UK Tropical Garden Basics 5: 5 Overwintering Mistakes

[@eddiealexander5276]

Max is such a scene stealer :-)

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

He definitely is, he loves it 😂

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Nice clear video

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Kris, I appreciate it!

[@frogsparadise4247]

Thanks for this video. I take your advice for watering dicksonia in winter and not using bubble wrap👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

No worries, pleased to have helped and thanks for watching 😃

[@annasutton8078]

Thanks George, I always enjoy your videos. Max is a star 🌟 what a sweetie.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Anna, he was relatively well behaved that evening 😂

[@peterarmstrong3298]

Great advice. Thanks Gearge ( and Max! )

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Peter, I appreciate it 😂 (I’m sure Max does too…)

[@waynepeake5683]

Thanks George for doing this video Really is helpful . Look forward to the next 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Wayne, I appreciate it!

[@davidbanner9001]

This all great advice. It appears on the facebook groups, everyone is panicking and talking of overwintering. It's great to have everything you need ready to go. But it's still time to enjoy your garden. In fact now is the prime time for hardy topicals, they are at their peek around now. In fact I was planting out more Bamboo today. I'm more worried about wet rotten roots, than just cold being my garden soil is clay. Obviously a combination of water and cold generating frost is even worse. This is my first year so I'm going to experiment with the likes of Musa Basjoo and Canna. The Musa will be wrapped just with fleece, the others with straw as well. The Canna, some will be cut down and mulched the other potted and ''almost'' dry stored. I'm in Cambridgeshire.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, I’m pleased you think so and I agree with everything you say. Clay can be a challenge but if you can cope with the winter challenges I’m sure it’ll be good rich soil that get all those big leaves growing well!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I ‘almost’ dry store a lot of plants too, especially the cannas and gingers.

[@shineamenmbs3107]

Max definitly loves to check the great job that daddy does in the garden! (Or is he looking for some small animals passing by?..). You are so right, the combination of cold and humidity is terrible. Great tips, as the watering of tree ferns. Well, all of them are great tips of course! ^^ Yes, careful with the labels. It applies to many topics actually! Lol You say it so perfectly, protecting plants from death and protecting them from heavy damages are two very different things! (and humidity, size of the pot...Great tips) Merci George. Cheerio!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for stopping by and watching Bernard, I’m pleased you think they’re helpful tips. I think Max just loves to explore and he’d rather be with one of us, even if that means awkwardly perching on me! You’re right about the labels, it definitely applies to a lot of things!

[@dawnwilson6351]

Thanks you always give really useful information. I have purchased so many new tropical plants and started to get a little panicked as to where everything is going to live over the winter

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for watching Dawn and don’t panic! It completely depends on what plants they are and where you live but a lot might do just fine outside and others might take up a lot less room than you think! I’ll do more plant specific vids over the coming months.

[@TheStanman99]

Always good advice, thank you 🇬🇧

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for watching Jon, I appreciate it 😃

[@TropicalJungleIreland]

Thanks for all the info, this year is my first developing a tropical, jungle style garden around a mature bamboo garden. Looking forward to the next video.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Excellent, that sounds like an exciting project! I’ll have some more up soon after some more seasonal vids 😃

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

Great tips George. Your emphasis on not over protecting is spot on. I'm doing less winter protection now each year. I've also made the mistake of bubble wrapping and paid the price. An interesting aside is whether there are some advantages of not wintering some plants that actually do need it like musa sikhamensis. I've always wrapped with fleece but last year even despite doing it I lost all the height and it rotted. The leaves were so much better when they came back from the ground, lovely red colouration. I'm seriously considering leaving any protection off it as a result. I'm short of indoor space so I'll be dry storing all my cannas, dahlias, colocasias this year. So little hassle. Cheers 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and I’m pleased you agree with the main points. Sikkimensis is a tricky one but should be root hardy like you say. If I lived in a bigger country with warmer summers I’d be tempted to leave it too, as the new growth looks so fresh and with the heat you know you’ll get the height back.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Definitely dry store the dahlias and colocasia esculenta but I think the cannas might need to be kept in some kind of soil and not completely dry. Just what I’ve read - I guess it depends how big they are when you store them and for how long.

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden My canna black tropicanas have done great dry stored in the past years but I'm sure some varieties will struggle with this. Lack of space is the only driving factor for me👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@vincenzecalzone8666 Go for it then, chances are they should be fine and cannas are definitely a plant that delivers a lot in summer for a relatively small amount of overwintering space 👍

[@paulellis2540]

I agree with the "dont wrap in bubble wrap or plastic" as I did this with 2 Musa Bajoo last winter after seeing some advice on the web. They rotted. I was gutted.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Ahhh, that's such a shame. Did they come back from the roots?

