and keep your hibernating location clean. You may want to leave a drop cloth, a mat, or a similar kind of holder beneath your pots. However, you may want to clean these off, first. The ideal light and humidity for many tropical plants may be more than your home can provide. Be careful your cover doesn't crush the plant. This will keep the plant alive and active during the winter months. Many tropical plants grow to quite large sizes. Over watering can lead to harmful conditions, like root rot. A technique that is sometimes successful is to move potted perennials indoors for the winter. When waiting for your plants to come out of hibernation and regrow, try to be patient. Make sure to keep the plants away from heaters and furnaces, which brings us to point number #2! Last Updated: March 29, 2019 Keep your plant in the same location. Using Bulbs, Tubers, and Corms to Regrow Plants Identify plants that can be replanted. There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. #2: Keep the Humidity Up! Even an old blanket, carefully wrapped around a plant, can work as a frost cover. Err on the side of caution when digging. An Ohio woman who fled the United States for Mexico ahead of her sentencing in one of the biggest corporate fraud cases in decades is asking for early release from prison, citing poor health and fear of contracting the coronavirus behind bars. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Each plant will have its own ideal temperature range, but most kinds of tropical plant suffer damage when exposed to frost or temperatures below 50°F (10°C). Research source I smile thinking that those little seeds I planted decades ago in a pot on my bedroom window sill in Bloomington have spawned descendants that are scattered around the country. Nevertheless, most banana plants like it hot, and if you don’t live in USDA Hardiness Zone 9 or higher, you may wonder how you can add one of these tropical beauties to your landscape and keep it alive over winter.. Let’s learn more! In cold climates, keep the humidity below 30 percent to avoid condensation on your windows. Plants that are already potted can be moved directly to their hibernating location. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. The hip-hop outlet Go 95.3 FM and rock station Go 96.3 will change formats early next year. Care for your plants according to a consistent schedule. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Moving Potted Plants Indoors for Winter . These are generally bulbous growths at the base of the stem. Putting your plant in this kind of location will trick it into thinking it's still in its growing season. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Keep material separate and pack it with peat moss, wood chips, or sawdust. % of people told us that this article helped them. My bird of paradise never flowered until I began setting it outside in a protected sunny spot during the summer. Consider potted plants that can ride out winter indoors: An easy way to keep warm weather plants around is by leaving them in planters and then simply bringing them inside once the temperature drops too low outdoors.I always have a lot of plants inside during the winter for just that reason, and then once it warms up again, back outside they go! Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Not if you live in an area that sees frosty or freezing temperatures over winter. The goal is to keep these plants alive but … By using our site, you agree to our. Here, we’ll offer three ways you can protect and preserve your banana plant over the winter months: How to keep tropical plants alive, even thriving, during a Minnesota winter. When you grow palm trees, hibiscus, orchids and many other types of tropical plants in containers, they thrive in … Dear D.B. Prune the plant back, and it will bounce back in the spring when the days get longer. All it takes to store plants in the winter is a little preparation and planning and a bit of work before the real cold sets in. “They will kind of go … [1] Don’t be surprised if leaves yellow and drop. Failing to do can result in your house becoming infested with bugs. Winter can certainly be hard on plants. You owe it to your fragile specimen to keep it alive. All of these plants need a gradual transition to the reduced light of the indoors. However, when the nighttime temperatures dip to 50 degrees F. (10 C.), it’s time to start bringing plants indoors to keep them alive during the winter. Tropical hibiscus, jasmine, bougainvillea and small citrus trees will do quite well indoors if they’re in a bright spot where temperatures are at least 60 degrees. Find the average temperature and humidity of that region in the winter, and copy it as best as you can in your home. This page at Gardener’s Supply Co. answers many questions about overwintering tropical plants: gardeners.com/how-to/how-to-overwinter-tender-plants/5019.html. How to Keep a Palm Alive in the Winter. Gather all tubers, bulbs, and corms. This way you'll be certain of the lower range of their temperature resistance. Increase Light! In the decades since, that now 5-foot-tall plant has been dragged from the Twin Cities to rural Minnesota, North Dakota, back to the Twin Cities and to Connecticut before it returned to Minneapolis to stay. Then, carefully dig up the plant. Tropical plants need to be brought indoors into room temperatures; treat these as houseplants over the winter. Danielle Ernest: The definition of over-wintering means to care for a plant (annual or tropical) that typically doesn't make it through the winters in your zone by bringing that plant into your home - living area, basement, garage - to keep it alive from year to year. Keep tropical hibiscus in a cool, dark location where the temperature remains near 50 F, such as an unheated garage or a basement. A couple of years ago, two of the divisions headed south to Florida, where another Master Gardener gave the plants to her daughter. If possible, try to mimic the temperature and conditions of the region where your plant naturally grows. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0e\/Overwinter-Tropical-Plants-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Overwinter-Tropical-Plants-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0e\/Overwinter-Tropical-Plants-Step-1.jpg\/aid8307933-v4-728px-Overwinter-Tropical-Plants-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"