Summer has passed and you cared for your potted treasures. Now, winter comes and so the risks that threatens your plants. What to do now and why not?
What should you consider before preparing plants for winter: Clean plants before bringing them inside: Remove all dry, sick and fallen leaves and also dead woody parts. If there are parasites on the plant, you should treat it again. Do not ever bring indoor plants that have parasites!
Light: In winter, deciduous plants can be placed in a dark place, but the evergreen ones need light. The warmer the place, the more light the plants needs.
Temperature: There are three different categories: Plants that tolerate frost, plants that 0should not freeze and plants that must stand in a warm place over the winter. The best thing is that, in winter, to keep Mediterranean plants in a bright place at temperatures of 10-12 ° C and moderate wet, not dry environment. Keep tropical plants in a bright place at a temperature of 20-22 ° C and watered properly so that plants are not too wet but can stand in a moist soil.
Say again: the place is warm, the plants need more light!
When should I bring plants inside for the winter?
The basic rule is: Bring plants inside as late as possible and remove them at the earliest. As a general rule, plant feel better outside than inside, because inside is an abnormal situation for plants that can be stressful. Angels Trumpet (Brugmansia), bougainvillea, hibiscus and wild vanilla, for example, must be protected from frost. Abutilon, Callistemon, citrus Cassia and can withstand temperatures below zero. Moderate freeze (up to approx. -5 ° C) can be tolerated by hardy plants such as tree-of-gold (Aucuba japonica), the Norfolk pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Arbutus unedo, cypress, loquatul (Eriobotrya japonica), laurel, olive and Acer opalus.
Things you should consider for the winter residence of the plant:
In the winter residence strict hygiene must be ensured. Clean plants as before, before bringing them indoors each month. Since the end of January check for parasites, because at the moment Scale insects appear, and since the beginning of February there is the risk of red spiders, lice and woolly aphids. Make sure that the house maintains the correct temperature for the winter. Equally important is the installation of a frost monitor where necessary, since you have to make a vent above zero if it is too cold. The residences with large windows, in particular, can be very warm at the beginning of February. However, overwintering plants should not be exposed to large temperature fluctuations or taken out prematurely.
Information about specific varieties:
Agapanthus: Replace all winter varieties that require a bright, cool temperature of 5-10 ° C; wet a little bit, just as needed so the plant does not dry out. Varieties which they fall to winter leaves can sit in a dark place and not watered. Replant the pots in spring every two years.
Laurels / trumpet angels Bring it inside before the first frost: if the plant has been slightly affected by frost and its leaves fall, but the wood is not affected by frost (not brown and soft) can be saved by bringing them in indoor winter. Mow as little as possible: the longer the cut, the later the bloom in the next year. Put laurel to overwinter in a cool, bright place at temperatures 2-5 ° C; if kept in a place too dark, it will defoliate and relative sprout later in the spring, which means that flowering will take place later. In winter, the plants should be watered sparingly leafy, enough to survive without their leaves fall; leafless plants should be watered sparingly, but do not dry.
Fig tree: Now, the fig fruit is not yet ripe to ripen next year. Fig trees resistant to frost, such as Bavarian Violetta variety can withstand temperatures down to -5 ° C, if you do and if you take care of water drainage and place plant in wool. However, the easiest thing you can do is placing the fig tree in a garage. It can stand in the dark at low temperatures. It needs water as not to dry. A crucial factor in terms of wintering figs fruit: plant must not be exposed to large temperature fluctuations (eg. Exposure to sunshine during the day and freezing overnight), otherwise the fruit will shrivel and fall from tree .
Gingko It is more exposed to danger of frost pot than in the ground. For this reason, it is best to place it in the garage. Or, in winter you can remove it from pot and tuck it into the ground in a protected position. If you want to keep it on a balcony, wrap the pot and plant in wool (no protective foil!).
Herbs: parsley, lovage, lemon can remain in their layer. Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) and lavender are best kept in a bright, cool but frost-free, at 5-10 ° C.
Bush daisies: When you put the plant in winter, cut cm a third of it. Place it in a bright place at 10-12 ° C and watered it with moderation so it doesn’t dry. On spring, plant it in fresh soil.
Oleander: If the plant is mature and strong will tolerate frost in 0 and -5 ° C, an easily freeze. In its place, the winter should have light and temperature of 5-10 ° C. Water least, making sure it does not dry.
Passion flower: In mild climates (crop specific grape-vine) and if planted in a place sheltered, passion flower (Passiflora caerulea) may remain outside. If the plant is well developed, can withstand temperatures down to -10 ° C. Otherwise, bring the plant indoors and keep it at a maximum temperature of 10-12 ° C, if the outside temperature is 0-5 ° C. Water, so as not to dry the plant. Note that there are different varieties of passion flower, including some that do not like the heat. These, like tropical plants, need to sit in a place as bright as possible and at a temperature of 20 ° C, taking care to keep humidity constant.
Citronella (Pelargonium citrosum): Put it in the winter in a bright place, with a temperature of about 10-15 ° C, and occasionally water a little bit.