[@paulellis2540]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I left them for a while but nothing came through, the whole plants were a mushy mess. Bought 4 more to replace them and they have grown well so will look after them this winter - without the bubble wrap!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@paulellis2540 Well it's great to hear the replacements have done so well and good luck with them!

[@sylviemiles5439]

Hi George , could you please tell me the name of the hardy trachy palm , the one with the blue coloured leaves . Thanks George , your garden is coming on and looking great . 🥰

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Sylvie and thank you! The larger ones I've got are Trachycarpus princeps New Form Hybrid, not widely available but Princeps is the (much slower growing) real deal. Alternatively, Brahea Armata and Chamaerops humilis 'Cerifera' have beautiful blue leaves too for a sunny and well drained spot.

[@sylviemiles5439]

Hi George , Thankyou very much for the names of the blue palms . I’m hoping Father Christmas might bring me one . Fingers crossed . 😁😁😁

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@sylviemiles5439 No worries and good luck! 😃

[@waynepeake5683]

P.s more of dog please 😄

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha I’ll see what I can get him to do 😂

[@supermankelly]

I got my fleece waiting for winter. Interested to see any vids on putting Musa Basjoo, Colocasia and Dicksonia into hibernation for winter. Specifically cutting leaves off or not. I assume for Musa and Colocasia you do but was going to confirm closer to the time.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one, always good to be prepared! I’ll definitely do vids on those and yes, on the Musa and Colocasia I do chop the leaves off. Tree ferns I don’t chop them off and if you check out my previous growing tree ferns vid, there should be a link in the description to the section on overwintering them.

[@absolutepsyvids4444]

Personally last year I followed an other method , I insulated the stem of the basjoo with a winterize protection cloth and I did not cut the leaves! When we had snow and freezing temperatures the leaves were fell off by nature producing an extra layer of heat in to the stem! So my advice is to keep nature do its job! Cheers from north Greece zone 8b!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@absolutepsyvids4444 That’s a good shout too and definitely easier for taller plants. I’ve heard of people using preformed lagging for the bananas and like you say the leaves add their own bit of protection. In colder winters it could benefit the plant to have extra insulation over the top potentially but if you’ve had success then stick with it!

[@brachypelmasmithi2498]

Hi George, what about gingers and dahlia? Do you leave them or dig them up?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, personally I dig them up as we're in North Lincolnshire, the garden is quite shaded and the soil can remain quite wet through winter. I imagine most UK winters, in most UK gardens, the dahlias especially and probably the cannas should be fine if you've got well drained soil and they're quite deep in the ground. They're also quicker to get started in the polytunnel and protected from snails etc. rather than leaving them in the ground.

[@eddiealexander5276]

Hi George and Max. Just wanted to ask about over wintering Cannas. All mine are in containers and have done brilliantly over the summer. They are all still in bloom down south. Can I bring the pots indoors instead of digging up the rhizomes? Cheers Max....sorry I meant George

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Eddie and thanks for watching. Great to hear they’ve grown well for you and they should be fine for some time yet! Do you have a greenhouse or polytunnel/ even a garage to keep them in?

[@eddiealexander5276]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I do have a shed and conservatory, both of which are pretty cool in winter.I suppose they'll suffice?

[@robmurdoch7955]

George, really enjoy your great/informative videos and the dog, I have one but she would not perch on my shoulder like Max as she is a bit bigger (Working Cocker Spangle). I have all my jungle plants in containers because I live in the Cotswolds and my garden has about three inches of soil over what is called locally "Cotswold Brash", basically stones making it almost impossible to dig down to any depth, great for drainage but that's it. I have overwintered Cannas, Colocasia and Red Bananas successfully by putting them in the shed and just leaving them over winter. This year I have a couple of Musa Basjoo and again intend to leave them in the pot but wrap them in fleece and either leave them outside or put them in the shed (they are still quite immature). If I put them in the shed should I water them and if so how often?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Bella! I don’t blame you, Max is big enough to be clawing his way up there 😂 It definitely sounds like you’ve got some challenging soil! As for the basjoo, I’d treat it similar to the other plants but maybe not quite as dry and don’t put it in there until it gets frosty. Hard to put an exact figure on it but maybe a bit of water every few weeks? If in doubt I’d leave it another week, I guess it’s just about keeping it ticking over. I suppose in reality it’s not too different to having a clump planted out and covered over in winter.

[@wiltshiregardener8038]

Hi George, I remember seeing a Begonia luxurians in your garden, I also have one. I was wondering what your plan is for that over winter? Dig it up and pot it up and keep it in a greenhouse? I haven't got a greenhouse so will have to treat as house plant. They aren't the easiest to grow as house plant, but as long as it makes it through the winter that's all that matters

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, mind is only small and yes, I’ll be keeping it as a houseplant. I believe the key factors are bright light and humidity so maybe a bathroom windowsill would be a good shout?

