In the natural garden, the rock garden and gravel bed, you can create picturesque impressions with daphne from spring to autumn. If the extreme poison content doesn't bother you, you can use the ornamental tree to create an undemanding flower and berry beauty that only requires occasional care. The following answers to frequently asked questions show how cultivation works successfully.
How do you care for daphne in the garden?
Daphne is an easy-care ornamental tree that impresses with its flowers and berries from spring to autumn. For successful cultivation, a well-drained, lean soil and a sunny to partially shaded location are important. The plant only needs occasional water and is pruned immediately after flowering.
Planting daphne correctly
The pivotal point of professional planting is soil preparation. Remove all weeds, roots and stones from the soil. To optimize permeability, add some sand, fine grit or expanded clay to clay soil. Meanwhile, the still potted root ball remains in a container with water until no more air bubbles appear. The ideal planting pit is 1.5 times wider than the root ball and is at least 60 cm deep. Pot up the soaked daphne and place it in the middle of the pit. Now fill the soil enough to maintain the previous planting depth. Finally, water and spread some autumn leaves as mulch.
Care tips
The relevant program points for proper care of daphne can be counted on one hand. How to do it right:
- Water young plants regularly, later only when the summer is dry
- Fertilizing only required in the pot from March to August every 30 days
- Pruning immediately after flowering
- Light winter protection in the planting year and advisable for potted plants
So that the all-round wellness program for Daphne does not result in he alth problems for the gardener, wearing long-sleeved clothing, long pants and gloves should not be neglected. The high poison content of all Daphne species should not be underestimated.read more
Which location is suitable?
Daphne can be found in a wide variety of habitats around the globe. The ornamental tree does not place any significant demands on the light and temperature conditions. The condition of the soil is more relevant for magnificent growth. The following overview lists all the important factors:
- Sunny, semi-shady location up to light shade
- Warm, airy and easily exposed to wind
- Well-drained soil with neutral to alkaline pH
- Fresh to dry and without risk of waterlogging
Please keep toxicity in mind when choosing a location. Are the general conditions still perfectly suitable? Daphne should not be planted where children and pets are within reach.read more
What soil does the plant need?
Looking at the natural occurrences, it is clear that you will not have much fun with daphne in moist, nutrient-rich soil. Instead, assign the pretty shrub a place in lean, well-drained soil in the rock garden. Where these ideal conditions are not present, you can create an appropriate balance with soil additives. Heavy, clayey soil is enriched with grit, sand, peat and compost. You can revitalize impoverished soil by adding Thomaskali, algae lime or Agrosil.
What is the best time to plant?
Planting in autumn gives daphne excellent starting conditions for a vital plant life. The roots can establish themselves in the sun-warmed soil in good time before winter. In addition, no unfavorable drought stress is to be expected in the rainy autumn. If you miss the ideal time, plant Daphne species in spring, ensuring there is sufficient water supply in the first few days and weeks.
When is flowering time?
The flowering period of daphne extends from March to April. After a mild winter, the flowering bush announces the approach of spring as early as the end of February. This very early start comes with the risk of frost damage to the buds. Therefore, keep an eye on the weather forecast so that if frost is forecast, wrap the branches with jute or fleece at night.read more
Cut daphne correctly
As a classic harbinger of spring, daphne blooms and bears fruit on last year's wood. Therefore, cut the ornamental shrub immediately after flowering. Since you are removing most of the autumnal berry decorations, this measure is only carried out when actually needed. Maintenance pruning is necessary at least every 3-4 years, otherwise the tree will become bare from the inside. This is how you proceed professionally:
- Put on long-sleeved clothing, long pants and gloves
- Cut off shoots that are too long by a maximum of a third
- Always place the scissors 2 mm above an outward-facing eye
- Cut dead wood at the base
- Completely remove stunted, diseased and rubbing branches
Avoid pruning that shortens the shoots by more than 30 percent. A daphne could react angrily to this and reduce or completely stop growth.read more
Water daphne
Once a daphne has established itself in the bed, you will rarely go there with the watering can. Until then, it is advisable to provide sufficient water so that the root system branches as desired. Water young plants regularly at first without causing waterlogging. In the further course, normal rainfall is sufficient for a balanced water balance. In contrast, a sip of water is always required in the bucket when the top 2 cm of the substrate has dried out.
