In freezing temperatures, we usually don’t spend much time on the balcony, but the view from the cozy, warm living room onto a colorful, blooming balcony sounds promising, doesn’t it? We’ll show you how you can plant your balcony in winter.
Prepare balcony plants for winter
When your annual balcony flowers have faded, you can prepare the window boxes for winter. To do this, remove the old plants and clean your planters thoroughly – this way no pests and fungal diseases can be transmitted. Now it is time for the winter planting: Put fresh potting soil in the balcony box, loosen the root ball a little, and put the new plant in it. Now pour in plenty and nothing stands in the way of the beautiful winter balcony!
When choosing a planter, you should consider two things: Adequate drainage in the form of drainage holes and frost-proof containers. The latter is particularly important because when it freezes, excess irrigation water and rainwater will spread and your container could tear or even burst. To keep the roots a little warmer, you can cover the container with fleece or jute. In the case of larger pots, a wooden plate keeps the cold out from below.
Properly care for balcony plants in winter
Plants generally need less attention in winter than in summer. Nevertheless, a little care will help stimulate the plants to flower and accompany them through the cold season.
- Watering: Water your balcony plants regularly and absolutely on frost-free days so that the roots do not freeze to death.
- Fertilizing: Winter hardy balcony plants do not need a lot of nutrients, so put a slow release fertilizer into the planting hole when planting – it will slowly dissolve and your plant will be supplied for up to five months.
- Cutting: In spring some of the hardy plants are cut back to encourage them to flower again. However, this does not apply across the board for all plants, to be sure it is best to take another look at the plant label.
The most beautiful balcony plants for the winter
Various shrubs or shrubs that remain small are suitable as balcony plants for winter. Compact growth and long-lasting flowers are particularly suitable. Here you can find our favorite balcony plants for winter:
1: SNOW HEATHER
The snow heather is a perennial winter plant, as it blooms from November to April in white, pink or pink. It becomes about 30 cm high and can therefore also be placed on small balconies. A partially shaded to sunny location is ideal.
2. SNOWDROP
Snowdrops are placed as onions in small pots (about 4x as deep as the onion itself) and reappear every year. They bloom in January and February and need a shady to partially shaded location.
3:SKIMMIA
The Skimmia forms pink flowers and red berries in winter, otherwise it is evergreen and thus cuts a good figure all year round. She likes to stand in a partially shaded location. Note that there are male and female plants, both of which are necessary to pollinate the flowers.
4:SHAMBERRY
Like the snow heather, the pseudo-berry is a very perennial plant. It makes thick, red berries that stay on the plant until spring. It is only about 10-15 cm high and feels comfortable in partial shade. Note: The fruits are considered to be slightly poisonous.
