It's autumn. The leaves turn yellow to brown. The daisy looks like it's dying. Or is it completely different and it just sheds its leaves and retreats into the ground to sprout again next spring?
Are daisies hardy and how do I protect them in winter?
Are daisies hardy? Some species such as the poor meadow daisy, fat meadow daisy and alpine daisy are frost-tolerant. For the winter they should be cut back and the root area covered. However, daisies in pots must be overwintered indoors.
Some species tolerate frost well
It cannot be said in general terms that daisies are hardy. There are species that tolerate frost well, such as species native to this country, such as the poor meadow daisy and the fat meadow daisy.
The well-known Alpine daisy is also adapted to frosty temperatures due to its home in the Alps and usually survives the winter without any damage. Likewise, most of the bush daisies that are sold in stores are hardy.
Getting through the winter properly
So that daisies can survive the winter, you should take a few precautionary measures:
- do not fertilize from the end of August
- cut back by a third before the onset of winter (in mild and dry locations, hand height above the ground)
- alternatively, cut back in March at the latest
- cover the root area with brushwood, compost or leaves
High trunks overwinter
Daisy standard stems, which emerge from the bush daisies, are currently also widespread and popular. They should definitely be protected in winter. But first they are shortened by 5 to 10 cm in autumn. In the trunk area they will be wrapped with fleece (€34.00 on Amazon) from around the end of October. A layer of brushwood is placed on the root area.
Daisies in pots are not hardy
Even if your daisy is in a pot, for example on the balcony, it will not survive the winter there. It must then be overwintered indoors in a cool place (light!) that is between 5 and 15 °C. For example, bright attics, unheated bedrooms, stairwells and winter gardens are well suited.
From the end of April, the daisies in the pot can be moved outside again. In winter it is important not to let the soil dry out but to water sparingly. No fertilizer is added at all.
Tip
Did your daisy freeze in winter? If you didn't cut off the flowers in the fall, you might be lucky and the perennial will self-seed in the spring.
