How to Effectively Use Tropical Plants in Cool Climates
Choosing to use tropicals in my garden beds and pots was an easy decision. Not only am I mad for bold foliage, but I can use and reuse them every year. Here are some care and design tips to get the most out of your plants season after season.
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Provide Adequate Maintenance for Tropical Plants During the Growing Season
I find tropicals to be very forgiving overall, but they do have a few requirements. Locate larger-leaved plants out of the wind to keep them looking fresh. Feed them about every two weeks with a light sprinkle of time-release fertilizer. During the dead heat of summer, be sure to provide enough irrigation. Your plants may need to be watered every other day or even daily.
Don’t Baby Overwintering Tropical Plants
Tropical plants in cool zones require commitment. Before the first frost, I begin preparing them for their winter getaway. They get lifted from the ground or repotted into smaller containers and put in the basement. I keep my tropicals under full-spectrum daylight bulbs at a temperature between 40°F and 60°F and water sparingly, about once every two weeks. This is enough for them to survive but not thrive. When the weather is warm enough in May, I move them to a shady spot in the yard to let them adjust to more sunlight before they find their permanent homes for the season.
Make Sure That You Can Fill the Holes Tropical Plants Leave in Winter
When all my more tender tropical plants retire inside for the season, I make sure that there’s still a lot going on to maintain interest. Evergreen trees and shrubs form the bones of the garden in winter, alongside cold-hardy woodies from containers that are dug into the ground. A few choice pots sport coniferous branches and birch logs. And come springtime, colorful flowering bulbs blanket the yard.
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Gilmour 5/8″ x 25′ Round Weeper Soaker Hose
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Lee Valley Mini Garden Shear Set
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