Many people use daisies as bedding plants and throw them away at the end of fall, but these pretty, semi-hardy plants can be protected for the winter and bloom again next spring. Gardeners like daisies because of their bright white flowers. In the garden, on the terrace, balcony or on the steps, they exude a cheerful, summery flair that is always associated with a touch of order and cleanliness. Its botanical name Leucanthemum, borrowed from ancient Greek, means nothing other than “white flower”. These flowers have some wintering requirements and our article will tell you how to overwinter daisies.
Anyone who has sown or planted one of the local daisy varieties does not need to worry about overwintering in the garden - the daisies can easily tolerate temperatures down to minus 40 degrees. It never gets that cold, even in the typical “cold areas” of Germany. If your daisies have the term Maximum or Superbum in their name, you should ask when purchasing which hardiness zone these plants are intended for. If you don't yet know what hardiness zone your home is in, these hybrids will definitely help you find out.
At least if you live in one of the colder regions of Germany, you should take this daisy with a small one as a precautionWinter protection over the winterhelp, e.g. B. with a loose mulch-compost cover applied in late autumn. Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the flowers to protect them throughout the winter. Straw, leaves and pine needles work well.
The various hybrids of garden or perennial daisies, with names such as “Group Pride”, “Silver Princess”, “Alaska” and “Polaris” can certainly be an indication to pay attention to the winter hardiness that is attributed to them. In autumn it is common practice to cut the daisy stems back to 5cm above the ground after the foliage has yellowed. You can also leave the dying stems in place to protect the plant during the winter. In this case, remove the dead shoots in early spring to make room for new growth.
The flowers overwinter in pots
If you have bought a variety of real daisies to keep in a pot or have sown them yourself, moving to winter quarters is always recommended. Even the meadow daisies only survive the worst frost because they can send their long taproots deep into the garden soil in areas that remain frost-free. They can't do that in a bucket. In addition, the soil in the pot freezes much faster because the cold can also penetrate from the sides.
You shouldn’t just “forget” the daisies in the bucket on the balcony. Overwinter daisies by being prepared to overwinter themto bring into the houseas soon as the first night frost comes. If the winter quarters are not ready and the first night frost is a bit severe, this could be the end of the container flowers.
The best winter quarters are winter gardens or greenhouses, where the flowers get lots of light and can be kept at temperatures between 5 and 7 degrees. If such a room is not available, you should place the pots in the room that stays coolest in winter and lets in a lot of light.
Before moving into this cool room, it is usually advisable to cut back the daisies heavily. You should cut away up to a third of the shoots. It would be ideal to prune at a time that gives the plant time to close its cuts. You could e.g. B. use the flowering break in late summer for pruning. Then the flowers will grow a few new shoots for the rest of the time outdoors. They then move to winter quarters without pruning.
But there are also gardeners who, when they overwinter their daisies, do not cut them back before moving, but wait until spring.to cut them back. This could e.g. B. This can be an advantage when overwintering at the lower temperature limit; the leaves provide the flower with a certain amount of winter protection. It is also an alternative if you have not managed to cut back the flowers before the first frost. Daisies that are cut too late tend to dry out a lot in winter, which is unsightly and makes new growth difficult.
Care over the winter
The care is not complicated, the plants need little attention in winter. The daisy now receives no fertilizer and irrigation is greatly reduced. The colder the location, the more sparingly you should water. A little water every one to two weeks will only prevent the root ball from drying out completely. A sign of overwatering is new growth in winteryou should have the daisykeep drier. The flower is best given soft water, e.g. B. Rainwater.
If the leaves on the daisy turn yellow or brown, you should remove them immediately. In spring, the daisy is then carefully accustomed to more heat by moving it to a slightly warmer and brighter place from around March. During this transition period, the flower receives a little more water and the first fertilizer. It is not until May that it is finally returned to its summer location.
