Winter is generally a harsh time for plants — indoors and out, but gardening experts say there are simple ways to bundle up outdoor plants and healthy ways to care for indoor plants so they’ll grow and bloom again for years to come.

Indoor Plants
* Don’t fertilize or feed the plant unless they are growing vigorously or flowering.

* Reduce your watering schedule and let the soil dry out between waterings.

* Move plants into sunny areas during the day and away from cold drafts at night. Instead of lugging pots from room to room, or if pots are too heavy to be moved, invest in a few Down Under Plant Caddies. The wheeled devices come in several sizes, hold and easily move up to 500 lbs. and lock to keep the caddie securely in place.

* Keep indoor temperatures as even as possible. Winter air is dry air and plants need humidity. Grouping plants together can help increase humidity as can placing pots on a tray of damp gravel or misting the leaves regularly.

Outdoor Plants
* If plants are outdoors, in the ground, give them a layer of compost for food and add several layers of mulch to provide insulation and protection against the cold. Great options for mulch include shredded leaves, grass clippings, wood chips or newspaper.

* In areas of the country that fall below freezing, don’t leave your stoneware pots outside for the winter, the soil in them can freeze and even empty pots can break. Pots do not provide insulation and, if left outside, the plants inside of them will likely die.

* In warmer areas of the country that only have cool winters, make sure your plant pots are elevated off the surface they rest on, like a deck or concrete patio. Moisture can become trapped under the containers and damage and stain the surface. Using a Down Under Plant Stand lifts the pot and allows air to circulate under it preventing this damage.
* If you live in a part of the country in which the ground does not freeze, you can plant perennials in the soil where they can be left to bloom when it’s warm or re-potted next year. Plant the roots deep and water once per week until the first frost.

* You can also leave the plants in their pots and move it to a cool, dark place that will stay between 40 and 50 degrees. Water once when you put them away then they’ll go dormant. Leave them until the spring when they’re ready to bask in the sun again.

For more information about the Down Under Plant Stand or Down Under Plant Caddie or to purchase, visit www.DownUnderPlantStand.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Winter gardening is done basically during the winter months as one may assume and it is done within the comfort of your home or another building that you may have. Some people even have separate storage houses or winter gardening buildings set up so that they may continue to grow their plants all year long. This works out well for those people who have to rely on their own resources to get them through the winter. Winter gardening is what gets a lot of the population who resides in the middle of nowhere through some of the roughest of the winter months.

Cons of Winter Gardening

Unlike during the summer months, there is not enough heat to naturally keep the plants alive and growing. So when attempting winter gardening, one must supplement the natural light and heat that the plants would have during the summer months. The gardener must make sure that he or she completely reads up on winter gardening and must make sure that the right amount of heat and light are given. Too much or not enough of something can make for terrible results and a lot of wasted food and time.

Winter gardening takes not only a lot of energy out of you but also a lot of money out of your wallet sometimes as the energy costs for heating and lighting the building cannot be cheap. But, if you are simply growing a small garden in your home, the expenses of the heat and light may not be so bad and still be beneficial to you. Winter gardening can be not only a good way to supply yourself and other with food, but also a good way to get your exercise in during those cold months when usually you relax more.

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Roses are delicate plants that not only benefit from, but need, special attention.  Of course, the return that roses give growers is ample to the efforts put into their care.  Worldwide they are one of the most beloved plants and have come to be recognized as a sign of beauty and love. So why risk losing your precious roses because you did not winterize them correctly?  A little time and effort can greatly improve the survival rate of your roses.  Preserve your roses.  Five easy steps can help your roses through the toughest of winters.

Don’t let the winter months sweep in and steal them away from you.  Roses are resilient little troopers if you give them a jumpstart.  If you set your roses up properly for the long, dark, snowy months ahead, they will be waiting for you in the spring. In climates that produce temperatures that remain below 20-degrees F (7-degrees C) for long stretches without snow cover apply cover to your roses.  If winters in your climate bring temperatures below 10 degrees F (12 degrees C) protective covering is necessary.  In climates where winter is cool but low temperatures are rare, leave roses out in the open.

