Only a few Mediterranean plants are so hardy that they survive a Central European winter without any problems. Some tolerate at least a light frost. With appropriate winter protection, these plants can hibernate outside quite well, while others need a frost-free winter quarters.
Evergreen plants also need light in their winter quarters
Which plants should be in a winter quarters?
Mediterranean plants that do not tolerate frost at all are best cultivated in a bucket. This includes, for example, citrus plants. So you can easily bring them to a suitable winter quarters. The temperature that should prevail there depends on the respective plant.
A merely frost-free winter spot is sufficient for all plants that tolerate temperatures around freezing point and survive short-term or light frost. Very sensitive plants, on the other hand, need temperatures of at least +10 °C or even +15 °C in their winter quarters.
The essentials in brief:
- Overwinter conditionally hardy plants outdoors only with winter protection
- overwinter sensitive plants frost-free
- Winter quarters for evergreen plants: bright, frost-free, moderately warm for sensitive plants
- Winter quarters for deciduous plants: rather cool and dark
tips
If you are not sure whether your Mediterranean plants will survive the winter outside, it is better to overwinter them frost-free.