Incense plants are ideal balcony box plants. The mostly variegated foliage creates interesting color combinations. The long tendrils are also well suited for hanging baskets. Sensitive people should avoid incense plants on the balcony because of the strong smell.
How do I care for an incense plant on the balcony?
Incense plants make attractive balcony box or hanging basket plants. Care instructions: water regularly without waterlogging, fertilize little, cut if necessary, place in a sunny to partially shaded place and overwinter frost-free.
Care for the incense plant on the balcony
- Watering incense plants properly
- fertilize
- cutting
The frankincense plant does not suffer from complete dryness. Therefore, water them regularly and thoroughly. Do not place the pots or balcony boxes on coasters so that water can drain away and waterlogging does not form. When caring for it in a hanging basket, the frankincense plant needs a lot of moisture. But here too, the water must not build up in the pot.
Frankincense plants should not be fertilized too often. It is enough to give some liquid fertilizer (€14.00 on Amazon) once a month or use a slow-release fertilizer.
If the tendrils of the frankincense plant become too long, you can shorten them at any time. If possible, avoid cutting into woody parts because the plant does not tolerate this well.
The right location
Frankincense plants do very well in direct sun. They just don't like too much direct midday sun. But they also thrive in partial shade. Variegated varieties run the risk of the colors fading if the frankincense plant does not receive enough light.
You can care for incense plants in balcony boxes just as well as as hanging plants in the hanging basket.
Do incense plants overwinter or not?
Frankincense plants are very sensitive to frost. They must be kept frost-free indoors over the winter. Bright rooms with temperatures around 12 to 14 degrees are ideal. Simply place the entire balcony box in the winter quarters.
During the winter, the frankincense plant is only watered very sparingly and no longer fertilized.
Since overwintering the frankincense plant is not worthwhile for many gardeners, it is usually only grown as an annual.
How to Propagate an Frankincense Plant
Incense plants can be propagated quite easily using cuttings. To do this, simply cut off long shoots, divide them into individual pieces and place them in nursery pots.
Propagation from seeds is possible, but takes a long time. Besides, it's not that easy to get seeds.
Tip
The frankincense plant is not the frankincense tree used in the Catholic Church. The plant gets its name because it smells similar to real incense. But they are two completely different plants.
