Content
- The magic bells: hardy or not?
- South American blossom dream with pronounced frost sensitivity
- Experiments of wintering can be worthwhile with the magic bells
- The multiplication of the magic bells for the following year
- Tips
The magic bell must be inside, e.g. be wintered in a conservatory
The magic bells: hardy or not?
The attractive magic bells (Calibrachoa) not only reminds of the petunia plant family by chance. The beautiful balcony and patio plants are much less susceptible to wind and rain than the larger petunias with their many small flowers, but they are not fully hardy.
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The subspecies of the plant genus Calibrachoa, which are available in many different flower colors, are originally from Brazil, so they usually thrive especially well in a sunny and preferably warm location. While grateful balcony flowers cope well with high heat with adequate water supply, they are far less resistant to cold temperatures. For this reason, plants that have been brought forward on the windowsill should, as far as possible, be evacuated into the open air only after the ice sacs, and first be accustomed to the direct sunshine by the hour. The sun-hungry magic bell is one-year old in Central Europe without protective measures and does not survive the winter outdoors.
Experiments of wintering can be worthwhile with the magic bells
Contrary to the opinion that magic bells are only ever to be cultivated for one year, some gardeners have reported the successful wintering of their rich flowering protégés. For this, the plants should be shortened in the fall to a shoot length of about 10 centimeters. Calibrachoa has the best chance of wintering when placed in a bright place in a conservatory or room, where temperatures are frost-free but can not rise above 14 degrees Celsius. Dry damage is to be prevented by regular, well-dosed casting with lime-free rainwater. In addition, the plants should not be fertilized during the winter time.
The multiplication of the magic bells for the following year
When in the spring the icy saints are over, there are various ways to enrich the garden again with the beauty of magic bells:
For seed production, seeds collected in the autumn or purchased commercially will be brought to the windowsill in trays from January onwards. These should be covered with cling film, so that a stable high humidity can be maintained underneath. Since the magic bells rely on a slightly acidic substrate, only petunia or rhododendron soil and low-calcium water (preferably rainwater) should be used during cultivation.
Tips
Even in winter quarters, you should check the magic bells for possible pest infestation with aphids or white flies in order to take countermeasures quickly if necessary.