Winter Gardening Preparations - Alocasia, Colocasia, Houseplant & Ensete Overwintering Care Tips

Today's video is part two of my epic winter preparation and protection special about overwintering some of the big leaved tropical plants in my UK exotic jungle garden - Alocasia, Colocasia, Begonia luxurians, houseplants and Ensete and their care tips today. I cover digging up these tender plants, propagation and how I keep them going over winter with the best survival rates. I've left the links for the tools I find really helpful for overwintering gardening below again - a spade, Mora knife, Felco secateurs, a dehumidifier along with some other helpful winter care products like fleece and my greenhouse heater of choice!
Fiskars Garden Spade - the BEST spade I've ever owned...
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Felco 2 Large Secateurs - AMAZING, definitely worth the money!
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Mora outdoor knife, great for garden tasks
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EcoAir Dehumidifier, a worthwhile investment for overwintering Ensete, has a very efficient Turbo drying mode, works in cold environments like sheds and garages plus it can help dry washing the rest of the year! Not cheap but if you want one, the reviews do the talking!
amzn.to/3DNRSuh
My greenhouse / polytunnel heater. An investment but lasts years, circulates air well and can be precisely set on lower power modes so it only uses the minimum expensive electricity to keep the environment frost free. Cheaper heaters cost a LOT more to run, I'd save up and buy this one again if I needed another!
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A great, strong overwintering fleece, the best one I've used and economical in large quantities.
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Frost protection fleece jackets for individual / potted plants - large and other sizes available
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Haxnicks Medium Frost Protection Jackets
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Haxnicks Large Frost Protection Jackets
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Bargain LED head torches, so helpful for nighttime garden winter protection (there will always be last minute protection!) - less than a tenner for two so a spare one for your house / car!
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Hori Hori - not an affiliate link but a very helpful tool!
heinnie.com/barebones-garden-...
0:00 Intro
2:20 Alocasia, Colocasia and houseplants in my UK tropical garden
3:46 Alocasia brisbanensis - winter care for these big leaves!
5:08 Alocasia Propogation through division
5:32 Alocasia odora care and the difference between Alocasia and Colocasia
6:33 Dividing and propogating Alocasia odora
7:22 Bromeliads for tropical colour in my UK tropical garden
8:53 Small Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' winter care
10:01 Spider plants in my UK tropical style garden
10:55 Overwintering in my UK tropical jungle garden
14:00 Colocasia esculenta winter care
14:48 Begonia luxurians winter care tips
17:07 Cacti and Aeoniums in my UK tropical garden
18:27 Overwintering different Ensete sizes in my UK exotic garden
If you've enjoyed my content and would like to say thanks for the price of a coffee then please head over to my Ko-fi, any kind donations would be appreciated and put towards creating more exciting content: ko-fi.com/georgesjunglegarden​​
Thanks,
George

[@missdimples1982]

Ooh I love Spider plants, didn't realise they could go outdoors until I started watching your video's

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I plant them out for summer but they can take a good amount of cold - not guaranteed hardy by any stretch of the imagination but worth a go in a sheltered spot in a mild winter!

[@missdimples1982]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I'll bear that in mind once I move and get my garden, at the moment due to not having any outdoor space I have them in hanging baskets in my kitchen, they sprout babies so won't be hard for me to use them in my future garden, thanks George

[@TropicalJungleIreland]

Hi George, 1st thing I thought of with the intro music = Harry Potter and Hogwarts 😁. Fungus gnats were a problem for the plants when I brought mine in, their in the soil etc. Anyway nice to see another video as I'm stuck in bed with Covid unfortunately 🤒 If I can keep my alocasia alive over the winter I'll definitely put them outside into the tropical garden.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Sorry to hear you're ill, it's no fun and I hope you feel better very soon - take your time getting back into things though. As for the music, I can definitely see that haha, good shout! I'm sure your Alocasias will look great out there next year.

