The leaves on the trees and bushes are falling. The primroses sit inconspicuously in the bed and appear to be sleeping. But winter is coming. Do the primroses still need to be made winter-proof or will they survive the cold season unscathed?
How do I winterize primroses?
To make primroses winter-proof, they should be prepared from the end of September by reducing watering and no longer giving fertilizer. They should be kept in pots in sheltered places, brought indoors at temperatures below -2 °C and cup primroses should be allowed to overwinter frost-free.
Winterizing - is it absolutely necessary?
Most of the species that are commercially available in this country are hardy and can tolerate frost. However, if you want to sit at home in the winter with a clear conscience, you should provide your primroses with appropriate protection as a precaution. This is especially true for primroses in pots.
Prepare primroses in pots for winter from the end of September
It is not necessary to cut back primroses before the onset of winter. They don't need any pruning. Watering should not be stopped, but should be shut down. Fertilizer should no longer be applied after the end of the flowering period. From the end of September, the primroses in the pot should be prepared for winter.
How do you winterize primroses in pots?
If the pot is on the balcony, it should be taken out of the balcony box and placed on the wall of the house. There, primroses are protected from the elements. At the same time, a portion of heat from the house flows towards them through the wall.
As soon as temperatures approach 0 °C in winter, it is advisable to wrap the pot with newspaper (€8.00 on Amazon) or fleece. Likewise, it is good to protect the primrose flowers by covering them with an insulating material.
If temperatures are below -2 °C, it is better to put it indoors
If the thermometer reading continues to drop, primroses in pots should be placed indoors. Otherwise there is a risk that the flower buds will freeze, the pot will freeze and the end of the primroses is near. The location in the house should have the following characteristics:
- shady
- cool (5 to 12 °C)
- well ventilated
Settling cup primroses in the bed for overwintering
Cup primroses become sensitive when winter approaches. If you leave them outside without protection, you risk the plants freezing to death. It is better to dig them up in autumn, put them in a pot or basket and overwinter in a frost-free place.
Tips & Tricks
From March onwards there is usually no longer any danger of the primroses freezing outside. Most species survive short night frosts without any problems.