Storing Tropical Plants for Winter
All my tropical plants are now stored indoors for the winter.
Caring for these plants means following a strict schedule, particularly at the end of the warm season. Plants that summer at Skylands, my home in Maine, or at Lily Pond in East Hampton, are picked up and brought back to Bedford for storage. Together with all the tropical specimens here at the farm, everything is organized and placed in one of two large and special greenhouses where temperatures and humidity levels can be closely monitored and adjusted when necessary.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
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- Before storing, all the plants are brought to their designated greenhouse and placed outside, so each one can be inspected, and trimmed or repotted if necessary. Then, by size each one is carried into the structure where they will stay for about seven months.
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- These plants grow a little more each year, so the placement of these specimens will change every time they are stored.
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- The shelves on both sides of the greenhouse are tiered to make the best use of the shape of the space. The old lumber and stumps are saved materials from the farm – I always try to reuse and repurpose. Phurba and Pasang check each shelf to make sure it is sturdy and level.
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- This greenhouse works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing.
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- To simulate the best subtropical environment, we try to keep the temperature in this greenhouse between 50 and 85-degrees Fahrenheit with some humidity.
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- In this greenhouse, I also keep a compost tea maker. Feeding plants compost tea is a wonderful way to provide wholesome and organic nourishment. Compost tea is made by steeping aged compost in water. It improves soil structure, reduces water stress, and is an ideal alternative to toxic chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This brewing system is from Growing Solutions, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon.
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- This is a Bismarkia palm, Bismarckia nobilis, which grows from a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, and slightly bulging at the base. The nearly rounded leaves are enormous and are divided to a third its length into 20 or more stiff, once-folded segments.
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- Already inside – this monkey puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana. It is an evergreen tree native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. It has strange leaves, a distinctive trunk and branches that emerge from the trunk in whorls. Mature trees may reach 150-feet in height and have a trunk diameter of up to seven-feet.
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- Beaucarnea recurvata, the elephant’s foot or ponytail palm, is a species of plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true palms. In fact, it is a member of the Agave family and is actually a succulent. It has a bulbous trunk, which is used to store water, and its long, hair-like leaves that grow from the top of the trunk like a ponytail, giving the plant its renowned name.
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- I have many agaves, including this blue agave with its beautiful gray-blue spiky fleshy leaves. Do you know that tequila is distilled from the sap of the blue agave?
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- Blue agave plants lend themselves well to container growing since their roots do not mind being crowded.
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- These are also agaves. All agaves do best in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil, and thrive on the scantest amount of water. Some are more cold-tolerant than others, but they can’t handle damp cold.
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- Agaves are so beautiful, but keep them in low traffic areas, as their spikes can be very painful. And always wear gloves and eye protection when dividing because the sap can burn.
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- Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia reginae, is a species of evergreen tropical herbaceous plant, native to South Africa. These regal plants are named for the beautiful, orange crane-like flowers that they produce, like birds of paradise. The split leaves or lobing of leaves reduce drag in the wind. They have evolved to create splits along their lateral leaf seams to allow the wind to pass by. In doing so, they eliminate the risk of being snapped in half by a strong gusts.
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- I also keep a group of sago palms, Cycas revoluta, in this enclosure. They are popular houseplants with pretty foliage, but keep them away from pets and young children, as they are also very toxic if ingested.
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- Here’s a large sago. The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, supports a crown of shiny, dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that is typically about seven to eight inches in diameter when mature, sometimes wider.
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- Philodendrons are easy to grow just about anywhere, but they love medium or bright-light spots best. Philodendron is a genus of herbaceous evergreen tropical plants which belongs to the aroid family Araceae. The leaves are usually large and imposing, often lobed or deeply cut, and may be more or less pinnate.
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- Pittosporum is a tough, evergreen shrub. The attractive, dense evergreen foliage and mounded form, along with adaptability to many growing conditions, make it popular in landscapes as hedges and foundation plantings.
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- Kalanchoe is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. It is know for its ease of care and interesting leaves and flowers, which bloom consistently throughout the year in response to daylight. Kalanchoe can grow quite large, spreading out over a thick columnar trunk.
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- Agapanthus is a popular perennial that grows from a bulb-like rhizome. Their strappy evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves provide pretty winter foliage while blue or white flowers feature a nice color in mid to late summer.
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- Also in this enclosure is this tall pygmy date palm tree, Phoenix roebelenii. This tree grows to about 10-feet tall. It is planted in a large container with another sedum ground cover. Phoenix roebelenii is a popular ornamental plant and needs little pruning to develop a strong structure.
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- We got them all in – and with enough space, so that none of them touch. When growing tropical plants indoors, position them beside south-facing windows with good airflow. It is important that air can circulate throughout the entire space around the plants. I am so glad we got them indoors well before the first frost in this area. And I look forward to when these precious plants come out of hiding again in spring.
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