The curry herb comes from the Mediterranean region and is not hardy. You can also find it in stores as curry bush, immortelle or Italian strawflower. Although it is not contained in the spice powder of the same name, it tastes very similar.
Is curry herb hardy and how do I overwinter it?
Curry herb is not hardy and should therefore be overwintered in a frost-free greenhouse or unheated winter garden at temperatures of around +10 °C. Water occasionally in winter, avoid waterlogging and ideally cut back in spring.
Can I also harvest curry herb in winter?
If your curry herb is in the garden, then it must be brought into winter quarters for further use, even if it can tolerate a little more cold than other Mediterranean herbs. Ideally, you should overwinter your curry herb at around + 10 °C.
This temperature prevails, for example, in an unheated greenhouse or a cool winter garden. You can then harvest your curry herb there all winter long. However, it should also be relatively bright in the winter quarters; the curry herb doesn't like a dark basement room.
How do I care for curry herb in winter?
Curry herb can actually only overwinter in the garden if it is frost-free and not too wet. With the help of well-applied frost protection, you can protect the herb from frost at least in the short term, but it also requires minimal care in winter.
You should water your curry herb every now and then so that it doesn't die of thirst. As an evergreen plant, it depends on a year-round supply of water. However, the herb must not get too wet because it cannot tolerate waterlogging. It doesn't need fertilizer at all in winter, it generally has a rather low nutrient requirement.
How do I prepare curry herb for winter?
If you want your curry herb to overwinter outside in a mild area in a protected location, then protect the root ball from frost and excessive moisture with a thick layer of leaves and brushwood. You can wrap the above-ground plant parts with a bamboo or straw mat. But the plant still needs to get enough air.
It is best not to cut the curry herb back in autumn; in spring you may remove any frozen shoot tips. Only if the shrub is too large for the planned winter quarters can you prune it in autumn, but not down to the wood. The curry herb can only sprout well from the soft shoots.
The most important things in brief:
- not hardy
- overwinter ideally at approx. + 10 °C
- well-suited winter quarters: cool winter garden or frost-free greenhouse
- evergreen
- can also be harvested in winter
- avoid waterlogging all year round
- water from time to time even in winter, but do not fertilize
- prune better in spring than in autumn
Tip
It's best to overwinter your curry herb in a frost-free greenhouse or an unheated winter garden.
