Pay at Door:
$5 pp (cash or check)
Location:
72 Harrington Road
Broad Brook, CT 06016
Information:
Cathy Testa is offering her overwintering plants demonstration a little earlier this year so that you may go home and get ready to overwinter your own plants from your container gardens in October.
The plant types to be reviewed are elephants ears (Colocasia), Alocasias (similar to elephants sears), red banana plants (Ensete), and Canna lily plants.
We review the steps, tools, and materials used to store these plants over the winter months so you may regrow them the next year’s growing season.
Note: You do not need a greenhouse to do this. The plants are taken down and stored. We show you how and what you need to do. The only thing you really need is an unheated room (like your basement) which does not go below freezing or a cool room in your house.
My Big Tropicals:
As a side bar, people who have seen photos of my huge red banana plants (some grow to 12 – 15 ft tall in my pots!) are in awe. They often think I use some kind of “magical” fertilizer to get them to grow so lush, tall, and full, but the secret is this storing process. You can regrow these every single year. Same with other big leafed topical plants such as the wonderful elephant ears, etc.
Here’s a photo of my biggest container garden featured in a grower magazine a couple years ago – just to give you an idea of the size of these show-stopping plants. Want this at your home? Come learn this process and then you can do this next season.
Frost Dates:
Usually our overwintering process takes place right before or right after our CT fall frost date in mid-October (which the Farmers Almanac site indicates is expected on October 8th this year in 2018, but other sites indicate a bit earlier), but to help you plan ahead, we will show this process early in September. We know it is early to take down patio pots and container gardens, and it is still hot and humid, BUT this will enable you to see all before you do the process at home with your plants when you are ready. Once you get the hang of how to do this – you will be hooked and have many more plants to use in your containers and patio pots every summer. And if you don’t have the plants (yet), learn this so that next year when I offer my large tropical plants for sale again, you will have the know-how in advance.
Benefits:
Reusing plants (saves money)
Obtain huge, large, and showy dramatic plants over time by storing
Does NOT require a greenhouse, huge room, or lighting equipment
Gives you gratification when you learn how and succeed
Will gain multiple plants each season as they reproduce (offsets, babies, etc.)
Is not hard to do and many components (materials used) are reusable too
Demonstration Date:
Saturday, September 8th, 2018
11:00 am to Noon
Location:
Container Crazy CT’s
72 Harrington Road
Broad Brook, CT 06016
To sign up:
We will be taking “pay at door” but please let us know if you think you would like to attend so we may plan ahead by completing the Interest Form below or clicking GOING on the Facebook event on Container Crazy CT’s page. This session is held in a large garage and outdoors, and is casual setting but you learn lots!
Note: If sign-ups are low, this session could get cancelled. We need about a minimum of 5 people to proceed. Bring a friend and learn the how to’s of this process. The biggest benefit is you will regrow the same plants every season. You don’t need to go buy them again, plus many are multiplied by dividing them, and grow larger each season, etc.
cathy testa 