Gloxinias, which you cultivate in the garden as an ornamental or climbing plant, are hardy. Although they can tolerate very low frost temperatures, they do not cope well with wet conditions. It is therefore better to dig up the tubers in autumn and overwinter them indoors in a dry place.
Are gloxinias hardy?
Gloxinias are hardy and can withstand temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. However, they do not like moisture, so it is recommended to dig up the tubers in autumn and overwinter them indoors in a dry place to avoid rot and pests.
Gloxinias are hardy but endangered by moisture
The gloxinia outdoors is hardy and copes well with very low temperatures. It can easily tolerate temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. However, the tubers cannot tolerate moisture, which unfortunately often occurs in winter.
If you leave the tubers in the ground over winter, there is a risk that they will rot. Garden pests such as rats, mice and moles often attack the gloxinia tubers.
It therefore makes more sense to take gloxinias out of the ground after the last flowering in autumn and overwinter indoors:
- Let the tubers dry
- store in a dark, dry place
- If necessary, place in a paper bag or
- store in dry peat or wood chips
Overwintering gloxinias in the garden
If your gloxinias have a good, somewhat sheltered location in the garden, you can try to overwinter them outside.
But this only works if the soil is well permeable to water, so that rain and meltwater can drain away and it does not become waterlogged.
Put a layer of mulch over the gloxinia location. To protect them from animals, you can place the tubers in a special plant basket (€19.00 on Amazon) before planting.
How to overwinter the gloxinia tubers
In autumn, dig up the tubers and place them in a protected place to dry. When the tubers are well dry, put them in a paper bag or place them in a box with dry peat or wood chips.
To advance, take the tubers out of the winter quarters from March and plant them in prepared pots. The tubers are planted from May. You can also divide them beforehand to propagate them.
Tip
Gloxinias, which are grown as houseplants all year round, are not hardy. However, they need to be kept cooler in autumn and watered less frequently. It's even better if you take the tubers out of the pot and overwinter them dry, just like garden gloxinias or climbing gloxinias.
