Hi,
I'm happy to read all of the advice from the different folks.
Here, near Houston, TX, I try to determine where the plants come from and
what habitats they like. Thus, for most of the Southeast USA plants, I just
plant them in the ground in a low area of my yard, and they figure out the rest.
The only exception will be H. galvestonensis, and I've just gotten a few seeds
of that one. I'll leave it outside all winter to get rain, or not, as the
weather decides.
If they come from other areas of the world I have been trying to discern if
they are from seasonally wet places, or if they grow in drier habitats. But,
I've had little luck interpreting the various informations.
Therefore, for all of those for which I don't have good information, I leave
them in pots (2- 3-gallon) all winter. By mid-November I usually put them in
shade and cover them with a bit of clear plastic (3-4 mil, not thin material).
Then, I leave them dry until about mid-February or early March, with bright
shade, no direct sun, and no water from rain. Sometimes, in sunny spells, I
pull off the plastic for a few days.
I uncover them all by early March at the latest. As a pot starts growing I
move it to the areas of the garden that get watered. Our low temperatures are
modest, last year was 23 F (-5 C) and about the same the year before. Low
temperatures last only a few hours and the soil in pots does not freeze.
Some, such as H.maximilianii, or H. caribaea just grow in big tubs year
round, about 10-15 gallon containers. They follow their own rhythms. I think that
some others will be given that treatment as they become larger clumps.
Cordially,
Conroe Joe