Gunnera - winter care?

[Vox Humana]

I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents in late June. I
planted it in 3 gallon pot. It tool a LONG time to sent up any growth. The
plant produced the leaves, the largest was about 4 inches across. Since I
am in zone 6, I know that it can't survive outside. My only windows for this
plant are north or east facing. Can I keep this in the pot and let it go
dormant in my basement or should I remove the rhizome from the pot and store
it like I do my cannas and dahlias?

[Travis]

Vox Humana wrote:
> I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents in late
> June. I planted it in 3 gallon pot. It tool a LONG time to
> sent
> up any growth. The plant produced the leaves, the largest was
> about 4 inches across. Since I am in zone 6, I know that it
> can't
> survive outside. My only windows for this plant are north or
> east
> facing. Can I keep this in the pot and let it go dormant in my
> basement or should I remove the rhizome from the pot and store
> it
> like I do my cannas and dahlias?

I would leave it in the pot or probably better yet would be to
put it into a bigger pot and store it in your unheated basement.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

[Vox Humana]

"Travis" > wrote in message
news:YOOgf.9344$%Z5.876@trndny07...
> Vox Humana wrote:
> > I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents in late
> > June. I planted it in 3 gallon pot. It tool a LONG time to
> > sent
> > up any growth. The plant produced the leaves, the largest was
> > about 4 inches across. Since I am in zone 6, I know that it
> > can't
> > survive outside. My only windows for this plant are north or
> > east
> > facing. Can I keep this in the pot and let it go dormant in my
> > basement or should I remove the rhizome from the pot and store
> > it
> > like I do my cannas and dahlias?
>
> I would leave it in the pot or probably better yet would be to
> put it into a bigger pot and store it in your unheated basement.
>

I will leave it in the pot. The utility area of my basement stays about
60F, which hasn't proven a problems for storing my mandevilla, brugmansia,
or bananas.

Any thoughts about why it didn't grow very large? The rhizome was about the
size of my fist or a largish potato.

[Vox Humana]

"Janet Baraclough" > wrote in message
...
> The message >
> from "Vox Humana" > contains these words:
>
>
> > "Travis" > wrote in message
> > news:YOOgf.9344$%Z5.876@trndny07...
> > > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > > I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents in late
> > > > June.
>
> > Any thoughts about why it didn't grow very large? The rhizome was about
the
> > size of my fist or a largish potato.
>
> It's a mere baby. They take a few years, rapidly expanding the root
> size, before they can start producing those giant leaves. Fully grown
> ones here have huge roots about the size of my desk, each individual
> leaf is at least 6ft across. A single mature plant takes up about as
> much space as a pickup truck..
>
> I hope you have a big basement... :-)

Oh no! Maybe I can find a sheltered place outside where I can baby it. I
understand it is hardy to zone 7 and I am in zone 6b.

[Travis]

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Travis" > wrote in
> message
> news:YOOgf.9344$%Z5.876@trndny07...
> > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents in
> > > late
> > > June. I planted it in 3 gallon pot. It tool a LONG time
> > > to
> > > sent
> > > up any growth. The plant produced the leaves, the largest
> > > was
> > > about 4 inches across. Since I am in zone 6, I know that
> > > it
> > > can't
> > > survive outside. My only windows for this plant are north
> > > or
> > > east
> > > facing. Can I keep this in the pot and let it go dormant
> > > in my
> > > basement or should I remove the rhizome from the pot and
> > > store
> > > it
> > > like I do my cannas and dahlias?
> >
> > I would leave it in the pot or probably better yet would be
> > to
> > put it into a bigger pot and store it in your unheated
> > basement.
> >
>
> I will leave it in the pot. The utility area of my basement
> stays
> about 60F, which hasn't proven a problems for storing my
> mandevilla, brugmansia, or bananas.
>
> Any thoughts about why it didn't grow very large? The rhizome
> was
> about the size of my fist or a largish potato.

If your basement is 60F that may be too warm for it to go
dormant. It probably stayed small because it was restricted by
the size of the pot, not enough water and/or nutrients, and the
short length of your summer.

This summer was only my second year growing Gunnera so I don't
know all that much about them.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

[Travis]

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Janet Baraclough" > wrote in
> message
> ...
> > The message >
> > from "Vox Humana" > contains these words:
> >
> >
> > > "Travis" > wrote in
> > > message news:YOOgf.9344$%Z5.876@trndny07...
> > > > Vox Humana wrote:
> > > > > I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents
> > > > > in
> > > > > late June.
> >
> > > Any thoughts about why it didn't grow very large? The
> > > rhizome
> > > was about the size of my fist or a largish potato.
> >
> > It's a mere baby. They take a few years, rapidly expanding
> > the
> > root size, before they can start producing those giant
> > leaves.
> > Fully grown ones here have huge roots about the size of my
> > desk,
> > each individual leaf is at least 6ft across. A single mature
> > plant takes up about as much space as a pickup truck..
> >
> > I hope you have a big basement... :-)
>
> Oh no! Maybe I can find a sheltered place outside where I can
> baby
> it. I understand it is hardy to zone 7 and I am in zone 6b.

Last week I built a hardware cloth cage lined with landscape
fabric and filled with sawdust over mine to protect it from the
cold.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

[sockiescat]

Travis Vox Humana wrote:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in
message
...
The message
from "Vox Humana" contains these words:


"Travis" wrote in
message news:YOOgf.9344$%Z5.876@trndny07...
Vox Humana wrote:
I picked-up a gunnera rhizome(?) at a sale for 99 cents
in
late June.

Any thoughts about why it didn't grow very large? The
rhizome
was about the size of my fist or a largish potato.

It's a mere baby. They take a few years, rapidly expanding
the
root size, before they can start producing those giant
leaves.
Fully grown ones here have huge roots about the size of my
desk,
each individual leaf is at least 6ft across. A single mature
plant takes up about as much space as a pickup truck..

I hope you have a big basement... :-)

Oh no! Maybe I can find a sheltered place outside where I can
baby
it. I understand it is hardy to zone 7 and I am in zone 6b.

Last week I built a hardware cloth cage lined with landscape
fabric and filled with sawdust over mine to protect it from the
cold.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5


here u go hope this helps some
http://www.plantexplorers.com/twiningvine/product_info.php/products_id/649
good luck, sockiescat