Tropical Planting Breaks the Rules. Should I plant in the ground before Winter?
Q:
Winter is coming and I still have a few plants I want to
plant in the ground. Should I keep them in pots and wait
till spring?
A:
In subtropical areas, if temperatures don't drop
below freezing, you can continue planting in the ground.
In fact winter planting has some unique advantages - less
heat stress on a plant and root system, mild environment -
help the plant to establish better. Besides, no-sweat
garden work is much more enjoyable, and you can get done a
lot!
As the weather gets cooler, many of you move your potted
tropical plants indoors.
Please
remember: 1. Leaf drop. Lower air humidity, lower light and
short day may cause some leaf drop. This is normal for
seasonal environment change. Learn more about leaf drop
and deciduous plants from this info sheet
(PDF). 2. Reduce watering as winter coming. Under lower
light and in cooler temperature, plants won't need much
water; some plants go dormant and only need minimum water.
Excess water may damage roots and kill a plant in winter.
3. No fertilizer in winter. Active growth stops.
Let the plant go into dormancy or simply have a rest. 4. Insects. Watch for insects by inspecting leaves
regularly. They may attack plants more likely in the
indoor conditions.
STAY WARM!
Date: 24 Jun 2018
How much water?
Q:
I have purchased many tropical plants from you throughout
the summer and now I need to think about how not to kill
them overwintering in my NY apartment. I was told that
overwatering can be a big problem for house plants in
winter. How much should I water, and how many times per
week?
A:
Overwatering in the number one cause of the houseplant
death. But be sure not to underwater, either. - Don't water on the fixed schedule, get to know
your plant's needs instead. Most plants only need watering
when the top 1/2"of potting mix is try. gently poke your
finger into the soil to test it. Some experience gardeners
go by weight of the pot - a very light pot will have a dry
mix. - Aim to make the potting mix moist, but not wet.
Most plants hate sitting in soggy potting mix, so always
let excess water drain away. - Potting mix in terra cotta pots dries out more
quickly than that in plastic or ceramic pots,
because terra cotta is a porous material. - Most plants need less water in winter because
they are not actively growing and need this period of
winter rest. However some plants are winter bloomers and they may
need regular watering providing bright light to produce
flowers, for example clerodendrums.
Date: 21 Oct 2025
Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
🌈 Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
🌸 Cassia (Senna) trees are very popular flowering trees - fast growing, free-flowering, relatively cold hardy, and they love the summer heat. Cassias come in several colors: yellow, orange, pink, red, and rainbow. Rainbow varieties (which are hybrids between yellow and pink cassias) are the most popular thanks to their multicolor blooms with swirls of yellow, pink, red, and orange. But while Rainbow Cassia is a spectacular flowering tree for southern gardens, is it a good choice for a container when you want color on your patio or pool deck?
🌸 Some yellow-flowering cassias make attractive bushes that bloom most of the year and stay compact, so they can be grown as container specimens: Cassia didymobotrya- Popcorn Cassia Senna alata- Empress Candles Cassia fistula- Golden Shower (a compact size winter blooming tree)
🌸 When it comes to Rainbow or pink cassias such as Cassia javanica - Apple Blossom Tree or Cassia grandis- Red Cassia and other species and hybrids (Cassia marginata - Rainbow Shower Tree, Cassia roxburghii - Ceylon Senna, Cassia x nodosa - Pink Shower), these are usually more vigorous trees that may take several years to bloom. Their flowering season lasts from a few weeks to a couple of months. These trees grow moderately fast but typically need to reach about 10 feet before they start flowering.
🌸 So, the answer is: if you want rich, deep color year-round from a container tree, go with Bauhinias - Orchid Trees. Most varieties grow well in pots, stay compact, and reach blooming maturity within just one season. The following varieties are everblooming and can produce flowers for up to 10 months of the year:
Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Dwarf Orchid Tree. Blooms from winter through fall, up to 10 months a year. The most cold-hardy of all. Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. A large tree in the ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right away. Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost. Bauhinia tomentosa - Yellow Orchid Tree. Flowers from Winter through Summer, cold hardy to light frost. Bauhiniamonandra - Napoleon's Plume Orchid Tree. Almost everblooming with the longest flowering period (less cold hardy than the first three). Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree. Blooms from summer through winter (also less cold hardy than the first three).
10 plants that can make you happy.
3D garden ideas.
3D garden ideas. Q: Can you make my yard bigger and prevent it from freezing?
A:Yes, we can make your backyard bigger by adding a 3rd dimension - trees as a upper level, shrubs as a second level, vines in between, low growing perennials below them. Add ground covers and potted plants as separate specimens in between in-ground planted trees and shrubs. One more separate dimension is orchids and other epiphytes that happily grow on the trees. This multi-level structure will allow you not only collect so many plants, but also maintain them in a natural environment, similar to how they grow in a wild.
As far as preventing from freezing - it depends. You can use greenhouse, cover plants, create microclimate under large canopies, etc. Some tropical plants are tolerant to light frost, once established. If it gets below freezing in your area for more than a few hours, and especially if you have numerous nights with frost throughout winter, we recommend to keep plants in pots (BTW, this way you save space and can collect even more!). Pots can be moved to protected area during cold nights. The more established the tree, the more chances to survive colder temperatures. You may also use propane heaters during cold nights.
We also use plant booster SUNSHINE boosters to increase plants cold tolerance.
Cold protection is a lengthy subject. Here is some more information on cold protection.
Also, we recommend to check out our magazine Tropical Treasures (about pushing the limits of tropical gardening) for a detailed article on cold protection.
These are specific articles on Zone-Pushing in different issue #s regarding dealing with cold. See downloadable issues:
(#1) Growing Tropicals in Nontropical Climate, Three Freezing Nights in Southwest Florida
(#2) Temperature drops - an alert or a rehearsal?
(#5) Dealing with cold snaps, Cold hardy beauties
(#7) When winter is around the corner, Growing exotic Cordyline in colder climate
(#8) When the weather outside is frightful
(#9) Winter champions
(#11) Ready-for-winter checklist for in-ground plants
(#13) Winter checklist
(#18) Dealing with cold damaged plants
You may also order hard copies.
If temperatures drop below freezing in your area, remember to add Heat Pack to your order!
10 plants that will make you happy.
Everyone wants to be happy. Did you know that growing plants is not only fun but can also make you happy? In our new series we will introduce to you 10 plants for your tropical collection that will make you happy.
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