Fertilize daphne properly
Planted Daphne species do not require fertilizer. On the contrary, an excessive supply of nutrients causes fattening growth, which weakens the plant as a whole. Due to its noticeably long roots, daphne is easily able to feed itself completely self-sufficiently. However, this does not apply to potted plants, as supplies are quickly used up in the limited substrate volume. Here you fertilize every 30 days from March to August with a commercially available liquid preparation.
Wintering
A well-established daphne tolerates the lowest sub-zero temperatures without complaint. It's less the bitter cold that causes problems than the change between thaw and frost. The blazing winter sun combined with frost also causes problems for the tree. The care program for the winter therefore contains these points:
- Protect the root disc in the bed with a layer of autumn leaves, straw, leaf mold or needle twigs
- Cover the tub with bubble wrap and place it on insulating wood or Styrofoam
- Cover the substrate with leaves, straw or pine fronds
If the winter comes with a cold frost and there is no snow cover under bright sunshine and bitter cold, water daphne on mild days.
Propagate daphne
In order to enjoy the benefits of daphne in other places in the bed and on the balcony, hobby gardeners use the following methods of propagation:
- Cut summer cuttings in June/July, let them root in the pot and plant out in autumn
- Cut autumn cuttings in September and care for them behind glass in a lean substrate until February/March
- Sowing seeds taken from berries
While cuttings root within a few weeks, sowing takes more time and requires more work. The seeds are subject to a natural inhibition of germination, which can only be eliminated with the help of stratification. To do this, place the (very poisonous) seeds in a bag with moist sand in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks. Then scatter the seeds on lean seed soil and sieve them thinly with sand. Afterwards, keep the substrate constantly moist in a partially shaded window spot at 20-25 degrees Celsius. Seedlings with at least 2 pairs of leaves are pricked out.read more
How do I transplant correctly?
The very deep roots of a daphne make a change of location difficult or even impossible. Since digging up always involves injury to the branched root system, the tree will not grow in the new place. A relocation is more promising if you take cuttings from the plant, let them root in the pot and plant them in the new place.
Daphne in a pot
A we alth of magnificent Daphne species and hybrids thrive excellently in pots. Thanks to the wide location amplitude, you can solve many decoration problems on the balcony and terrace with the ornamental tree. The most important prerequisite for vital growth is a well-drained, lean substrate. Commercially available potting soil is optimized with fine grit, sand, expanded clay or lava granules. To prevent waterlogging, place a few pieces of pottery over the water drain. Care is limited to the following measures:
- When the top 1-2 cm of potting soil dries, it is watered
- Administer liquid fertilizer every 30 days from March to August
- Cut off shoots that are too long soon after flowering
Before the first frost, cover the pot with bubble wrap and cover the substrate with leaves and pine fronds. To prevent the cold from reaching the roots from below, place the container on a block of wood. Planters with a diameter of less than 30 cm move to frost-free winter quarters.
Is daphne poisonous?
The sight of a lavishly blooming daphne belies the extremely high poison content. In fact, the pretty tree has a dark side. The plant pathways are permeated with toxic ingredients that, in the worst case, can be fatal. The he alth threat is by no means limited to the consumption of the poisonous berries, but is noticeable even with slight skin contact in the form of inflammation and even blisters. Daphne species should therefore only be part of the planting plan if the garden is inaccessible to children and pets. In addition, wearing protective clothing is the gardener's top priority when carrying out all planting and care work.
Daphne doesn't bloom
There are various reasons why the longed-for spring blossoms are missing. The most common trigger for this deficiency is pruning at the wrong time. If the bush becomes too voluminous, pruning should be carried out immediately after flowering. As part of later pruning measures, the buds that have already formed are removed so that the next flower fails. If the daphne in question is a seedling-propagated specimen, the first flowers will not appear until 3-4 years after sowing at the earliest.
Beautiful varieties
- Rosemary Daphne: Robust variety with ground cover qualities and pink flowers that smell of cloves
- Rubra: Mighty flowering shrub, up to 200 cm high and early flowers from the end of February; one of the most poisonous varieties
- Eternal Fragrance: Magnificent variety with white-pink flowers that linger in mild locations until May/June
- Plena: Premium variety of daphne with double, white flowers and a compact height of up to 100 cm
- Variegata: Robust Daphne breed with pink-red flowers and variegated leaves
