Overwintering of perennials, like cannas and dahlias, is fairly simple. After digging them up in the fall, allow them to die back, remove any soil around the bulb of the canna and the tuber of the dahlia, and set them in flower pots in dry potting soil. Make sure you keep them in a cool, dark area. Make sure the environment isn’t too damp and do not water them!
(Oh, and make sure you bring your planter/container inside too, especially if it isn’t graded to handle sub-freezing temperatures!)
At the beginning of the following March, remove the pots from their dark location to an area that has light and is warm. At this point you should also begin to water the dormant plants, which will spur the plants to start to grow. If you follow this simple overwintering process, these plants will outperform any you may purchase the following summer. When you have surpassed your region’s frost free date, you can transfer the plants to new, rich potting soil and bring them outside.
Foliage plants can also be overwintered in the house once they have been potted. You may experience some leaf drop after you have potted them and brought them inside - this is normal! The plant is reacting to the changes in temperature and light, and I promise you that they will adjust. Do not over water during the winter and restrict feeding to weak dilutions. Flowering vines like mandevilla or bougainvillea adapt readily to indoor life during the winter, and they will continue to bloom. Again, watering should be cut back and infrequent feeding with a weak fertilizer can be applied. You can enjoy these plants for several years before they need to be replaced.
Get ahead of the game next year, and consider overwintering: the advantages are evident.
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