Hardy plants for hardy souls
Kathy Dabb wrote:
I have several clematis growing in my garden, and I would like to know what i need to do to winterize these plants. I also have dahlia tubers, hibiscus, and miniature mums that all need to be taken care of to get ready for winter. I live in Ironwood, Michigan on the shore of Lake Superior.
If anyone has any advice, please respond in the comments.
Now, the digging and dividing of perennials, the general autumn cleanup and the planting of spring bulbs are all an act of faith. One carries on before the altar of delayed gratification, until the ground freezes and you can’t do any more other than refill the bird feeder and gaze through the window, waiting for the snow. . . . Meanwhile, it helps to think of yourself as a pear tree or a tulip. You will blossom spectacularly in the spring, but only after the required period of chilling.
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Hi, Ironwood! We’re neighbors. I live in Ishpeming. I think you are probably zone 4, tho you are pretty close to the lake so that may make it 5. Clematis: I cut mine back to the ground and theycome up beautifully in the spring. Be sure you keep the roots cool next summer. Dahlia – have to dig the tubers and keep them over – put in peat moss and store them in a cool place (not freezing). Hibiscus: I don’t think these are hardy here. Either pot them up and keep them in a sunny window (you might need to cut them back)or ask at a nursery if you have one. If the dwarf mums are a hardy variety, they should be okay if you just cut them back. You have enough snow over there to cover them pretty well. You can also mulch them.
This is not to keep them warm; it is to keep them from thawing and freezing if the snow isn’t covering them. Nice to hear from someone else in Upper Michigan!