[@sylviemiles5439]

Great video George, very informational , Thankyou . Now for telling you off 🤣🤣🤣. 😁. You should have a jacket on at this time of year , protect your back and kidneys from the cold , and they will carry on working for you . 😃👍❤️ .

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Sylvie and thanks for your concern haha. This was filmed on a milder day - I was wearing a T-shirt the day before so it's a good job you didn't see that! In all honesty I've always 'run hotter' and very rarely wear a coat outside of work but if I feel chilly, you'll definitely see me wearing one, especially when I'm stood around rambling on and making videos!

[@shineamenmbs3107]

First off, the intro is beautiful! Alocasia brisbanensis has a stuning beauty! I particularly like Aeonium. They make their trunk, losing leaves the same way as Dracaena do (e.g D. marginata). George, you accomplish a colossal job, and I can't help thinking of Gilliatt, the hero of "Les Travailleurs de la Mer" (Victor Hugo). All the best!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Bernard as always for your lovely commentary. I do enjoy appreciating the beauty of the individual plants at this time of year and the two examples you give are indeed beauties. Thank so you much, I'll have to look into the reference but I'll take it as a compliment! 😀

[@slimytoad1447]

Great vid George, don't stop talking george! And of course longer is better

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha thanks Dec, I'll keep doing what I can!

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

Those bromeliads are superb. I love the pictures Troy puts on Instagram from Perth. He has so many of them in different bright colours. Looks so alien like and an amazing vista. Not much chance of many surviving here though 😂. Great video as always mate. Super info

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and I’ve seen his garden on there too, definitely like something from another world and so completely different to anything you’d think of trying here, it’s fantastic 😃

[@wesleyhackney]

You should try some Bromeliad Nerogelias. Nice leaves wide variety of colors and so tropical looking.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for the suggestion, I probably will. One of my friends grows some in his greenhouse, the colours are so vivid!

[@wesleyhackney]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden they like next to zero maintenance, little water in the center cup no fuss watering the soil. Look forward to seeing your future videos

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@wesleyhackney Thanks, I’ll definitely give them some thought in spring, I appreciate you watching!

[@joezimmerman1089]

Great video, I like to plant variegated Camassia 'Blue Melody' in the damp bare spaces around cannas/colocasias/ensetes, it's one of the most wet-tolerant spring bulbs (besides snakeshead fritillaries, winter aconites and snowflakes, which are a bit more 'cottagey'). Helps add some colour in the spring and the variegated strappy leaves aren't too different from the spider plants or Carex.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Joe and that's a great suggestion - I can see why they remind you of spider plants for sure. I've just put a late bulb order in for some more Fritillarias and assorted bits, I'll get them planted just before Christmas (when I get 2 minutes!).

[@TanikuSucculents]

I love your videos. Loads of valuable info. I live on Vancouver isle in British Columbia CANADA. Winter temp is similar to yours imo but a lot wetter. I am going to leave alocasia outside this year to see if it survives! By the way your video quality is top notch. Could you tell me what kind of recording gears you use. Arigatou!!!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much! Oh right, yes, it’s amazing how many of you in Canada are into tropical style gardening, it’s great to see. It’ll definitely depend on the Alocasia variety, they are one of the more tropical plants so maybe not realistically going to survive a colder than average winter but worth an experiment. Thank you very much, I use a Canon mirrorless camera with a variety of lenses and a shotgun mic.

[@JH-fv1gq]

Another great video. When do you put a winter jacket on, its freezing man 😁

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! It was filmed a week and a half ago when it was a bit milder, it is very nearly coat weather now haha...

[@paulwright7522]

Thanks for another Brill video, can you please tell me what to do with crocosmia. I have a few, but not sure how to over winter them. Thanks again

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Paul! I let them die down naturally then they’ll come up again next year, you’ll be pleased to hear they’re tough plants!

