Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Okay, I just dug up my mat of 'Ice Cream', and now have 4 pstems ready to try and overwinter. They have heights of 9', two at 6', and one at 5'. I understand that they do not overwinter under the house very well, or a basement. Here, where I live they will survive outside, but die back to the corm. I would really like to try to get one of these pstems to produce next season, and that is the reason I dug them up.
Has anyone out there had any success at all overwintering Ice Creams, besides potting them up and bringing them into the house or greenhouse?
ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!!!

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Hey Randy!!!
I am so glad you posted this.. I have looking around wondering which ones are coming in and which ones are going down under..It is about that time of yr... :( I hadn't heard they didn't Winter well. Mine is about 5' P-stem and has a nice pup..Hubby is going to be so thrilled...lmao
HMMMM!!
Kylie:lurk:

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Randy, I decided to try one of each. I just put a 6 ft p-stem under the porch and I will be putting its largest pup a 4 footer in the sun room until I make the green house. Unfortunately I won't be able to anwser this until spring...good luck to you.

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

I am thinking of potting one of the 6 footers up and storing it along side my V. cohol in the garage, but still not sure what to do with the 9'!!! Talking about a monster to lift!!! Sure would be nice to have someone around here that has a strong back and weak mind, like myself!!! Oh well, I got it out and carried it out into the yard to dry a little, so I guess I can lug it around the house and into the crawlspace by myself. Would still like to hear from others that have had similiar situation and what they did as far as overwintering....

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Randy, last winter I dug up my 2 IC & one got potted & the big one I shook off as much dirt off rootball as possible & let it dry. I also cut all leaves off except for top 2 but cut those in half. Then I carted it into cool sunroom & laid it on floor against north wall & covered it. It slept all winter. Then, in March or so, I potted it & gave it a shot of water & it started a new leaf. That leaf just SHOT up & it was big! By end of April it (leaf) fell over & tree didn't look good. May, I planted it inground hoping it would come back and it did. I realized the pot held too much water & the roots were drowning but I saved it just in time. I gave it too much water to start!
If you have a cool room from 40 - 60f, just lay it down..garage etc.
This year I potted both up because I want them to continue to grow even though slowly. I'm lucky to have a 12 1/2 ft ceiling in S.R. I figure the dormancy will slow it's growth & I want these babies to keep growing to bloom next summer even if it only gets 2 more leaves!
BTW, keep the pups on.

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Patty,
Thanks so much for your input. I don't have a spare room with all my daughters eating up what room I do have. I will keep this in mind and may just lay them in my garage overwinter and see what happens... Again, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience...

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

You're very welcome Randy. You might want to stand it up in a bucket against a wall to save floorspace.
Most ppl cut all leaves off but I'd cut all but 2 top ones & cut those in half...puts it to sleep & gives it a better start in spring to absorb sunlight.

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Hey Randy, if space is an issue then just store the big one under the house. If you have the room to lie it down in the garage, I'd do that. I have had very limited success storing under the house with Ice Cream. Sometimes I get lucky and have a pseudostem make it just fine, but most of the time the apical meristem rots out on me. I think it might be too cold in my crawl space.

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

:2788::coldbanana::2197:

Best of luck with that Randy, hope the big one makes it through for you!

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

Well, I think I will pot one of the 6 footers up, store the other 6' under the house, and stand the 9' and the 5' up in the garage and see what happens. I may try putting one in a friend's basement just to experiment with them. I do have a nice 5 footer that I have left potted up in my screened in porch that will be coming back into my den, so I should have at least one to work with next year. Sure would like to get one of them to fruit for me next year as I have yet had the pleasure of tasting one. Thanks to all for your input...

Re: Advice needed for storing 'Ice Cream'
 

You all will definitely have to post back how things turned out in the Spring. We'll face the same issue next winter with our new IC's I'm sure and I'm curious to hear how yours turn out. I'm hoping the garage method works - that's what I'm trying this year on the others.