Montbretia love the summer heat and bloom particularly beautifully in hot years. However, the delicate garden beauties do not like winter at all. If you live in a region where there is a risk of severe ground frost, it is better to overwinter the Montbretia, which is only hardy to a limited extent, indoors.
In cold regions, Montbretia should be dug up in autumn for overwintering
Digging up Montbretia in autumn
In areas with a harsh climate, the stolons, the Montbretie's underground storage organs, must be carefully excavated. Proceed as follows:
- Prick the soil with a digging fork at a sufficient distance from the tubers.
- Lift the clod carefully so as not to damage the stolons.
- Select tubers with as much clinging garden soil as possible.
- Unlike many bulbous plants, it is essential to leave the soil on the rhizomes so that they do not dry out.
- Check Montbretia and substrate for pest infestation and only store tubers that are in good condition.
Store the tubers in a dark, cool and frost-free place. A basement room or garage is a good choice.
Provide winter protection in mild regions
On the other hand, if you live in an area where it doesn't get colder than minus ten degrees in winter, you can also overwinter the Montbretia outdoors. In this case, do not cut back the Montbretia, because the above-ground parts of the plant serve as natural protection against the cold.
Apply a generous layer of leaves or mulch (€239.00) over the tubers and leaves, which you also weigh down with brushwood to prevent the warm blanket from blowing away. Since the plant material is permeable to air, oxygen can pass through it unhindered and rot is effectively prevented.
tips
If you want to overwinter the Montbretia indoors, we recommend using plant containers. These not only protect the Montbretia from vole bites, but can also be taken out of the ground whole in autumn. The potting soil can remain in the baskets to protect the rhizomes.