Native Plants

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Thursday - September 05, 2013
From: Newport, RI
Region: Northeast
Topic: Propagation
Title: Overwintering Newly Rooted Hydrangea
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I am in the process of rooting a hydrangea shoot in a pot, should I bring this inside to winter? I thought burying the whole clay pot to winter outside, is this feasible? I'm in zone 6b. What would be the best way to ensure this young seedling survives the winter?ANSWER:
You can bury the entire clay pot with your rooted hydrangea cutting in the garden for the winter if the clay pot has a drainage hole in the bottom so that the pot won’t break. Simply dig a big enough hole that you can fit the entire pot in the ground and the lip is at soil level. Then mulch the plant well with compost, loose leaves or straw or evergreen boughs after the first frost has occurred. Mound up the mulch at least 6 inches (more is better) and this should protect the plant during the winter.
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