Hibernate Plants: 10 Expert Tips For Your Garden

Winter is coming and not all plants are happy about that. But with these 10 tips for overwintering, your plants will also survive the cold season unscathed.

The temperatures are falling and the days are getting shorter: It cannot be overlooked that winter is approaching us in seven-mile boots. But while people enjoy the first snowflakes, many plants don’t like the cold at all. Warmth-loving exotic species, in particular, suffer in winter and can even die. We’ll show you ten simple tips with which you can still get your favorites over the winter without damage.

10. Which plant has to overwinter?

Not every plant is at war with winter. In fact, most of the native plants can handle cold temperatures very well. On the other hand, exotic species, especially from southern countries, have to be prepared for winter. These plants include all citrus fruits, but also geraniums, oleanders, and an olive tree. Annual plants do not have to hibernate but are simply sown again the next year. Boxwood or rhododendron as well as any shrubs survive the winter in the bed very well.

9. Hibernate in a pot or outdoors?

The question of the questions: Should my plant in the bed even though it is not winter hardy? In most cases, it is advisable to keep plants that are not hardy in the tub. As soon as it gets colder, the plants can easily be carried to a sheltered place. On the other hand, if you want to admire your plant in the bed, it has to be dug up every autumn and put back in spring – a lot of work. In addition, the roots of the plant can be damaged when excavating, so that the plant is weakened and does not have a good start to its winter dormancy.

8. Overwinter in the winter garden and greenhouse

Anyone sitting in a glasshouse can lean back in peace. Winter gardens and greenhouses are the perfect places for evergreen plants to overwinter, because oleanders, laurel, and co. Need enough light in winter too. It is therefore worth cleaning the panes again before storing them so that the plants get as much of the valuable sunlight as possible. Another advantage of the winter garden is the right climate: Temperatures between 5 – 10 ° C are perfect and bring the plants safely through the winter. But be careful: it can also freeze in the greenhouse – so arm yourself with a suitable greenhouse heater or a frost monitor.

7. Hibernate plants in the house

If you don’t have a winter garden or a greenhouse, you can overwinter your plants indoors. The right room is of the utmost importance here: it should be bright and unheated so that the plants feel comfortable. In most buildings, stairwells, garages, or basements are therefore best suited for wintering. The temperature is also crucial – the temperature in the room should never fall below freezing point, otherwise, the plants could suffer frostbite.

Some more sensitive cultures even resent temperatures below 10 ° C. Therefore, always find out exactly about the pain threshold of your respective protégé. At the same time, however, the heating must not be too high. Not only does the dry heating air weaken the plants – temperatures that are too high cause the plants to restart their metabolism.

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However, since there is too little light at the same time, the plant begins to develop long, thin shoots, and they wilt. In addition, most plants – provided they are not native to areas of equatorial or tropical climates – need a rest period to recharge their batteries so that they can start up again next year.

6. The right light

As mentioned above, evergreen species need a sufficient amount of light even in winter. However, the following applies the colder the room temperature, the less light the plant needs. Plants such as star jasmine or myrtle, which can cope with a cool 0 – 5 ° C, can do without light at a constant temperature just above freezing point. Deciduous plants such as angel’s trumpet or fuchsia, on the other hand, should generally overwinter in the dark. If they come into contact with light too early, it can otherwise happen that they sprout prematurely.

5. Hibernate plants outside

Potted plants can not only hibernate indoors – but some plants can also get through the winter well outside with a little help. Boxwood, bamboo, or cherry laurel are hardy in the bed but need some support in the tub. The reason for this is that the soil in the pot freezes through much faster than the soil in a bed. Styrofoam, bubble wrap, or fleece around the pot keep the cold out a little.

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Also, a jute sack in which you put the pot and which you then fill with dry leaves, or a layer of mulch reliably warms the plant. To protect the plant from the cold of the ground, you can raise the pot a little with a few wooden blocks. Close to a house wall and huddled together, the plants are also protected from the weather and can usually cope with icy temperatures without any problems.

4. Don’t forget to pour

One of the most common mistakes when wintering: forgetting to water. Even if you can hardly believe it, plants need an adequate supply of water even when they are in hibernation. Evergreen plants in particular depend on regular watering so that they do not die of thirst. But too much of a good thing can be harmful to plants. A rough guideline is watering once a week – but only water when the soil is dry. On the other hand, the plants do not need fertilization because their metabolism is significantly reduced.

Tip: If you overwinter an evergreen plant outdoors and the root ball is frozen through, place the plant in a place protected from the sun. Otherwise, photosynthesis can be stimulated by radiant heat and the need for water increases. However, the plant cannot cope with this due to the frozen ball and dries up as a result.

3. No chance for pests

Not only plants feel at home in their winter quarters: all kinds of pests find overwintering in the house simply great and spread unhindered. So before you get in, make sure that the plants are visited by aphids or something similar. If so, keep the plant separate from the others until it has been treated and is free of pests. Otherwise, all of your plants will quickly have unwanted guests, because the mild temperatures and the many plants in one heap are a real paradise for pests.

2. Winter in the bed

Not only container plants need some support in winter. The plants in our beds are also happy to give you a helping hand. A layer of brushwood, some garden fleece or leaves make it easier, especially for young plants, to survive their first winter unscathed. Roses can use a little help too. Since their areas of refinement are very sensitive, the earth should be heaped up to this point.

So the queen of flowers gets through the cold season well. Garden professionals also do not cut new plants such as perennials or grasses in autumn, but only when new shoots appear in the following spring. On the one hand, the dried plant material protects, on the other hand, no additional gates for the frost are created due to fresh interfaces.

1. Professional winter rest

You don’t have a winter garden, the cellar is full and you can’t find a suitable place for your darlings in the apartment either? No problem: many nurseries now offer a cost-effective wintering service. The conditions for the plants are perfect in the greenhouses. At the same time, you save the weekly watering and can enjoy the winter with a clear conscience. In spring you can simply pick up your plants again and be sure that they too had a good winter break.

These products protect your plants from frost:

• Thermo garden fleece: ideal for protecting your plants from cold and frost in winter. Can be cut to size individually.
• Jute sack/blanket: Reliable protection against cold and frost made of 100% jute. Decorative natural fabric with long service life.
• Coconut mat: Excellent heat storage made from natural fibers. Breathable, weatherproof, and durable.

With cold-resistant plants, you have significantly less work in winter than with those that cannot easily withstand the cold temperatures. We introduce you to a selection of hardy plants – herbs, palms, exotic species, and more.