Solanum Rantonettii in winter

Solanums are tender in frost Jwhite. I am in the UK equivalent zone 8b and I would still fleece it heavily in winter. A trash bag is not the best idea. It would not allow it to breathe. I suggest you buy some garden fleece from your local garden center and give it a double wrapping. Hessian (sacking) may do the trick but I must say I admire your enterprise trying to grow this in zone 7 (we aren't related are we? - LOL)

John.

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news - maybe I didn't deal with mine properly. I bought it in a pot in May 2007 and loved it. I wanted to keep it for 2008 so I cut it back and put it in my greenhouse. I was thrilled when it produced shoots in the spring. I re-potted it and got it back out again in May, and then things went wrong. Its shoots grew too long and it only produced a very few flowers. Possibly I should have pinched out the ends or cut it back again - I don't really know - but it was a disaster and not a pretty sight - so I have disposed of it, I'm afraid. What a tale of woe! I'd love another one, though!

Spritz. That is very sad. If the place you disposed of it to should return it please remember that since my retirement from the real world I do now love making poorly plants better. (It's easier than humans - no relatives). So send it here. LoL.

John.

At the moment it is just a stump with a rootball. It's outside, too, as I simply can't squeeze anything else in the cool greenhouse! Do you know what I did to it (or didn't do) that was wrong, John?

I had these growing in my Spanish garden....even though the temps in Winter were minus, they survived well with no protection and a strong westerley spring wind. They were mulched around with gravel over very free draining soil, so I think they were mainly cold and dry. In the Spring I would water well and they bloomed really well. Think cold and damp is the enemy here.

It could have been this year, couldn't it. No summer to speak of, lots of wind and rain, little sun. Maybe if I see another one I'll try again. It really was a joy to see in full bloom!

I live in Oslo/Norway and has had mine Solanum Rantonettii for 14 yrs. now 150 cm high, and ab 90 cm diameter. Planted in a big pot I take it inside when leaves has fallen off i atumn, cuts it gently and leave it for rest in my staircase. (Outside door, not heated).Temperature goes down to 0 C (in times even little colder), and it gets a little water once a month, just to keep soil a little moist. In april I take it in and leaves it inside my balcony-door in the sun. After a week or two it will shoot long new branches with light green leaves. I cut them down leaving 2 or 3 leaves before setting it out on the balcony when danger of night-frost is over. Fortunately mine seems to be a strong specimen, as the soil in the pot froze one hard winther and even it survived nearly drying out in the summer heat one year. Last autumn I cut off some branches (about 30 cm), cutted leaves from ab 10 cm from the end, cut off top of branch (1 cm) and sat them directly in good and wet soil. Theese were put outside the same way during winther, and given sparingly water to keep soil moist. Now, in june 09, I have seven new Solanums growing beautyfully in their pots, giving new branches and flowers.

Hopefully you will have luck the same way!

As I now have several new plants, I will take the old three to my summer house as "a permanent resident" to leave it there. I think it has to be covered up in autumn against snow and cold. Last winter we had 120 cm snow and down to - 20 C.