Only a few Mediterranean plants are so hardy that they can survive a Central European winter without any problems. Some can tolerate at least light frost. With appropriate winter protection, these plants can overwinter quite well outside, but others need a frost-free winter quarters.
How do Mediterranean plants overwinter properly?
Mediterranean plants can overwinter outside if they are hardy or can withstand light frost with winter protection. Sensitive plants should be moved to frost-free winter quarters, with evergreen plants requiring bright, moderately warm conditions and deciduous plants requiring cooler, darker conditions.
Which plants should be in winter quarters?
Mediterranean plants that cannot tolerate frost are best cultivated in a bucket. These include, for example, citrus plants. This means you can easily move them to suitable winter quarters. What temperature should prevail there depends on the respective plant.
A winter spot that is only frost-free is sufficient for all plants that can tolerate temperatures around freezing point well and can survive short-term or light frost. Very sensitive plants, on the other hand, need temperatures of at least + 10 °C or even + 15 °C in their winter quarters.
The most important things in brief:
- Conditionally hardy plants can only be hibernated outside with winter protection
- overwinter sensitive plants frost-free
- Winter quarters for evergreen plants: bright, frost-free, moderately warm for sensitive plants
- Winter quarters for deciduous plants: rather cool and dark
Tip
If you are not sure whether your Mediterranean plants will survive the winter outside, then it is better to overwinter them frost-free.
