I have Lantana in Austin, and end up losing it every winter to a freeze, but I know I have seen Lantana that is ignored and comes back every year. Does anyone know what is the proper care in this area for Lantana? Do you prune it back, leave it alone, mulch, cover.... What??? I love the big plant I have now and do not want to have to replace it again next year!
2007-09-03 15:22:08 · 5 answers · asked by C M 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
I water & keep the base of my lantana covered with hardwood mulch year round. I prune mine back about an inch from the ground in Spring. If they are in the north wind passage and the weatherman says it will be freezing, cover them with a blanket or towel, just to reassure you. They may look yucky for a couple of months, but they should come back full-blast in Spring. Mine always come back bigger than the year before...they are wonderful TX plants.
2007-09-04 02:54:39 · answer #1 · answered by acksherly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on where it is planted and yes mulching it with leaves or pine needles would protect it. If you get winds and storms from the north...the coldest storms for most areas, I would make sure it is planted on the south side of the house in future. This one may be protected by mulch and you can cut it back but not until it has finished for the season and you know it isn't going to flower again. Also, most people don't realize that plants can dry out over winter, especially in warm areas. So during the fall make sure to water it and do not fertilize after august. This will make it grow and that can cause damage later if it gets cold or freezes. Watering during really cold weather isn't good either. So, water as needed up until cold weather then mulch around the plants root base with mulch, leaves or whatever. You can cut it back if your local nursery says to...call them and ask. Then put some leaves over it and maybe a burlap bag or some other breathable covering that can be ties or staked in place. It should make it then. Good luck. I love it too, it's too cold here to winter it though.
2007-09-03 15:32:55 · answer #2 · answered by MISS-MARY 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm near Charlotte, zone 7... I had never been able to keep Lantana outside until I hit on this method.... let a frost just nip the leaves.... then cut it back to maybe six inches or a little less....cover it with compost or a fine mulch.... then turn a bucket upside down over it, one that is filled with dry leaves.... I wrap the bucket in burlap to kind of 'hide' it a little in the landscape... place a nice heavy rock on top and then pile leaves around the whole thing... ok, it's not pretty... but when all frost danger is gone in spring, and you uncover it all, you'll find little green things already starting and the plant will take off!!!... we've now had the same plant in the ground for three years and it grows to six ft tall and six ft wide by the time the summer is over... and oh, what a joy to the butterflies!!!.... ours is the red/orange variety.... find out your zone and if you're 7 this should work for you... if you're 6, maybe, but I wouldn't guarantee it.... put your zip code here to find your zone if you don't know it...
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cgi
2007-09-04 01:49:14 · answer #3 · answered by meanolmaw 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't prune until after the last frost. If you prune before all danger of frost is past, you will freeze the roots, and that kills the plant. Lantana is native to your area so you don't need to baby it.
2007-09-03 17:16:25 · answer #4 · answered by AD 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get some liquid sea weed put 2oz of it with 2oz of liquid molasses in a gallon of water spray the foliage once a week till November this will toughen the leaves and give it about 5 degrees more cold tolerance still cover it if it gets cold and mulch it well
2007-09-03 16:04:03 · answer #5 · answered by Marcia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
prune it back once it freezes and then cover it with a mulch it will come back wwith no problem
2007-09-04 09:28:09 · answer #6 · answered by Larry A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