The lemon verbena is a typical and popular pot or balcony plant. But anyone who only cares for them sporadically and cares for them little will soon have to reckon with losses. Especially in autumn it should receive a lot of attention
How can I overwinter my lemon verbena?
To overwinter a lemon verbena successfully, you should cut the shoots back to 20 cm, place the plant in a frost-free room (temperature between -4 and 5 °C), water sparingly and slowly accustom it to sunlight in spring.
The background that makes wintering necessary
Lemon verbena is not equipped for a Central European climate. They are not hardy and would freeze to death if left unprotected. Therefore, even wine-growing regions do not ensure the survival of this plant. An understandable reason to overwinter them.
These plants can only tolerate a temperature minimum of -5 °C for several weeks or months. Over a short (!) period of time (e.g. 1 day) they can even tolerate temperatures down to -10 °C.
How to get your lemon verbena through the winter
If you have planted your lemon verbena in a bed in the garden, the chances of it surviving the winter are slim. But it's worth a try. Cut the shoots by 3/4. Then pile up the plant with leaves and a layer of brushwood. With luck the lemon verbena will survive
Lemon verbena in pots are relatively safe to overwinter:
- before the first frost sets in: shorten all shoots to 20 cm
- Find wintering quarters: garage, cellar, hallway, shed, (temperature between -4 and 5°)
- ideally the wintering location is dark and has high humidity
- water sparingly until spring
- slowly get used to sunlight from mid-April
Tips & Tricks
If you want to take precautions, you should take lemon verbena cuttings in summer or autumn, put them in a pot and let them grow and overwinter at home. They can be planted out in spring.
