The lemon verbena is a typical and popular pot or balcony plant. But those who only take care of them sporadically and care for them little will soon have to reckon with losses. Especially in autumn it should get a lot of attention…

The background that makes hibernation necessary

Lemon verbena are not prepared for a Central European climate. They are not hardy and would freeze to death if exposed to frost without protection. Therefore, even wine-growing regions do not ensure the survival of this plant. An understandable reason to hibernate them.

These plants only tolerate a minimum temperature of -5 °C for several weeks or months. They even tolerate temperatures down to -10 °C for a short (!) period (e.g. 1 day).

How to get your lemon verbena through the winter

Once you've planted your lemon verbena in the bed in the garden, chances are it won't survive the winter. But it's worth a try. Cut the shoots by 3/4. Then heap the plant with leaves and a layer of brushwood. With luck, the lemon verbena will survive…

Potted lemon verbena are relatively safe to overwinter:

  • before the first frost sets in: shorten all shoots to 20 cm
  • Find hibernation quarters: garage, cellar, hallway, shed,… (temperature between -4 and 5°)
  • ideally, the wintering location is dark and has a high level of humidity
  • water sparingly until spring
  • slowly acclimate to sunlight from mid-April

tips and tricks

If you want to take precautions, you should take sticks from the lemon verbena in summer or autumn, put them in a pot and let them grow at home and overwinter. They can be planted out in spring.

KKF

Category:

Vegetable garden