Just before September hits stop feeding and pruning your roses.  This will stop the growth of delicate new blossoms that can not survive the winter from forming.  After the first frost give your roses a good watering session.  This will give the roses a good start as they head into a long stretch of independent care. Take the time to give your rose bed a thorough cleaning.  Get rid of any diseases and insects.  Remove fallen petals and leaves in the rose bed.  Don’t attempt to reuse the rose bed debris in compost.  Those unwanted pests may be lying in wait.  Get rid of any old leaves so no insects hitch a ride on your roses into winter.

The time to begin preparing your roses for winter depends largely on your climate.  In some climates you will want to begin protection after the first frost.  In others you don’t need to bundle your roses up until after the second frost. Apply protection as late as possible without compromising your roses and remove it as early as you can.  Late November is a good time to get the protection on, but if your climate affords it, wait until Christmas.

Hybrid teas are the most popular roses grown in America.  They are partially derived from plants that grow in moderate regions where winters are extremely mild.  That means they are especially sensitive to the cold weather.  Pile a six to eight inch pile of dirt along the base of the bush before the ground completely freezes.

While there are a few Rosarians that support protecting more than the bud union, most believe that covering the buds will suffice, unless you are growing climbing roses.  Then you want to cover as much as you can.  Wrap a heat conducting material around the bud union of the rose. 

If you are dealing with climbing roses, these same basic steps will help you to winterize.  Gently remove the canes from the arbors and bind them to one another.  Remove the foliage and bend the canes to the ground before placing a wood and wire frame above the plant.  Then the bush, without any major pruning, is encased entirely in a thermal blanket.

It is good to get your roses back into the open as soon as possible. Late April is a great time to set your roses free. New growth will have been stifled long enough to prevent damage from late season frosts. What destroys roses in the winter is debatable.  Some believe it is the dehydrated soil.  Others think it’s the first strong frost, winterizing itself is also up for debate.  This is a case of better safe than sorry.

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Hopefully, before you planted your roses you did your research and discovered beautiful roses that would thrive in your climate.  But maybe, just maybe, you were so elated to be planting roses that you just went with the prettiest rose you could find.  Well, that may work in your favor, if you were drawn to certain types of roses. 

It is true that you can winterize most roses and they will be there in the spring.  It is also true, however, that there are some roses that are more equipped to get through winter than others.  If you have a bad experience with your roses this year, after you wipe away the tears, you can begin again by planting roses that have the greatest survival rate.

If you are stationed in one of the tougher hardiness zones, you may want to go with Albs or Rugosas.  These are probably the best roses to grow in harsh climates.  They are very popular in Alaska and the Canadian interior.  Since these areas witness some of the most severe winters in on the continent, it Rugosas and Albs will most likely work for you.

These roses are viral fighters of the cold that produce wonderful bushes with full blossoms.  Some are even totally free of diseases and others can live through a minor infestation or two.  They also are not picky about the ground they are planted in.  Even if they are not set up in the most rose friendly soil, they tend to grow anyway.

Shrub roses are also hearty characters.  They are thick skinned bushes that can withstand little discomfort.  They have a good reputation for being disease resistant and reliable.  They also have a tendency to make it through the winter with a bit of help.  Perfume is a delicate fragrance that emits from these bright yellow blooms.

Specific roses that have impeccable reputations are the Hansa Rugosas, Prairie Dawn Parkland and the Martine Frobisher Canadian Explorer.  The Hansa is a crimson Rugosas that bursts with a savory scent that can be smelled before you reach it.  It can stand on its own two feet, not needing much attention at all.  You need only to admire its beauty and perform minimal maintenance duties.

The Prairie Dawn shrub carries a gentle scent and grows about 4 to 6 feet in width.  It too can be a hardy Rose that often steals the show and maybe a little turf, from other roses.  You may want to give it a spot light of its own.

The Martin Frobisher is another strong rose plant with a slight fragrance; its hearty limbs are filled with elegant pink blooms.  You will be able to admire this one for years to come.  This rose will see you in the spring.

There are many more roses that do just fine in less than perfect hardiness zones.  You may not be able to grow those desired Tea Roses, but you can still have buckets of roses.  Ones that perceiver the winter and will be waiting on the other side for you next year.  You just have to scout them out.  There are tough roses out there waiting to be planted and loved.

