"Mark Anderson" wrote in message
.net...
In article says...
I"m a novice gardener and growing plants in containers on my terrace.
I purchased a Russian Sage that grew beautifully all summer. In
October I brought it indoors to repot and didn't get it back out
promptly. I've now repotted the plant and mulched it, but while
inside, the plant has sprouted new growth. Can I put it back outside
now (we live in New York City)? Should I keep it indoors until Spring?
What's the best strategy for seeing the Sage through the winter now
that it has begun to regrow?
I'm not sure about Russian sage but all my sages can't survive the
winter outside in a container here in Zone 5 Chicago. For the smaller
sages I overwinter them inside under either florescent or HPS lights.
Pineapple sage gets really big so I take cuttings in the fall before
they die and root them indoors over the winter so I'll have enough to
put outside in the Spring.
Well if this is indeed Perovskia Lamiaceae or true Russian Sage, it is hardy
to zone 6-9. What kind of container? Clay? Fiberglass? Styrofoam? Cement?
Plastic? If it's clay, fiberglass,cement or plastic, you can get a roll of
insulation from the hardware store, and cut a piece long enough to wrap it
around the pot, and tape it around the outside of the pot and put it out on
the terrace. Which side is your terrace on, by the way? If it's facing
southwest, you shouldn't have much problem, but the drying winds will play
more havoc than the cold temperatures. and there IS windchill to consider.
So wrapping the pot so that the roots don't freeze solid would be a great
idea. Come springtime, unwrap the insulation, fold it and put into one of
those huge ziploc baggies they've come out with until next winter! That way
you can lable which pieces goes to which pot.
madgardener always thinking of
something......................................... ... who has LOTS of
containers just cos' I like them! ---- up on the cold ridge, back in Fairy
Holler in Eastern Tennessee zone 7, Sunset zone 36