Before you grow a gentian shrub, you should consider how you will get the shrub with the pretty blue and white flowers through the winter. Gentian trees are not hardy and do not tolerate even short periods of frost.

The gentian bush often produces fewer flowers after the first winter

Gentian trees grow tall

When you buy the little tree, you probably have no idea how big it will grow. Therefore, to protect the shrub from frost in winter, you need a lot of space.

If the gentian tree is planted directly outdoors over the summer, the shrub will reach a height of up to four meters over time. Even in the bucket, it grows quite tall at two meters.

In nature, gentian bushes form long hanging shoots. The crowns are quite expansive on mature trees.

The right place in winter

The best place to spend the winter is a cool conservatory with the ideal winter temperature of ten degrees. Here the shrub is cool and bright and usually has enough space.

On frost-free winter days you can place the gentian tree on the terrace so that it gets some sun. All you have to do is bring it back inside in the evenings, once the temperatures drop below seven degrees.

If you don't have a conservatory, a cool hallway window, a loft that doesn't freeze, or even the basement will do. When it gets dark, the shrub loses all its leaves and takes longer to recover from it the next year.

Fewer flowers after the first winter

After the first winter you will notice that the gentian bush has far fewer flowers than last year. That is normal. There are mutliple reasons for this:

  • Young trees flower less or not at all
  • The effect of the growth inhibitor wears off
  • Excessive pruning of the high trunk
  • Too few nutrients in the substrate

After the hibernation, you should place the gentian tree in fresh soil or transplant it into a larger pot. In addition, spring is the best time to cut back the gentian bush.

tips and tricks

Before you bring the gentian tree into the house, check the leaves for pest infestation. Be sure to remove aphids, whiteflies and spider mites before sending the shrub into hibernation.

Category:

Herbs