If you still want to grow tender roses in zones that are not so tender, you can try.  You can try growing them in pots that can be placed in warm places, like a basement.  The pot will keep some of the cold out, but you will have to be very aware of when the plant needs to be rescued from outside.

Don’t leave your roses to fend for them selves.  Cover them up for the winter and perform the duties you need to for your hardiness zone.  You can not expect the roses to do all of the work.  It must be a team effort.  If you are good to your roses there is a much better chance that they will be good to you.

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“Winter Berries” by Tia Lush in London:

“Snow Drops” by Lyris Godoy in Munich, Bayern, Germany – “Snow Drops (Galanthus nivalis) flowering during the snowy Danish winter… a beautiful gift from Mother Nature )”

Leave me a comment if you have a winter scene of your own to share!

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Most crops for winter greenhouse vegetable gardening doesn’t necessarily need to be heated; only certain plants need extreme heat year round, tropical fruits for example can need extra heat in the winter.  Most leafy and root vegetables will do well in the fall and winter months; winter greenhouse vegetable gardens are protected from the cold and enhanced with a bit of extra heat from the surrounding glass.

Most plants in a winter greenhouse vegetable garden will be in containers or raised garden beds; the purpose for this is to make the plants easily transferable once the risk of freezing has passed.  Most vegetables will grow well in container part or full time provided they have adequate drainage and plenty of water; plants not producing fruit or blooming may require less water, it is important not to overwater plants.

Choosing the right containers for winter greenhouse vegetable gardening will improve the success of the winter garden; every container should have drainage holes.  For greenhouse use terra cotta or plastic containers are probably the best choice; terra cotta is porous and allows the roots of the plants to breathe, while plastic is inexpensive and unbreakable.
 
Top Choices For Greenhouse Winter Vegetable Gardening

A greenhouse will extend the life of an existing garden or it is possible to have a greenhouse winter vegetable garden; many salad favorites such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, carrots, radish, and beets grow well in the winter.  A greenhouse winter vegetable garden can keep the cold off the winter hardy crops allowing them to be harvested all winter instead of until the first freeze.

Caring For A Winter Greenhouse Vegetable Garden

Potted plants in a winter green house garden will often need more water than in-ground plants; as such checking the water level and insuring the roots are not water logged is essential.  To check if the plant needs to be watered place a finger about an inch into the soil; if the soil is dry it needs to be watered, always water the soil not the leaves, the roots bring the moisture to the leaves they have no need of their own. 

To ensure the roots are not water logged pour water onto the plant until the water drains freely from the bottom drainage spouts; when this happens allow the water to pool and spill off access water, standing water can attract parasites or disease.

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Which Plants work well in Winter Vegetable Gardening?

Depending on the method that you use for your winter vegetable gardening, and the climate that you live in, there are a number of crops that you can choose from. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and turnips can actually grow quite nicely in colder climates. Root crops like carrots, onions and beets are also good choices for your winter vegetable gardening. What can be better than heading out into the cold to harvest a fresh batch of carrots or onions for your pot of winter stew? Even greens like spinach and lettuce can thrive in colder temperatures, if you take the proper precautions to protect your plants from frost and wind.

Options in Winter Vegetable Gardening

There are a variety of methods that you can use to protect your plants from the coldest and harshest days of winter. First, plan your crops accordingly, keeping in mind that plants that are nearly full grown will be able to withstand the elements much better than younger and smaller plants will. This means that you need to consider the approximate date of the first killing frost in your region, and plant your seeds early enough that your plants will be close to full grown by the time of the frost. You can also use methods to protect your plants from the harshest elements, whether you simply mulch seedlings well or use another type of covering, or you actually build a cold frame that will offer your plants maximum protection during the colder months.

Another option for winter vegetable gardening is to plant your seeds in containers indoors, where you will not have to worry about the elements outside. Just make sure that you use a good potting soil and leave your plants in a bright location where they will receive at least five hours of full sun every day. Homegrown vegetables don’t have to be limited to summer harvest. With a little preparation, your winter vegetable garden can continue to bring your family the freshest produce right from your own backyard.

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