Piss off plant is to drive away uninvited animal guests from the garden with its smell. In addition, it offers a beautiful sight with its blue-purple flowers in summer. Learn how to plant and care for it yourself here.
The botanical name of the piss-off plant is Plectranthus ornatus and it originates from South Africa. It was introduced to the market under its unusual European name by the breeder Dieter Stegmeier in 2001.
He named it this way because it emits a strong, menthol-like scent that is said to have a deterrent effect on some animal species. Some gardeners therefore plant the piss-off plant to keep dogs, cats, rabbits and martens out of their garden, for example. However, while researching this article, we could not find any scientific evidence for this effect.
The smell of the fuck-you plant is less unpleasant for humans, but it can still take some getting used to. People only notice it when they rub the leaves of the plant between their fingers. It is also popular because of its strikingly shaped, blue-purple flowers.
You can easily plant the piss-off plant in your own garden. We have compiled the most important tips for you.
Contents
Piss off plant in your own garden: bed or tub?
Piss off plant is a container plant. You can get it pre-pulled in the nursery.
If you don’t want to keep it in a container, you can plant it out in a bed instead.
- To do this, dig a hole large enough to accommodate the entire root ball.
- Then water the root ball thoroughly: immerse it in a bucket of water until no more air bubbles rise to the surface.
- After watering, dig in the root ball so that it is completely covered with soil.
- If you plant it in a bed, please note that it is not winter-hardy: at temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius it will die outdoors. Before the onset of winter, you should dig it up and put it back into the container.
The piss-off plant blooms between June and October. Once the flowering period is over, you can bring it indoors for the cold season and overwinter it there.
Piss off plant: location and soil
Regardless of whether you leave the plant in the container or move it to the bed, choose the location carefully. The plant needs a suitable place and soil so that it feels comfortable.
Here’s what you should consider when bringing the plant into your own garden:
- Location: the piss-off plant prefers a bright to sunny spot. The temperature should be between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius.
- Soil type: The Verpiss-dich plant thrives best in well-drained, sandy-loamy soil. Ideally, it should also be rich in humus and other nutrients. If you keep the plant in a container, ordinary potting soil will suffice.
- Soil Moisture: Moderately moist soil is sufficient for the plant to grow.
This care the piss off plant needs
The piss-off plant is easy to care for. Except for a little water and fertilizer, if necessary, it does not require much from you. We have summarized the most important care tips for you.
- Watering: Since the piss-off plant likes it moderately moist, you only need to water it occasionally. This way you avoid damaging waterlogging. Especially if you bring it indoors for the winter, you should keep the plant rather dry.
- Fertilize: To promote its growth, you can fertilize the piss-off plant about every two weeks, as long as it is not yet fully grown. However, use only small amounts of organic fertilizer for this purpose. Once the perennial has grown up, it is no longer necessary to continue fertilizing it.
- Repotting: When the piss-off plant becomes too large for its old container, you should repot it into a larger pot and change the potting soil. This may be necessary about every two years.
- Pruning: You don’t necessarily need to prune the piss-off plant. However, if the front runners become too long over time, it doesn’t hurt to trim them a bit.