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I have three of these and I think it will not be a good idea to leave them like that over winter. This is in Toronto Canada. Here is the hardiness map. I was thinking that storing them in a shed my work. How much light do they need?

enter image description here

Update: one year later

enter image description here Not a bad winter all in all. at some point the planters where full of ice, the plants were covered in ice because the water did not drain (the bottom holes plugged) and it froze filling the planters up

MiniMe
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  • Hi MiniMe! Would you mind editing your specific temperature range into the question, mostly the lowest range and how long it stays that low in an average winter? I think it would be very helpful. Thanks! – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL Aug 16 '16 at 17:23
  • I don't have the stats but as I mentioned I live in Toronto ☛ here is the map http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-ontario-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php – MiniMe Aug 16 '16 at 17:33

1 Answers1

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We have a dozen of more of these planted with various succulents and experiments and we garden in zone 5a which is colder than your zone. Winter preparation is to move them to an area with good snow cover. Snow is an excellent insulator from the wild changes in temperature that seem to be the new norm.

Toronto weather tends to be moderated by the lake but this means your chief worry is the plants getting waterlogged then frozen.

I would move them to an area protected from winds, road salt and bright sun. An easterly or protected northern site should do.

Then, to protect against them getting too wet I would make a little tent to keep the rain/snow off. As long as it has ventilation it should not warm them up during the winter.

kevinskio
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  • Toronto Canada is lower than 5a? If this guy has a protected, cold, shed with a great window for light, wouldn't that be perfect? I've seen sedum do just fine in extreme cold and come back, much to my surprise. But unless there is a great snow cover before temperatures drop into freezing then there is little chance to recover. Covering with newspaper and row cover for the winter as well would work pretty well but not assured. Wouldn't a cold shed with light be better, Kevinsky? – stormy Aug 16 '16 at 00:39
  • @stormy. Toronto is warmer and wetter in 5b. A shed would do nicely – kevinskio Aug 16 '16 at 00:42
  • Where are you Kevinsky with 5b zone? This latitude thing is distressing. I live in Oregon and we are 1b! The same as most of Alaska...sigh. – stormy Aug 16 '16 at 00:46
  • I do have a shed with a 2'x1' window (one sheet of glass though) and venting at the top side (there is 3" space between roof and its support for almost the entire perimeter of the shed) The temperatures will be a little higher in this shed and no wind at all. Rats might drop by but they won't stay since it will be cold :-) – MiniMe Aug 16 '16 at 00:46
  • I was wondering if the roots of these plants won't be more exposed to cold and freezing than if the ones planted in soil directl, just because these planters are shallow and the sides are exposed to cold air/weather – MiniMe Aug 16 '16 at 00:51
  • It is not cold but wet cool and damp that will kill them – kevinskio Aug 16 '16 at 00:52
  • they survived well, but this was not an excessively cold winter – MiniMe Apr 11 '17 at 23:25
  • Our hens and chicks weren't phased at all by this winter that got down to -21° F. at one point. In fact, they're looking pretty lively, now. They weren't in planters or a shed, though, and they may have been covered in some feet of snow when it got that cold. We had a very wet winter and early spring, this year, too. I'm not sure that the wetness necessarily bothers them when they're dormant due to the cold. They look better this year than they did over drier winters, for some odd reason. We do often have windy springs, though, which may help. – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx Apr 12 '17 at 07:01