Can I overwinter perennials in pots?

Question

I have many perennials in beds surrounding my home. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to get weeping tile done around my house, so I’m going to have to dig up the perennials or they will all be lost. Since some of them come up at different times over the spring and summer, I’m not sure how to get them all, and then how to store them so that the weeping tile work can be done. To do the weeping tile, the soil surrounding my home has to be removed down about seven feet deep, which will destroy the flower beds. I’d like to dig them this year and store them overwinter and replace them next year, but I live in Winnipeg where is gets very cold. What is your advice?

Answer 1

I would mark, maybe with twine and sticks, the clumps of perennials that you choose to save (depending on the number of plants involved, you may not be able to save them all) if you think they might be lost in the crowd when they’ve finished flowering. You’ll probably want to dig them near the end of autumn, when their growth cycle is ending. Here is an article that contains a number of good ideas for overwintering containerized perennials, so if you put yours into plastic growpots – you should be able to get all you need from a nearby nursery or landscaper – you should find a number of good ideas for winter storage. https://extension.umass.edu/floriculture/fact-sheets/overwintering-containerized-perennials