The Cape daisy, which comes from South America, is almost perfectly happy if it is placed in a sunny location and is watered regularly. But the dream of colorful flowers comes to an end when the first frost comes in autumn
Is the Cape basket hardy?
The Cape basket is not hardy in Germany because it comes from southern Africa and cannot tolerate frost. However, overwintering is possible by cutting and placing it in a bright, cool place (5-15°C).
Poorly hardy in this country
Due to its home in the southern part of Africa, the Cape basket is poorly winter-hardy in this country. He doesn't get any frost at all. Anyone who plants it out must therefore expect that it will freeze and is therefore only an annual.
The cape basket can only tolerate temperatures down to -5 °C for a short time. But since the winters in Germany are getting colder, this low frost hardiness is not important. Even in mild regions of Germany, the Cape basket usually does not survive the cold season without winter protection or indoor hibernation. Even the best care is of no use
Is wintering worth it?
Do you want to keep your cape basket for several years and not buy a new plant every year at the hardware store or garden center? Then it might be worth overwintering this perennial. Sowing is not recommended because most varieties on the market are hybrids and the sown seeds as plants later have different properties than the mother plant.
But overwintering is not always possible. Among other things, there may be a lack of space. You need a frost-free but bright and cool place for this plant to overwinter. Overwintering is also not always successful.
How wintering works
This is what you need to consider if you want to overwinter your Cape basket:
- hardly possible outside
- indoor: 5 to 15 °C, bright
- well-suited places: gazebo, winter garden, cold house
- cut down to 1/3 before overwintering in autumn
- ventilate regularly during wintering
- cut in February (evergreen – continues to grow in winter)
Tip
In spring it is advisable to slowly accustom the Cape daisy to direct sunlight. First of all, it should be placed outside in the shade.
