I Am Moving To Mn And Decided To Take A…
Susan Asked
I am moving to MN and decided to take a few of my favorite plants with me: roses, bulbs, daisies, peonies. I dug them up and put them in paper bags and then into boxes. If I leave them in my garage through winter and plant in the new location in early spring before growth starts, will they be okay?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Susan in Wisconsin: As gardeners, it is hard not to make sure that there is room for a few special plants in the moving truck. We cannot always control the time of year that we move, and of course certain times are better than others in terms of transplanting, but plants are pretty resilient and it is certainly worth the effort to include some of the old favorites in the new garden. I am sure it is much colder in Wisconsin than it is in Kentucky this time of the year, but in general you can plant trees and shrubs all year long as long as the ground is not frozen. So, if the bed is prepared and you know where you want to plant your rose you can go ahead and get it in the ground. It is getting to be a bit late to plant perennials because of the potential of the soil heaving as it freezes and thaws but the daisies should still be potted up. If they are left in the bag/box the roots may completely dry out and you risk losing the plant. You can pot the daisy up in a nursery container or even a decorative one if you want but it will still need to be watered every couple of weeks. It can stay in the garage until late winter or early spring. If your bulbs are perennial ones you can plant those as well. If they are tender then the best way to store them is in peat moss. You just want to make sure they are not exposed to moisture since they can rot. Peonies are technically tubers so the same goes for them in terms of moisture. The bulbs/tubers can remain in the paper bags in the garage until next spring.
