Well now, if you got yourself some lantanas in the garden, and the weather’s startin’ to turn cold, you might be wonderin’ if them lantanas can survive the winter. Let me tell ya, I’ve seen plenty of folks with lantanas tryin’ to figure it out, so I’ll give ya the lowdown, nice and simple like. Don’t worry, it ain’t as hard as it sounds!
Lantanas, they’re them plants that come up every year, they’s perennials. That means they ain’t supposed to just die off after one season. Now, you can keep ’em around through the winter, but there’s some things ya gotta know so they don’t freeze up and die. You can’t just leave ’em out there in the cold without takin’ care of ‘em, that’s for sure!
First thing’s first, where do you live? Now, if you’re in a place where the cold ain’t too bad, like down south or somewhere that don’t get a real hard freeze, you might not need to worry too much. Lantanas can grow outside all through winter in places where it don’t dip below freezing, like in zones 9 or 10. That’s the USDA zones, but you don’t need to get too fancy with them numbers, just know that if it’s warm enough, they can keep goin’ without much help.
If you’re in a cold place though… Well, you got to do a little more work. In them places, frost can kill lantanas dead in their tracks. Frost’s a big ol’ enemy for plants like these. But don’t fret, there’s a way to save ’em! If you got them in pots, you can bring ‘em inside before the first frost hits. Now, I know some folks don’t like bringing plants indoors, but I’m tellin’ ya, that’s the way to keep ’em alive.
Here’s how to go about it:
- Before the first frost, you take them potted lantanas and move ‘em inside. Find a nice spot where they won’t freeze, like near a window or somewhere that’s a little warmer.
- Don’t go overboard with waterin’ ‘em, though. Lantanas don’t need too much moisture when they’re inside, and too much water can make ’em all sick and moldy.
- Give ‘em a little rest. You see, lantanas like to go dormant during the winter. It’s like they take a little nap so they can come back strong when the warm weather rolls back around. So, don’t worry if they look a bit sad, that’s just how they do it.
Now, if you’re in a real cold place… You might be wonderin’ if you can just leave ‘em out there and hope for the best. Well, I’ll tell ya, that’s probably not gonna work. Frost’s gonna get to ’em, and they ain’t gonna make it. So, you gotta move ’em inside, just like I said before, or treat ’em as an annual and start over in the spring. But if you’re able to move ’em inside, that’s your best bet!
Now, there’s some folks who ask if lantanas can survive a light frost. Well, I’ll tell ya, they can stand up to a little bit of frost, but don’t go thinkin’ they can handle a hard freeze. If you got them out there and the temperature’s droppin’ below 32°F, you better get them inside, or else they’ll be goners.
And let me tell ya, when you got them lantanas inside during the winter, you’ll wanna keep ’em in a place where they don’t get too hot or too cold. Don’t be putting ’em next to a heater, but don’t let ’em freeze by the window either. Just keep ’em in a nice, cool spot, and they should be just fine.
Another thing, them lantanas, they do better with plenty of light. So, try to put ’em somewhere where they get some sunshine, even if it’s just a little bit. Don’t put ‘em in the dark corners, or they might start actin’ up and get real leggy and weak. But don’t worry if they slow down a bit during the winter, that’s just how they like it.
When spring comes… You can bring ’em back outside. Just make sure it’s warm enough for ‘em to come out, and they’ll perk right up. But if you don’t have time to fuss with ’em, you can always treat ‘em like an annual and get new ones each year. Either way, you got options.
So, in short, if you wanna keep them lantanas around for next year, you can either bring ’em inside, or if you’re in a warmer place, you might be able to just leave ‘em out there. But don’t let ‘em freeze! And remember, they like a good nap over the winter, so don’t be fussin’ too much with ‘em. Give ‘em a little space, and they’ll come back to life when the weather warms up again!
Tags:[lantana care, overwintering lantanas, winter care for lantanas, how to care for lantanas in winter, keeping lantanas alive in winter, lantanas indoors]