Dierama - overwintering

[Schier]

Beautiful day here, perfect fall day, wonderful for washing and bleaching all the small pots in readiness for new seeds in the next few months!

I have  about 4 - 5 small Dieramas ( or is that just Dierama? )  that I grew from seed this year,
they are in quite small pots, and I see that I most likely should have potted them up in a something larger in about July, however, that "somehow" didn't get done..... anyway, they are looking quite well, but I know I have to have them indoors to overwinter here, and since they are still babies, I've heard that for the first year they should be kept green and growing somewhat over the winter. 
Here's the thing - should I keep them in the small pots now that it's so late in the year? Also, I plan on bringing them into the house and having a special small set up of grow lights for them. Would this be the best way to do it? Or, should they be in a cooler situation? As an alternative, I could keep them in the pumphouse under lights, but we only keep it about 8 deg. C in there. Any thoughts on this? I would really like to bring these plants through the winter, or at least give it a good try!

[RickR]

Not that I would know what to do, but what species of Dierama are they?

The first Dierama I ever saw was at the Edinborough Botanic Gardens. It was D. pendula, and I still think I like that one the best.  I was really bummed when I found out that there wasn't a prayer of it overwintering in Minnesota.  I've toyed with starting it from seed anyway, but never got around to it.  It's not a very common Dierama species.

[Tony Willis]

I have several species in the garden including some large clumps of D. pulcheririmum and without exception they were decimated last winter which was the coldest we have had in our eighteen years here.It got to -10c for a couple of weeks. They are recovering but will take years to build up again ,thats if we get a few mild winters. Another like the last one will finish them off.

I would expect no problems if they are kept frost free inside and either of your ideas would seem fine but outside I would think you have no hope.

[Schier]

Thanks for all for your replies... my plants are Dierama  pulcherrimum.  I found a small cabinet at a yard sale yesterday and I plan on installing the grow lights in that, and keeping the plants in the house over the winter, I'll give it a good old try anyway!
I want to get it set up and ready asap so when the weather changes I can put them directly into their winter home. It's so, so warm today, 33 deg. C, and going to be nice for the next week, so I don't have to worry about them for awhile anyway...

[Schier]

I managed to kill the dieramas, I think the smaller ones were just too tiny ,  the larger ones may have had a chance , except that just after Christmas, I was away for 4 - 5 days and something went goofy with the timer on the lights.  So, it looked like the lights were on constantly the whole time I was away, and the plants were very dry when I got back, and just never recovered.  I am trying a few more from seed this year, and am ordering one from Fraser's Thimble Farm - and I will try one more time to overwinter.  If doesn't work a second time, that's it!

[RickR]

Well I have Dierama pendulum seed that sprouted on March 4th.  We'll see how I do overwintering inside this coming winter, too.

[Tony Willis]

I may be wrong but although they are evergreen I do think that if kept just moist they will not need light over winter and although they may die back they will grow forth again in the spring. This idea is formed from the fact that in winter 2011 all mine had the top growth killed totally and yet last summer grew away again.It might be a totally rubbish idea!! Greatly weakened the survivers  have had a very mild winter 2012 and are now looking fine and will hopefully flower this year. In their best year 2010 when they were mature they achieved over 7 feet high.

They are very very slow growers.