If you love it brightly colored on the balcony, then the Lantana is an excellent choice. The attractive flowers impress with their unusual play of colours. Not only do they bloom in a single shade, they also change color depending on the species, for example from bright yellow to orange to bright red.

The Lantana brings color to the balcony

The optimal location

The home of the pretty small shrub are the temperate zones of South America. Accordingly, you should give the lantana a warm and sheltered place on the balcony. Full sun is ideal, but the plant also thrives in a semi-shady place. In the shade, on the other hand, the plant takes care and produces significantly fewer flowers.

substrate choice

The optimal potting soil is loose and nutritious. Flowering plant soil or tub plant soil, for example, is well suited. Alternatively, you can mix topsoil with mature compost and fold in coconut fiber, sand or cactus soil to loosen it up.

Since the lantana reacts very sensitively to waterlogging, it is advisable to place shards of clay over the drainage holes of the planter and to fill in a drainage layer of expanded clay (€19.73) over them.

watering and fertilizing

The root ball of the lantana should never dry out completely. Water whenever the top inches of soil feel dry. At the same time, waterlogging must be avoided. Therefore, pour away excess water that collects in the coaster after 15 minutes at the latest.

fertilizer is applied every four weeks until flowering begins. After that, you should feed the plant every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants. The last application of fertilizer takes place at the end of August.

Cutting the Lantana

For rich flowering, it is important to regularly dispose of all faded flowers. Even sparsely growing shoots are shortened on this occasion, so that the Lantana retains its original shape as a small bush or standard tree.

Depending on whether you overwinter the plant in the living room, a cold room or a dim basement, it is cut back in the fall. As a result, it slips into hibernation and sprout all the more vigorously next spring.

pests and diseases

As robust as the lantana is, from time to time it can happen that harmful insects such as spider mites, whiteflies or aphids attack the plant. Check the growth regularly, because the earlier you discover the little animals, the easier it is to fight them.

tips

Since the lantana is one of the poisonous plants, it should only be cultivated where it is ensured that no children or pets accidentally nibble on the plant. Be sure to wear gloves when cutting, as even contact with the cuttings can cause skin irritation.

Category:

Indoor plants