[@wiltshiregardener8038]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden yeh I agree, I read they like high humidity but don't like wet leaves too much,so I avoid misting them with a spray bottle. Mine survived last winter as a house plant ok, it looks so much healthier at the moment planted outside though. Bring on next spring !

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@wiltshiregardener8038 Interesting, thanks for the tip, the bathroom it is for me! Yeah, so many plants just grow so well during that August sweet spot but a lot of just dropping back off now. I do enjoy Autumn even if some of the plants don’t 😂

[@AB-qo2xq]

can you advise how to wrap the plants

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, which plants in particular?

[@stewbeast1]

Can I just put musa basjoo and Phoenix canariensis that have been grown in pots straight into a dark garage for the winter?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Stewart, I've heard of people doing this with success before, the key is keeping the plants on the drier side, venting the area when you can and only keeping them in when you need to. The Musa will be in there longer than the Phoenix which only needs to go in during actual cold spells. They won't be growing much while it's cold anyway and I suppose a dark garage isn't too different to being packed into winter protection...

[@stewbeast1]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks for the advice. Love the videos. They've been very helpful for me getting into tropical gardening.

[@Fire-gv2wz]

Hi George Can I have some advice I’ve seen a Huge Canary Island Phoenix Date Palm with a one meter trunk. It’s living in Portsmouth at the moment. And I’m in South Wales. Will it be ok for the winter here do you think will it take the cold. It looks in lovely shape. And will need to be dug out of the ground. Thanks for your help.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, it’ll probably take down to -7 for short periods, somewhere around there so it might be borderline in a colder winter. One thing is for sure though, it’ll take some serious digging out!

[@Fire-gv2wz]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George I was thinking about that thick trunk one Meter across may have a better chance than the small ones. Shame I can’t show you a picture of it lol. -7 here it’s possible for it to go lower if it’s a poor weather. Yes it will take some time to shift it I suppose. Thanks for your help

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Fire-gv2wz A big one definitely will, it’s hard to put an exact figure to how much it’ll take, it may be a bit more for a brief colder spell and you’d certainly have a better chance where you are than over here in North Lincolnshire. I’ve got a smaller one planted out but I know I’ll have to protect it and it’s potentially not a long term plant here (but who knows!). It’ll take a lot of digging up, moving and transporting but if you’re set up for that and they’re not charging a lot for the actual plant I’d be tempted to give it a go if you’ve got a sheltered spot for it to grow on.

[@Fire-gv2wz]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George Hope you have a good day 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Fire-gv2wz No worries, you too! 😃

[@craigrogers3864]

Can I use foam sheets? I can get plenty of thin foam from work, is this suitable?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I guess it depends what for really and what plant. As long as you’ve got good ventilation when possible and they don’t blow away they could definitely be used to make enclosures when it’s really cold.

[@sianjones5863]

Thank you for the brilliant tips, could you tell me if you remove the leaves and or cut down a must basjoo.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for watching Sian. Is it a basjoo you’ve got planted out in the ground?

[@sianjones5863]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden yes it’s in the ground

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@sianjones5863 In that case, personally I do chop the leaves off, just take the very top of the pseudo stem (I also think the softer parts go mushy more easily) then make the enclosure out of fleece and canes, afterwards packing it with straw. You can chop it down more but I like to keep as much height as possible as they usually lose a bit off the top anyway.

[@sianjones5863]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden That’s really helpful, thank you

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@sianjones5863 No worries ☺️

[@valougame3175]

How can i protect a Cyathea cooperi ?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Where you live I guess it’s more a case of fleecing them up during the colder spells, here in North Lincolnshire, I think more permanent and potentially heated protection would be required in all but mild winters (unless you’re willing to just wrap them with fleece and straw and let them lose their fronds).

[@jacquelinerenee4848]

Great video George, I have a few strelitzia (bird of paradise)...what’s the best way to over winter these?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Jacqueline! As far as I know the only reliable way to reliably keep them through winter in the UK is by bringing them in as a houseplant until next May. Ideally somewhere bright like a conservatory 😃

[@jacquelinerenee4848]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you 🙏

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@jacquelinerenee4848 No worries ☺️

[@vincecarpenter9673]

Hi George can you give me the name of a good hardy tree fern as I was thinking of giving it a try. Thanks

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, the toughest by far is Dicksonia Antarctica, if you search on my channel I did a full vid looking at their care requirements earlier in the summer, hopefully that helps you!

[@onestophoopshop8978]

Great info, thank you George. This is my first year overwintering so super helpful. I do have a question.... my musa basjoo has some pretty tall pups atm, should I divide them off before I wrap it up or would it be best to leave them in place till next spring?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and I appreciate you watching. Do you want a big clump of Musa basjoo or do you want extra plants to plant elsewhere / sell / giveaway to friends etc?

