The lantana comes from South America, where persistently mild temperatures prevail. Accordingly, the popular summer flowering plant does not cope well with winter frost and must be moved to winter quarters in good time. Do not wait until the thermometer falls into the minus range, as the plant may already have been damaged.
How can you properly overwinter a lantana?
The lantana should be pruned and checked for pests before overwintering. A bright, frost-free room with around 8 degrees Celsius is suitable for wintering. Water moderately in winter and do not fertilize. Alternatively, the plant can continue to bloom in a warm living space with good care.
What should you consider before wintering?
Light pruning, in which everything that has bloomed is removed and the shoots are shortened by about half, makes overwintering easier for the small shrub. Very large specimens therefore require less space in their winter quarters. While cutting, check the plant thoroughly for pest infestation and, if necessary, combat uninvited guests.
Wintering in a cool room
A bright and frost-free place with an average temperature of around eight degrees is well suited for overwintering. The root ball must never dry out completely, even in winter. Water the plant when the top few inches of soil feel dry. Moderate watering is sufficient, there is no fertilization at all.
Wintering in the living room
The tropical plant can easily be kept in a warm living room. Here, however, it does not take a real break and forms new flowers throughout the winter. Therefore, you must pay attention to the following points:
- The location must be as bright as possible.
- Water sufficiently when it is dry.
- Even in winter, fertilization is carried out every four weeks.
- Remove faded and dried leaves regularly.
- In the room, the plant is sensitive and we like to be attacked by pests. Therefore check often.
Tip
Especially in cold rooms with low humidity, the lantana evaporates a lot of moisture from the leaf surface, even in the winter months. It has proven useful here to loosely tie the cut-back plant together.