[@lindadevuyst9311]

Here on Vancouver Island 🇨🇦 we have not had snow yet, but man the amount of rain has been torrential since end of September

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

We were like that last year Linda, a very wet autumn with rain nearly every day (from memory!), things have definitely been a bit different this year. When does it usually get cold for you?

[@lindadevuyst9311]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden any time now but not predicted for a bit yet…today is quite warm around 20+

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@lindadevuyst9311 Nice one, another light frosting of snow here today! It’s chilly!

[@paigeturner165]

Thanks George, fab vid. I’ve asked about alocasia, what about colocasia… can I have it out in Scotland? We are by the sea but quite high 🙌

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you Paige. For summer you should be fine but they have a shorter ‘season’ outside the further north you are. Colocasia Pink China may be worth a go, it’s very tough and can actually survive some deep cold outside! I’ve got another vid on it somewhere.

[@dropbacknaga]

Hi George, would a small Ensete survive stored in a dark cellar using the method in your video? Will they need light over winter if cut down to one leaf and kept in dry compost? Cheers!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, it could do but in all honesty small Ensete are tricky to get through winter - they don’t have the reserves to tick over as well. It might need a drop of water every month or so and potentially light to help it generate energy but in all honesty experimentation and keeping an eye on it may be the way forward.

[@absolutepsyvids4444]

Hi George! Have you ever tried growing outside a dracaena marginata? Are they cold hardy? Also have you ever tried cordyline red star? I know you are so into to tropical plants that's why I am asking about the cold hardiness . Cheers from North Greece, zone 8b here!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, I haven’t tried a dracaena, I imagine they won’t be tough enough up here. Maybe in a sheltered location in a mild winter but I don’t think they’d survive a normal winter outside unfortunately. Cordyline Red Star is definitely a lot tougher, they might need a bit of protection when small but after that will take a decent amount of cold - it would take a cold winter to cut them back. Your climate might be better for a lot of these plants then ours is though, zones don’t always tell the full story.

[@absolutepsyvids4444]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you very much for the detailed response!!! You are a true master of tropical plants 🤠🌃 Have a great night

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@absolutepsyvids4444 Thanks haha, I don’t know about that but I hope you have a great week too!

[@absolutepsyvids4444]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden all your videos are the proof 😀 Have a great week too

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@absolutepsyvids4444 Haha thanks, you’re too kind! 😃

[@39chevy44]

Hi George, another very informative video, as I have mentioned I’m new to this style of garden and wondered if you would be able to give a name to the tall plant next to where the hole is in Mediterranean section of your garden. Hope you managed to get everything in the ploy tunnel in time?, and looking forward to the next instalment.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much. Everything got in in time, just! The rest that’s out can take a bit of cold OK. Which plant are you referring to, the pine or one of the potted palms?

[@39chevy44]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Hi George thanks for getting back to me, the tall plant I’m after info on is 23.15 minutes in on the video behind the rock. Kind regards

[@johncondon8290]

@@39chevy44 Is it an Echium Pininana I think

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@39chevy44 Hi, it could be the Echium pininana then, hopefully it makes it through winter and flowers next year!

[@39chevy44]

Thank you John, George, that’s the one ,I have seen it a front garden near me, and thought that it looked tropical.

[@lawn38]

Do you store your eucomis away for winter? It’s my first year growing them, bought eucomis pallidiflora and read can leave them out as long as ground is relatively dry over winter. Great vid as always 😀

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and I'd say that's pretty right! I might bring mine in or leave them out, I've genuinely not really decided this year. Digging them up lets me move things around though so I might end up doing that!

[@danwilson5160]

What is the pink salvia?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

It's a plant I was kindly given, 'Kisses and Wishes' from the 'Wishes' series apparently.

[@paigeturner165]

Would allocasia cope outside in Scotland George? (not winter obvs)

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I suppose they would, they may not grow hugely but would definitely add some tropical leaves from June through to October 😃