When you see magnificent Bellis varieties with lush, double flowers, doubts arise about their winter hardiness. Are you wondering whether daisies in the bed and on the balcony can actually tolerate frost? This guide provides a well-founded answer with tips on appropriate protective measures.
Can Bellis tolerate frost?
Daisies (Bellis) can tolerate frost down to -34 degrees Celsius in their leaf rosettes and down to -8 degrees Celsius in their flowers. Directly sown biennial plants are hardy, while early specimens can be hardened in the greenhouse.
Pre-grown Bellis are sensitive to frost - this is how you prevent frost damage
Just in time for the beginning of spring, the shelves in garden centers are filling up with colorful bellis. Driven by the longing for the first flowers in the bed, hobby gardeners immediately plant the little beauties and are bitterly disappointed. Just one frosty night puts an end to Bellis' short life. This doesn't have to be the case if you harden off cold-sensitive daisies that have been grown in the greenhouse. This is how it works:
- Place the bellis grown behind glass in a partially shaded, protected place on the balcony during the day
- Put away in the house or greenhouse before sunset
- Use this method for 8 to 10 days
This acclimatization phase optimizes the frost tolerance of early daisies. If you want to be on the safe side, plant Bellis varieties at the end of April/beginning of May. For noble premium varieties with richly double flowers, the planting time begins after the Ice Saints, when there is no longer any fear of ground frost.
Direct sowing produces robust bellis - patience pays off
You avoid any concerns about frost hardiness if you sow Bellis directly into the bed. As biennial plants, daisies survive the first winter in the form of a native rosette of leaves. This green foliage is hardy down to -34 degrees Celsius and does not require any protective measures. At the beginning of spring, slender, leafless flower stalks rise from the rosette, at the tips of which the distinctive flower heads are enthroned.
The charming flowers can withstand frost down to -8 degrees Celsius, so in mild locations they develop from February/March and last until deep into autumn.
Tip
In care, the art of omission makes an important contribution to the frost hardiness of Bellis. If you eliminate fertilizer from the daisy care program, this caution will increase the degree of winter hardiness. For sweethearts in pots and flower boxes, the nutrient supply in the substrate is completely sufficient for a vital flowering period.