[@onestophoopshop8978]

Hmmm, I like your thinking. As I had planted other musas in the same spot, think I'll divide the monster. I honestly can't believe the size of it. Very satisfying. Think I'll take the two big pups and get them in pots now and give them a chance to settle in before the cold comes. Thanks George

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@onestophoopshop8978 Excellent to hear it’s grown so well and that’s what I’d do if I wanted to reduce it. Pot up the biggest pups now while they have chance to root into pots. They’re also there as ‘insurance’ plants in case anything happens to the main one or the other smaller pups don’t make it. Good luck!

[@annasutton8078]

I've potted mine up, it was quite easy to separate them from the mother plant. I will keep them in the conservatory over winter.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@annasutton8078 Great, that sounds like a plan, they’ll do well there and will be well on their way to being big plants next spring!

[@OssyDL]

Great video George im already panicking about overwintering so feel a bit better now haha for plants that will need potting up to go in a polytunnel like brugmansia and bananas and things would you pot them up as you put them in or do it earlier to let the roots get goin in the pots? Also with colocasia im abit confused tropicaltribe guy says keepingvthem going in small pots is the easiest way but most ppl dry store.whats your take on this? Apologies for the giant essay.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Danny, thanks and no worries! No need to panic 😂 What bananas are you digging up? I don’t worry too much about the bananas / brugmansias rooting in their pots, when the first frosts hits there’s usually still enough heat on milder days in a polytunnel to help them root. I look at it more as storage than as potting them up. Colocasias - it completely depends on the variety and I agree with Craig. Esculenta I dry store but the more unusual / colourful varieties I personally would also try to keep growing them on as houseplants.

[@OssyDL]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden the bananas are sikkimensis and sikkimensis red tiger and glaucum and either a balbisiana or cheesmanii lol forgot what it is. Then there are ensete maurelii's and ventricosum which il dry store. Since my wife will divorce me for bringing in my colocasias would they be ok in the greenhouse/polytunnel with a bit of heat to take the chill off from tube heaters? I have heard ensete glaucum can be a tricky one but gotta try its currently about 60cm without the pot so not huge. Lol also would it hurt bringing my basjoo in too? Its in ground but was a late purchase so its only about 70cm and not much to protect it from the wind in winter and its like a wind tunnel some days

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@OssyDL The Sikkimensis bananas should be absolutely fine in the polytunnel, the others I haven’t had direct experience with unfortunately. Some plants like the basjoo should be OK moved to the polytunnel too but other plants like colocasia and Ensete don’t enjoy the long cool winter with the humidity a polytunnel or greenhouse creates and tend to rot away. It might be worth letting your Colocasia stay out as long as possible then dry storing those too.

[@OssyDL]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden 👍 thankyou George. Most of my colocasia are pink china and gollygollygensis as there gonna be called lol. There in pots still as i couldn't find the right spot for them but both hardy anyway if put somewhere frost free with them still being in pots. Then its just a laosy giant and an col emerald. Thanks for the help AGAIN lol

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@OssyDL I know what you mean about THAT Colocasia name 😂 Those and the Pink China should be fine in a cool polytunnel, again slightly drier compost but not completely dry. As for the other two, I think they might struggle anywhere other than as a houseplant unfortunately, it’s just too cold for them here.

[@craigrogers3864]

My Musa Basjoo is about 1ft tall, so quite young, can it survive outside? Bring it in if temps drop to say 5°?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Craig, they are a bit tricky at that size unfortunately and if the whole thing is 1ft tall I would bring it in when forecast temps drop below 5, you’re right.

[@raphlvlogs271]

does clay based soil makes plants less hardy, since it stays wet for longer.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

This is sort of what I was getting at, maybe ‘less hardy’ isn’t entirely accurate but it’s definitely the end result in my experience. Wetter roots certainly have negative effects on plants that prefer drier or more Mediterranean conditions when combined with cold. They definitely suffer damage and issues with the leaves at temperatures at nowhere near their maximum tolerances when sat in wet, clay soil.

[@t0mhd572]

Not trying to be negative but - your dog on your shoulder is getting annoying , great vid

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

You wouldn’t believe the amount of comments I get asking for more of him, he’s not been in many vids recently 😂 On this occasion he he had to be outside with me and it’s genuinely where he’s happy to be sat so apologies if it took away from the vid. Thanks for the feedback though and he’s usually inside for my more informative vids ☺️

[@mikej70]

Do not grow any true bamboo it'll take over eventually it might look good but it's too aggressive

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Just replied to your other comment, there’s running bamboo and clumping and I’d recommend clumpers unless you have the space for a big runner or are willing to dig rhizome barrier in.