Question
I have potted Asiatic lilies, hibiscus, bell flowers, calla lilies, datura, and mums. How do I care for these plants over the winter so I can plant them in the ground in the spring? Where should I store them (I heard about turning them upside down and surrounding them in hay-is this a valid idea)? How much water and sun do they need? Should they go dormant and if so how do I do it? The datura might be an annual. Do I have to take a cutting in order to have it for next spring? I also have some coleus annuals I would like to take cuttings of for next year. Can you explain the procedure for rooting then planting them. I could use some info on forcing hyacinth, daffodil, tulip, lily and crocus bulbs also. I am a beginning gardener so I am pretty clueless. Your expert advice is greatly appreciated. I've been having a hard time finding the specific advise I need.

Answer
You have quite a potted collection there.  So many plants, so many questions, so little time...

The upside-down-in-hay system works, but temperatures must be sustained VERY cool, barely freezing.  Do you have access to these conditions?  These are hardy plants that are acclimated to the chilly conditions of Northern Winters, and you will have to supply them with the temperatures they need for dormancy and multiplication.  When dormant, they do not need Sunlight, and they need only a splash of Water to keep from dessicating.  You might find it easier to keep the seeds of your Datura than the entire plant; this is a tender perennial, but most Northerners grow it as an annual.  Keep the Seeds just in case your Datura does not last through Winter.

Coleus is an Annual but it is possible to take cuttings with success.  Slice at an angle, just above a leaf node, at a point where you have a 2 1/2 inch to 3 inch long cutting; dip in hormonal rooting powder and lay tilted in a shallow dish, angle side down, filled with wet sand.  Depending on light and temperature, it will root in 2 to 4 weeks.

The techniques for forcing Spring Bulbs can get quite elaborate.  Make sure you obtain Bulbs that are short-stemmed when in bloom -- 12 inches or shorter.  Longer stemmed varieties tip over when they finally bloom.

The Fiskars website describes Tulip-forcing basics:

www.fiskars.com/US/Garden/Dig+In!/Gardening+Topics/Gardening+Topic+Detail?contentId=87390

They note, 'Generally, Tulips need at least 12 to 16 weeks to bloom if started in September or October, but only 8 to 10 weeks if started in December.'

I agree their advice that clay pots work best - the biggest problem with bulb-forcing is bulb rot; anything you can do to keep that from happening is a good idea.

Simulate Winter, they say, 'by placing the potted bulbs at 32 degrees to 50 degrees F in a dark area such as an unheated garage or basement.  A refrigerator crisper works well.'

The fridge is good only as long as there are NO real fruits in the fruits-and-vegetables crisper: 'Never put them next to fruits such as apples that emit Ethylene, a gas that hinders flowering.'  Ethylene gas is emitted in small but fatal quantities from dieing flowers and other unexpected places.

They also note: 'In Warm areas, you can even leave them outdoors as long as the temperature doesn't go below freezing or above 50 degrees F.'

Once the big chill is over, you'll need a Sunny and very cool, but unfrozen, spot to grow and bloom your potted Tulips.  I have an unheated basement with no light whatsoever.  Forcing pots of bulbs involves bring the pots outside on unseasonably warm mid-Winter mornings and taking advantage of as much Sun as possible, then stuffing them back in the unheated basement at dusk to keep them from freezing.

That dance was critical to success.  The bulbs still need to be cold.  If you put them on a windowsill indoors, they'll end up 'blind' or 'blasted', with buds that almost looked as if they were about to bloom and suddenly deteriorated without warning just before opening.  All that work.  All that waiting.  You don't want to blow this at the very end.

That said, I can tell you that every tedious minute of care was worth it.  There is absolutely nothing like a collection of clay pots sitting on the front steps with Hyacinths, Daffodils and Tulips you have forced yourself all Winter long.  Thanks for writing.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER