{"id":1873,"date":"2025-11-02T08:48:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T07:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/?p=1873"},"modified":"2025-11-17T13:01:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T12:01:53","slug":"winter-preparations-on-the-balcony-how-to-protect-your-plants-from-frost-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wintervorbereitungen-auf-dem-balkon-so-schuetzt-du-deine-pflanzen-vor-frostschaeden\/","title":{"rendered":"Win\u00adter pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny \u2014 how to pro\u00adtect your plants from frost dama\u00adge"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s get\u00adting more and more autum\u00adnal, the first star\u00adry nights are alre\u00ada\u00addy get\u00adting real\u00adly cold and most annu\u00adal plants are slow\u00adly withe\u00adring away. You should now make your win\u00adter pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny and pro\u00adtect your plants from frost dama\u00adge. I always keep a clo\u00adse eye on the wea\u00adther fore\u00adcast during the tran\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon peri\u00adod to see if frost is pre\u00addic\u00adted for my regi\u00adon. If only one night of frost is fore\u00adcast, I pro\u00adtect the plants with news\u00adpa\u00adpers, card\u00adboard, bubble wrap or fleece and lea\u00adve them on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny until a lon\u00adger peri\u00adod of frost is fore\u00adcast. The light con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons out\u00adside are always bet\u00adter than the light con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons in the win\u00adter quar\u00adters. To be on the safe side, sim\u00adply keep a win\u00adter fleece rea\u00addy on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny as win\u00adter pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons at the begin\u00adning of the tran\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon peri\u00adod, which you can throw over the sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve plants if the\u00adre is a frost war\u00adning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bell
The bell pep\u00adpers and toma\u00adtoes are still ripe\u00adning. There\u2019s no frost fore\u00adcast here in Ber\u00adlin yet, but I\u2019m vigi\u00adlant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. the right loca\u00adti\u00adon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not all plants requi\u00adre the same con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons in win\u00adter. The con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons a plant needs for over\u00adwin\u00adte\u00adring can be most easi\u00adly dedu\u00adced from its regi\u00adon of ori\u00adgin. Nati\u00adve wild plants and herbs are adapt\u00aded to the local wea\u00adther con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons and can remain on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny. This is a huge advan\u00adta\u00adge of nati\u00adve wild plants and herbs. They are also the basis of life for our insects, inclu\u00adding but\u00adter\u00adflies, throug\u00adhout their enti\u00adre life cycle. We are the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre doing a lot for bio\u00addi\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly our nati\u00adve herbs such as Wild gar\u00adlic<\/strong>, Pars\u00adley<\/strong>, Ore\u00adga\u00adno<\/strong>, Thy\u00adme<\/strong>, Pep\u00adper\u00admint<\/strong>, Chi\u00adves<\/strong>, Moun\u00adtain savo\u00adry<\/strong>, Lova\u00adge<\/strong>, Lemon balm<\/strong>, Hys\u00adsop <\/strong>tole\u00adra\u00adte tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adtures down to \u201115 \u02daC and can over\u00adwin\u00adter on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny accor\u00addin\u00adgly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Swiss
Swiss mint is very popu\u00adlar with insects.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Medi\u00adter\u00adra\u00adne\u00adan herbs such as Rose\u00adma\u00adry<\/strong> (of which the\u00adre are alre\u00ada\u00addy frost-har\u00addy cul\u00adti\u00advars, but young rose\u00adma\u00adry plants should still be pro\u00adtec\u00adted in the first win\u00adter), Lau\u00adrel<\/strong>, Stevia<\/strong> or Pineapp\u00adle sage<\/strong> do not tole\u00adra\u00adte frost. They pre\u00adfer a tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adtu\u00adre bet\u00adween 5 \u2014 10 \u02daC in win\u00adter. Ever\u00adgreen plants need a bright place such as a stairwell\/winter gar\u00adden or the col\u00addest room in your home, e.g. the bed\u00adroom. All plants that lose their lea\u00adves pre\u00adfer dark win\u00adter quar\u00adters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rosemary
Rose\u00adma\u00adry is a frost-har\u00addy varie\u00adty and can even flower out\u00adside in win\u00adter, but it is bet\u00adter to pro\u00advi\u00adde frost pro\u00adtec\u00adtion in the first win\u00adter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I buy herbs, I always keep an eye on the frost resis\u00adtance of the plant and con\u00adsider whe\u00adther it can over\u00adwin\u00adter out\u00adside on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny when I buy it. The space in the win\u00adter quar\u00adters is limi\u00adt\u00aded, moving them into the win\u00adter quar\u00adters takes time and buy\u00ading new herbs every spring is out of the ques\u00adti\u00adon. It is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre best to buy nati\u00adve herbs or frost-har\u00addy cul\u00adti\u00advars at the time of purcha\u00adse. Our insects pre\u00adfer nati\u00adve plants<\/strong>. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, their Frost har\u00addi\u00adness<\/strong> a gre\u00adat advan\u00adta\u00adge. Our nati\u00adve wild herbs have the best chan\u00adce of sur\u00advi\u00adving the win\u00adter, even in bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny boxes, even wit\u00adhout han\u00adging them up. You can easi\u00adly find out whe\u00adther they are nati\u00adve plants using the Plant search engi\u00adne Natu\u00adraDB<\/a> check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is still the che\u00ada\u00adpest \u2014 for Pro\u00adtec\u00adtion from wind and rapid coo\u00adling<\/strong> \u2014 place all plants as shel\u00adte\u00adred as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. To do this, place the pots and con\u00adtai\u00adners clo\u00adse to the warm\u00ading house wall, pre\u00adfer\u00ada\u00adb\u00adly in a cor\u00adner shel\u00adte\u00adred from the wind. Remo\u00adve the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny boxes from the para\u00adpet and place them on the ground, sui\u00adta\u00adb\u00adly wrap\u00adped. In our expe\u00adri\u00adence, on shel\u00adte\u00adred bal\u00adco\u00adnies, in cities, in tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adte loca\u00adti\u00adons and win\u00adters, lea\u00adving the plan\u00adters of frost-har\u00addy plants in place works well. On some over\u00adc\u00adrow\u00added bal\u00adco\u00adnies, it is no lon\u00adger pos\u00adsi\u00adble to move them for reasons of space. The plants sur\u00advi\u00adve the win\u00adter, and our expe\u00adri\u00adence has been very posi\u00adti\u00adve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The peren\u00adni\u00adal crops<\/strong> like Papri\u00adka<\/strong>, Chil\u00adli<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Phy\u00adsa\u00adlis<\/strong> can over\u00adwin\u00adter well in a cool stair\u00adwell or bed\u00adroom or in the cel\u00adlar. Like\u00adwi\u00adse Fuch\u00adsia<\/strong>, Scen\u00adted gera\u00adni\u00adums<\/strong>- or Gera\u00adni\u00adums<\/strong>. Cut back light\u00adly, water light\u00adly. Here you can read about over\u00adwin\u00adte\u00adring the Shrub basil<\/a> as cut\u00adtings or the enti\u00adre pot in a bright loca\u00adti\u00adon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My
My scen\u00adted gera\u00adni\u00adum plants have been with me for around 12 years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2 . Pro\u00adtect from dry\u00ading out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All plants also need a litt\u00adle water in win\u00adter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants that over\u00adwin\u00adter indoors should be kept slight\u00adly moist. The right balan\u00adce is important: too litt\u00adle water cau\u00adses the plant to dry out, too much water wea\u00adk\u00adens the plants, attracts flies and aphids and can lead to mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Howe\u00adver, plants that over\u00adwin\u00adter on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny also need mois\u00adtu\u00adre. As soon as the lea\u00adves warm up in win\u00adter, the meta\u00adbo\u00adlism starts. Howe\u00adver, if the soil is too dry, the plant will dry out. Plants often dry out over the win\u00adter rather than free\u00adze to death. This fact is not so well known. This is why plants should be wate\u00adred exten\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly befo\u00adre long peri\u00adods of frost. Even if the tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adtu\u00adre tem\u00adpo\u00adr\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly rises abo\u00adve zero during the win\u00adter, wate\u00adring the plants again will help pre\u00advent dama\u00adge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure that the excess water drains com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly from the plan\u00adter, other\u00adwi\u00adse the water\u00adlog\u00adging can cau\u00adse the plan\u00adter to burst when it free\u00adzes. If you use bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny boxes with water reser\u00advoirs, be sure to emp\u00adty the water befo\u00adre frost peri\u00adods! I don\u2019t do this mys\u00adelf, not\u00adhing has hap\u00adpen\u00aded so far, but I don\u2019t fill the water reser\u00advoirs in win\u00adter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The birds love to sit on pro\u00adtru\u00adding bran\u00adches or old parts of plants, such as here on the sun\u00adflower, and may even nib\u00adble on the seeds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. frost pro\u00adtec\u00adtion for the roots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To pro\u00adtect plants from free\u00adzing through, a thick coat helps to pro\u00adtect them from the cold. Fleece and jute sacks fil\u00adled with lea\u00adves are very sui\u00adta\u00adble for plan\u00adters. Howe\u00adver, raf\u00adfia mats or pack\u00ada\u00adging mate\u00adri\u00adal such as bubble wrap and card\u00adboard can also be used. It is important to wrap the plan\u00adter careful\u00adly all around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soil should also be pro\u00adtec\u00adted from the cold from abo\u00adve. A lay\u00ader of lea\u00adves or coir mats is sui\u00adta\u00adble for this, as this keeps out the cold and still allows air to reach the soil sur\u00adface. It should not start to rot under the cover, so air must be able to reach it. Cove\u00adring the sur\u00adface with brushwood is also a tried and tes\u00adted method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addi\u00adti\u00adon to the coat, the plants also need warm win\u00adter boots. Espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly if they are on a bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny that is expo\u00adsed to the wind. The simp\u00adlest opti\u00adon is to place an approx. 2 cm thick poly\u00adsty\u00adre\u00adne sheet or bubble wrap under the plant pot. I always have a box in the cel\u00adlar in which I store the bubble wrap, which is then used as win\u00adter pro\u00adtec\u00adtion. That way I don\u2019t have to start sear\u00adching under time pres\u00adsu\u00adre when frost is on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. frost pro\u00adtec\u00adtion for bran\u00adches and lea\u00adves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To pro\u00adtect the lea\u00adves and bran\u00adches of the plant from coo\u00adling down too quick\u00adly and the resul\u00adting frost dama\u00adge, hoods made of fleece or jute sacks are sui\u00adta\u00adble. The\u00adse are careful\u00adly pul\u00adled over the plant from abo\u00adve and clo\u00adsed at the trunk with a rib\u00adbon. For the plant, this pro\u00adtec\u00adtion from direct sun and cold is like a blan\u00adket of snow, sta\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adzing its natu\u00adral rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During very seve\u00adre frost peri\u00adods of below \u201115\u02daC, bubble wrap also pro\u00advi\u00addes good pro\u00adtec\u00adtion for the abo\u00adve-ground part of the plant. Howe\u00adver, it must be wrap\u00adped very careful\u00adly to pre\u00advent icy air from pas\u00adsing through. As soon as the tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adtures rise again, howe\u00adver, the film must be remo\u00adved, as its lack of breat\u00adha\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty would lead to rot. The alter\u00adna\u00adti\u00adve Win\u00adter fleece<\/a> is breat\u00adha\u00adble and water-per\u00admeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. do not cut ever\u00ady\u00adthing down!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under no cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances should plants be pru\u00adn\u00aded just befo\u00adre win\u00adter. Fresh\u00adly cut sur\u00adfaces offer no pro\u00adtec\u00adtion against win\u00adter tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adtures, and if young shoots emer\u00adge as a result of pru\u00adning, the\u00adse will also fall vic\u00adtim to frost dama\u00adge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The com\u00admon recom\u00admen\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon is to careful\u00adly remo\u00adve dried lea\u00adves and dama\u00adged bran\u00adches befo\u00adre win\u00adter, as the\u00adse pro\u00advi\u00adde shel\u00adter for \u201cpests\u201d. I do not share this opi\u00adni\u00adon. I am hap\u00adpy about \u201cbene\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal orga\u00adnisms\u201d.<\/strong> To ensu\u00adre that the bene\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal insects con\u00adti\u00adnue to do their work dili\u00adgent\u00adly next year, we can help them through the win\u00adter with a few mea\u00adsu\u00adres. Wil\u00adted peren\u00adni\u00adals can remain in the plan\u00adter, many bene\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal insects over\u00adwin\u00adter in the stems. Some wild bees lay their eggs in thick stems, and the pupae of many moths can be found on wild shrubs and gras\u00adses. Lea\u00adve struc\u00adtu\u00adral\u00adly strong, hol\u00adlow or pithy plant stems (e.g. black\u00adber\u00adry, mull\u00adein, thist\u00adles, mug\u00adwort) as valuable insect nes\u00adt\u00ading aids or attach them to rai\u00adlings or table legs with cable ties, for exam\u00adp\u00adle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does not cut down your plants<\/strong>The birds snack on the sun\u00adflowers that have finis\u00adhed flowe\u00adring, the seed heads of wild flowers, the seed heads of your kale and let\u00adtuce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The house spar\u00adrows love to snack on tree spin\u00adach and sun\u00adflowers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
House spar\u00adrows and gold\u00adfin\u00adches like to coll\u00adect the seeds of the tree spin\u00adach \u2018Magen\u00adta Spreen\u2019. Here you can see a Video that they even get seeds from the win\u00addows\u00adill<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

6. cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon of win\u00adter vege\u00adta\u00adbles or green manu\u00adre<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the soil in your har\u00adve\u00ads\u00adted plant pots is not expo\u00adsed to the wea\u00adther, but with Green manu\u00adre<\/strong>, Lawn clip\u00adpings<\/strong> or Folia\u00adge<\/strong> you pro\u00adtect the soil from lea\u00adching, com\u00adpac\u00adtion and wind drift. This has a posi\u00adti\u00adve effect on the soil struc\u00adtu\u00adre. With green manu\u00adre, the desi\u00adred micro\u00ador\u00adga\u00adnisms have food over the win\u00adter.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lamb's
Lamb\u2019s let\u00adtuce is ide\u00adal for cove\u00adring the soil. As a green manu\u00adre and for eating as a win\u00adter vege\u00adta\u00adble.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is com\u00admon prac\u00adti\u00adce to emp\u00adty all bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny boxes and plan\u00adters befo\u00adre win\u00adter, throw away the soil and buy new soil in spring. Some plants release sub\u00ads\u00adtances into the soil that are harmful to other plants (key\u00adword crop rota\u00adti\u00adon) and, on the other hand, it can\u00adnot be ruled out that pests such as flies will sett\u00adle in the old soil during the win\u00adter and dama\u00adge your new plants. I don\u2019t share this view. I loo\u00adsen the soil in spring, remo\u00adve coar\u00adse root pie\u00adces and spi\u00adce up the soil with com\u00adpost or worm humus. See the blog 5 ways to add strength to old bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny box soil wit\u00adhout buy\u00ading new soil every year<\/a>. Emp\u00adty plan\u00adters can be tho\u00adrough\u00adly brushed out and stored in a dry, clean place, but this is not neces\u00adsa\u00adry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t want to com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly win\u00adteri\u00adze your bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny: Watch this gre\u00adat video by Annet\u00adte Hop\u00adfes from \u201cDie Klein\u00adg\u00e4rt\u00adne\u00adrei\u201d about WINTER VEGETABLES on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny<\/a> on. Lots of tips and excel\u00adlent illus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adve pic\u00adtures. Her cur\u00adrent cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon of win\u00adter vege\u00adta\u00adbles on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny and in the gar\u00adden is very impres\u00adsi\u00adve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the best books for Win\u00adter cul\u00adti\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon<\/strong> in our lati\u00adtu\u00addes by the expert Wolf\u00adgang Pal\u00adme (expert in the Bio-Bal\u00adkon con\u00adgres\u00adses 2017<\/a> and 2020<\/a>), who rese\u00adar\u00adched this topic for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/td><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Asian
Deli\u00adcious Asi\u00adan salad Mizu\u00adna as a win\u00adter vege\u00adta\u00adble.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What do you look out for in win\u00adter pro\u00adtec\u00adtion? What are your expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces with bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny boxes over the win\u00adter? Which of your plants regu\u00adlar\u00adly sur\u00advi\u00adve the win\u00adter well?<\/h4>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not all plants need the same con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons in win\u00adter. Nati\u00adve wild plants are adapt\u00aded to the local wea\u00adther con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons and can remain on the bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[991,186,106],"tags":[1023,479],"class_list":["post-1873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-grundlagen-besonders-fuer-einsteiger","category-klimawandel","tag-grundlagen","tag-naturerlebnis"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bio-balkon.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}