The best thing that can happen to your beloved potted plants is when they are moved to the greenhouse for the winter. A certain amount of care is also required during the vegetation break of the exotic species, because the temperatures, like the light conditions, have to be adapted to the plant species.
Indoor plants feel very comfortable in the greenhouse in winter
Even if peace slowly returns to the greenhouse after the annual outdoor garden season, it can still be used as winter quarters for the sensitive potted plants or perennials in the coming months, even if it is a so-called cold house. Everything that is not frost-resistant about flowers and plants comes by the end of October at the latest in the greenhouse for the winter and finds the best conditions there for biologically healthy growth and for faster flowering in the coming spring.
It depends on optimal temperatures!
Since the majority of frost-sensitive plants come from the warmer regions of the world, they are very spoiled by heat, but they need a certain resting phase outside of their vegetation, which can vary greatly in terms of heat requirements. Some examples of this:
| plant type | Optimal temperature (°C) | lighting conditions |
|---|---|---|
| banana bush | 5 to 10 | as bright as possible |
| angel trumpet | 5 to 18 | bright |
| Coward | 2 to 5 | dark |
| pomegranate | 5 to 10 | dark |
| hibiscus | 10 to 15 | bright |
| oleander | 10 to 15 | bright |
| olives | 0 to 10 | bright |
What is important for potted plants in winter
- If an unair-conditioned greenhouse is used for the winter and temperatures rise above 10 °C, the plants need a lot of light. Must on gray winter days preferably with artificial light to be helped.
- Watering should only be done very moderately during the resting phase of the exotic plants, many of the specimens do not tolerate any water at all during this time. Important: If some species occasionally lose leaves during the winter, this is a sure sign that watered not too little but too much would.
- Pests also feel right at home in the protective winter quarters under glass, so the potted plants should be checked regularly for signs of damage from spider mites, vine weevils and the other pests known from summer.
tips
So that they can still soak up as much of the last autumn sun as possible, it is better to quarter your plants in the greenhouse for the winter as late as possible and only when there is an immediate risk of frost.