When to bring container plants inside

Enter a German postcode. For each plant we show the date to bring it in by: from the cold limit in expert sources and the night-time lows where you are.

Where are your pots?

Bring in by: average for Germany

Without a postcode: the average across all German postcodes. Sorted by date, so what needs to come in first is at the top.

Plant	Bring in by	Limit	In winter	Back outside	Source
Container plants
Chilli pepper (overwintered in a pot)	1 JulyNights below 12 °C (54 °F) already happen in summer.	below 12 °C (54 °F)	bright, warm	nights below 12 °C (54 °F) occur until the end of June	RHS
Chinese hibiscus	1 JulyNights below 12 °C (54 °F) already happen in summer.	below 12 °C (54 °F)	bright, 10–15 °C (50–59 °F)	–	RHS
Agave	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright, 3–5 °C (37–41 °F)	–	RHS
Angel’s trumpet	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright or dark, 4–12 °C (39–54 °F)	after the last frost, from 6 May	Natur im Garten, Austria
Bougainvillea	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright, 10–15 °C (50–59 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
Cape leadwort (plumbago)	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright or dark, 5–10 °C (41–50 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
Lantana	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright, 5–10 °C (41–50 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
Lemon tree	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright, 5–10 °C (41–50 °F)	once it stays warm	RHS
Marguerite daisy	6 September	below 5 °C (41 °F)	bright, 5–10 °C (41–50 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
African lily (agapanthus)	12 October	before the first frost	bright, 2–8 °C (36–46 °F)	from March	Natur im Garten, Austria
Banana plant (ornamental)	12 October	before the first frost	10–15 °C (50–59 °F)	after the last frost, from 6 May	Bavarian Garden Academy
French lavender	12 October	before the first frost	–	–	RHS
Fuchsia	12 October	before the first frost	bright, 2–7 °C (36–45 °F)	after mid-May (the “Ice Saints”)	Bavarian Garden Academy
Geranium (pelargonium)	12 October	before the first frost	bright, 8–10 °C (46–50 °F)	after the last frost, from 6 May	RHS
Lemon verbena	12 October	before the first frost	–	after the last frost, from 6 May	DLR Rheinpfalz
Oleander	12 October	before the first frost	bright, 4–8 °C (39–46 °F)	from mid-April	Rhineland-Palatinate Garden Academy
Pomegranate	12 October	before the first frost	bright or dark, 5–10 °C (41–50 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
Bay tree	13 November	below −5 °C (23 °F)	bright, 0–10 °C (32–50 °F)	–	RHS
Fig tree	13 November	below −5 °C (23 °F)	bright or dark, 2–5 °C (36–41 °F)	after the last frost, from 6 May	North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
Myrtle	13 November	below −5 °C (23 °F)	bright, 5–10 °C (41–50 °F)	–	RHS
Olive tree	13 November	below −5 °C (23 °F)	bright, 2–10 °C (36–50 °F)	after the last frost, from 6 May	Natur im Garten, Austria
Rosemary	13 November	below −5 °C (23 °F)	bright, 0–5 °C (32–41 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
Camellia	12 December	below −10 °C (14 °F)	bright, no warmer than 12 °C (54 °F)	–	Natur im Garten, Austria
Chinese windmill palm	12 December	below −10 °C (14 °F)	bright, 2–10 °C (36–50 °F)	–	Saxon Garden Academy
English lavender	12 December	below −10 °C (14 °F)	–	–	RHS
Tubers and corms: lift
Canna lily	by 12 October	before the first frost	8–15 °C (46–59 °F)	after the last frost, from 6 May	North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
Gladiolus	by 12 October	before the first frost	8–12 °C (46–54 °F)	–	North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
Dahlia	around 27 October	shortly after the first light frost	dark, around 5 °C (41 °F)	plant in late April, in cold areas not until after mid-May	Bavarian Garden Academy

Average across all postcodes in Germany, each using the nearest station of the German weather service (DWD), 1991–2020. “Bring in by”: in 9 out of 10 years it did not get that cold before this date.

Based on past records, not a forecast · Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst (CC BY 4.0)

Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst, daily minimum temperatures 1991–2020, own calculation. Licence CC BY 4.0. Postcode coordinates: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What applies to all container plants

Bring plants in as late as the weather allows and put them out again as early as possible in spring. (Natur im Garten, Austria)
Ideally, move plants in when it is about as cool outside as in their winter quarters. (Saxon Garden Academy)
Most container plants are fine at 5 to 10 °C (41 to 50 °F) over winter. (Bavarian Garden Academy)
Dark and warm is the worst combination. (Saxon Garden Academy)
Plants in pots are more vulnerable to cold than plants in the ground. (RHS)
In mild weather they can go out during the day in March and April, somewhere in partial shade. (Bavarian Garden Academy)
From mid-May, container plants can go back outside for good. (North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

Each plant on its own page

Last frost date by postcodeAverage and safe date for German postcodes Hardiness zone by postcodeHow cold it gets where you are, and what copes Winter vegetables and frost hardy plantsWhat stays in the bed over winter and copes with frost

Questions and answers

At what temperature do container plants need to come inside?

It depends on the plant. According to our sources: below 12 °C (54 °F) hibiscus and chilli plants; below 5 °C (41 °F) lemon trees, angel’s trumpets, bougainvillea, agaves, plumbago, marguerite daisies and lantana; before the first frost oleander, French lavender, geraniums, fuchsias, agapanthus, pomegranates, lemon verbena and banana plants; below −5 °C (23 °F) olive trees, fig trees, bay trees, rosemary and myrtle; below −10 °C (14 °F) lavender, windmill palms and camellias. The tool above shows when that is where you are.

When should oleander come inside?

Rhineland-Palatinate Garden Academy: bring in before the first frost. On average for Germany it gets that cold from 27 October, and not before 12 October in 9 out of 10 years.

When should lemon trees come inside?

RHS: bring in before it gets colder than 5 °C (41 °F). On average for Germany it gets that cold from 22 September, and not before 6 September in 9 out of 10 years.

When should geraniums come inside?

RHS: bring in before the first frost. On average for Germany it gets that cold from 27 October, and not before 12 October in 9 out of 10 years.

When do you dig up dahlias?

Shortly after the first light frost (Bavarian Garden Academy). On average for Germany that is around 27 October.

Should container plants overwinter in the light or the dark?

Most need light, such as oleander, olive trees, lemon trees and bay trees. Plants that drop their leaves, such as fig trees, angel’s trumpets and pomegranates, can also be kept dark. Dark and warm is the worst combination (Saxon Garden Academy).

When can container plants go back outside?

From mid-May, container plants can go back outside for good (North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture). Frost-tender plants only after the last frost: on average for Germany it is over by 6 May in 9 out of 10 years.

Why do sources give different figures?

Because some are more cautious than others, and some mean a whole genus. For lemon trees the RHS and Natur im Garten say 5 °C (41 °F), while the Bavarian Garden Academy leaves citrus outside down to −5 °C (23 °F). We use the most cautious figure and list the others on each plant’s page.

Sources

Show 43 sources