The midday flower: Under which conditions is it hardy?

Content

• The midday flower: Under which conditions is it hardy?
• Basic site conditions for midday flowers
• Hardy varieties of the midday flower
• Lack winter hardy midday flower varieties overwinter
• Plant out self-grown seedlings early
• Tips

Waterlogging means death for midday flowers, especially in winter

The midday flower: Under which conditions is it hardy?

In the natural landscapes of South Africa and other African countries, the midday flower (Delosperma) occurs in rocky altitudes, in which the plant usually cope with great drought. With a care in the garden the winter suitability of the midday flowers depends on the respective kind and the location conditions.

Early article Multiply the midday flower by yourself

Basic site conditions for midday flowers

Apart from the fact that there are species of the midday flower, each with better or worse wintering ability, various location factors play an important role when it comes to the overwintering in the field. Midday flowers of the genus Delosperma love full-sunny locations, where a good drainage of water through the substrate must be guaranteed. Even for Delosperma species that tolerate freezing temperatures in the field, winter persistent moisture in the soil can be a death sentence due to the rottenness of the midday flowers.

Hardy varieties of the midday flower

While in particular relatively high-awake varieties of the midday flower are sometimes only to be hibernated outdoors in mild vineyard locations, the following species in this country can usually be brought through the winter relatively well in the garden:

Malignant frosts or too wet a substrate can be harmful in the midday flowers. Therefore, you should only plant the midday flowers on sites where a good drainage is ensured by sand and Kiesbeimischung in the soil. On the other hand, you can also protect the midday flowers with an appropriate cover fleece from too much winter wetness from above.

Lack winter hardy midday flower varieties overwinter

However, cold-sensitive and short-lived varieties of the midday flower can sometimes be rescued until the next growing season, if they are grown in a bucket. Then place the plants in a bright room before the first night frosts in autumn, during which the temperatures in winter should not rise much above 5 degrees Celsius. Since midday flowers often propagate and multiply by self-sowing in one location, you can also try your luck in the field with the lack of frost-resistant plants and hope that young seedlings will grow up in spring if the mother plant dies off.

Plant out self-grown seedlings early

If you have successfully grown young plants of the midday flower out of cuttings or from seeds, then you should plant them as quickly as possible in the field after the last night frosts in spring. The sooner the plants are able to grow in a suitable location, the greater the area you can spread your flowerbed already during the flowering season, and the better the chances for a successful hibernation in the field.

Tips

The death of midday flowers over the winter is usually not due to a cold climate on the site, but too much moisture. Since midday flowers tolerate absolutely no persistent moisture, you need to be protected from the rainwater when it rains more than snow during the winter. If the substrate is covered with a gravel layer around the midday flowers during planting, the soil dries faster after rain phases than when the plant pads are placed on humus soil.