Lantanas are some of the most beautiful flowering shrubs in the garden. In order for the tropical plant to please the eye with its flower buds year after year, it should get through the winter well. But how should you overwinter lantana: in a pot at home or outside? And do you have to cut them first or is pruning in the fall not necessary? We answer the most frequently asked questions about wintering the beauty from the tropics.
How do lantana overwinter? Can the tropical plant stay outside?
Lantanas are widespread in the tropical regions of South America as well as some southern parts of North America. The lantanas there are not hardy and cannot tolerate frost and sub-zero temperatures. The cultivars that are widespread in Europe today are mostly hybrid plants. In contrast to wild flowering shrubs, they can thrive in temperatures of up to 5 degrees Celsius. This of course means that even these varieties are not hardy in this country. Overwintering outdoors is therefore out of the question. If you want to see your lantana bloom next year, you should dig it up in October, plant it in a pot and plant itoverwinter warmly.
Are lantanas overwintered light or dark?
A bright, warm room is best suited for this. A glazed terrace or balcony allows sufficient light and offers protection from the wind in winter, but temperatures in the evening can drop below 0° Celsius. This means the plant will freeze. A heated winter garden or a heated greenhouse is therefore more suitable. You can also overwinter the winter rose indoors in an unheated room. In the apartment or house, temperatures rarely fall below 5 degrees Celsius, even in unheated rooms. Therefore, these offer the optimal conditions for wintering.
Temperatures should be between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. Too cold and the plant will freeze. Too warm and it will sprout again.
Also onedark wintering, for example in the garage or basement, is possible. However, you should make sure that there are no temperature fluctuations. The rule of thumb is: the less light, the cooler the tropical plant should be overwintered. If the winter is dark, the temperatures should be between 5° and 7° Celsius.
Should you cut the plant before overwintering?
Depending on whether you overwinter the lantana in light or dark colors, pruning may be necessary. If the tropical beauty spends its resting period in a bright room, then you don't need to cut it back. However, if it overwinters in the dark, you should cut it first. Proceed as follows:
- First, shorten all shoots by half (about one to two weeks before overwintering). A frost-free, warm but cloudy day is best suited for this.
- Then dig up the plant from the garden and place it in a pot.
- Then take the plant to its winter quarters.
However, if the lantana overwinteres brightly, you can only cut it back in spring, around the end of March. In this way you promote growth, the plant will quickly sprout again and form new leaves.
When the lantana loses leaves
It is not uncommon for the exotic to lose at least half of its leaves in winter quarters. If it is overwintered in a dark place, it can even shed all of its leaves. But that is no reason to panic. The plant recovers quickly and sprouts vigorously after winter rest.
How often and how much to water in autumn and winter?
Otherwise, the lantana is quite easy to care for, even in autumn and winter it does not need any special care. The tropical plant is watered as needed. When you bring it into winter quarters and when repotting, you can avoid watering. Wait until the soil dries. If the winter is bright, you should water the plant moderately. Too much of a good thing can lead to rot at temperatures above 7° degrees, making the exotic species susceptible to pests. The roots could also rot. To prevent this, the pot should have several drainage holes and the soil should be permeable.
If the winter is dark, the Wandelflores barely have any water. Water it very sparingly and really as needed. You should definitely avoid waterlogging.
You can stop fertilizing in October. During the rest period the plant does not need any fertilizer. Only in spring, after wintering out, can you supply the exotic plant with nutrients again to promote new sprouting.
Winterization takes place in spring. The plant is then taken outside for several hours and then during the day and placed in a sunny place.
