Care of Jacob Ladder

by Maxine
(Manitoulin Island, Ontario, CA)

Can you please tell me if there are any special precautions that should be taken to Jacob Ladder upon the winter season?

Would it be possible to pot it and bring it indoors?

Thanks!

Doug says it wants to go dormant. Potting it up and taking it inside isn't going to let it do this and you'll lose it. You're on the edge of it's hardiness zone.

If you get a lot of snow cover, I'd stop worrying.

If no snow cover, then mulch heavily in the late fall just before freezeup. Remove the mulch as soon as it thaws in the spring. Leaving the mulch on during the spring thaw will encourage water around the crown of the plant and this will lead to root rot in the plant.

Get that mulch off before the plant starts growing - you might have to take it off one layer at a time as it thaws but this is better than leaving it on till the ground starts to thaw as the plant will start growing under the mulch (if not rotted) and subsequent tender growth will be killed off by late frosts.

Good luck. :-)