how do you take care of hen and chick plants during the winter? Bring inside or leave out?

Question

I live in Michigan and need to know if I need to bring in my large potted plants for the winter???

Answer 1

Hen and Chicks are an exceptionally hardy perennial (up to about -30 degrees F -- that's 30 degrees below zero) when in the ground and generally will do fine in a big clay pot -- and while they will do OK (and only OK) if brought in in the winter, they actually do need periods of extreme cold, and you will have better flowering and offspring if given their periods of rest and cold.

In a pot there is a chance the roots can get severely damaged if you have an exceptionally hard and long winter, however you can protect against this -- any many other plants -- by either burying the pot in the ground for the winter, or by putting a layer of mulch (straw/grasses/fallen leaves) around the pot to protect it.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

If the Hens and Chicks are in pots then either bury the pots in the ground, or in a cold frame.

The reason is, because the pots are above the ground, they will freeze,thaw,freeze,thaw all winter long, plus the winter wind hitting the pots. All of that is very bad for plant roots.

This is any plant left out side in a pot above ground!

So if you can't bury it, then put it into a garage or cold cellar, or breeze way. were it can be cold and dormant, but safe from extremes in temperature.

Answer 3

Zone 4 ; cold midwest winters.
I know many people who have established hen/chicks that survive winters easily. These surviving plants were always near foundation of house and on south or east side of house with lot of tree leaf coverage for winter. Others who had them on the north or west sides or more in the open, had their hen/ chicks die over winter. (Bring a few in just in case you need a few to restart.) I always thought they couldn't survive the winter so I kept special attention to the people who left theirs outside.

Answer 4

I'm from Buffalo ny the winters are awful, If it were me I would place the pot in a sheltered area like the garage maybe if you leave it out the pot my break from freezing

Answer 5

you have to leave it inside and keep it warm . also make sure to water it every once in a while when there's sun outside leave the plant close to the window so it could get light.