5 Ways to Protect Potted Plants in Winter

I ca n’t even believe it ’s almost wintertime already , but here we are . While it ’s not technically wintertime yet , it has been quite cold in our neck of the woods , and it ’s theorize to appease that mode for a trivial while . Over the past several week we ’ve cleaned up the garden , harvested what we could , and put the eternal sleep of the plants into a sort of a wintertime hibernation fashion . Because we arerenting(we bought a planetary house ! ) , we have quite a few repeated plants in corporation , and we intend to take them with us when we move . Joel has worked really hard to propagate many of these from ascendent cuttings , so we are seek to take good care of them so that they will be successful in the future . Here I will blab about 5 fashion to protect potted plants in winter , as sometimes it takes a bit of creativity to keep them felicitous and alive in the frigid weather .

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5 Ways to Protect Potted Plants in Winter

Potted plants can be tricky , principally because their beginning are much more exposed to the elements . The globe hold up a reasonably constant temperature , so a plant or tree that is in the ground will have a lot more winter hardiness than the same plant that is in a pot . A pot will freeze substantial long before the earth gets a toilsome halt .

Granted , plant life do have varying level of cold validity so that is one matter to consider , along with how cold it gets where you survive . We are favorable in that we seldom get hard freezes , but it does go below freeze down quite often . Just remember that what work for us might not be an alternative for you if you live in a first-rate cold-blooded clime , but you’re able to probably conform some of these ideas to your own needs .

Bring Potted Plants Inside

This may seem a little bit obvious , but the first affair you want to do is assess each plant life and set weather condition or not it should bide outside at all in the winter , depending on its lustiness and your climate . It ’s significant that these plant still get decent sun , however , so check that to put them in a gay windowpane . We brought our jade plant inside , which is a succulent and therefore not very frost liberal , as well as our turmeric works .

The cage around it is to further protect it from Cosmo the Kitten , who likes to eat and take on with things like plant leaf . This is our first time growing Curcuma longa , so it ’s a bit of an experiment , but we ’ll see what pass ! It is a tropical plant life , which is why it needs to be inside and in a very sunny window .

Hopefully someday we ’ll get to reap some awful Curcuma longa ancestor !

Cover Potted Plants with Mini Greenhouses

For plants that you want to keep outside , but are still not very frost stalwart , you may desire to construct mini greenhouse , hoop houses , row covers or cold frames to go over them . Think small , and use what you have . Joel made this nerveless niggling movable greenhouse out of scrap woodwind and plastic .

These can be simple frames extend with charge card like this one , glass topped boxes , or a lean to against a south facing wall . Even sometime and cracked fish aquarium overturned will shape . Use your resourcefulness and scavenge whatever you may !

Bury Potted Plants in the Ground

If you have pot perennials that are awaiting their lasting rest home in the ground , you’re able to bury them , tidy sum and all , in a raised bed , mound ( like apermaculture swale bottom ) , or anywhere in the grunge . This will take advantage of the comparatively constant temperature of the reason .

Once you delve down a few feet into the soil the temperature remains a never-ending 55 ° F , no matter the time of year or above ground air temperature . This is mainly due to the fact that the earth creates thermal volume in its bluff world and size . caloric volume is the estimate that the greater mass or surface area that an target comprehend , the more stable the temperature of that mass . So take vantage of the caloric lot of the world and sink potted flora in the soil .

This works even in a upgrade

A potted plant protected in a wire cage, and potted plants buried in the ground for winter.

d seam , perchance not to the same arcdegree , but it still give way some buffer from the low temperature on the root of the plants . We did this with most of our potted herbs , likerosemary , salvia , chives , oreganoandthyme .

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

Yes mulch ! Cover the pinnacle of your pots with leaves and chaff or whatever other organic material you may have . Surround the pot with them if need be . Mulch is the eq of a down comforter for your plant . It mediates the external temperature from infiltrate the soil . It tardily decomposes , and in doing so creates heat , similar to a compost big bucks . Mulch is heavy for industrial plant in so many ways , there ’s really no cause not to do it . What else are you go to do will all of those twilight leave , anyways ?

Create Wind Breaks and Heat Sinks

In the wintertime in most role of the northerly hemisphere , frigid winds hail from the north and the most sun comes from the Dixieland . The theme is to immobilise the cold winds and conquer or reflect the warm southerly sun . This can be accomplished with one structure ; a wall . Whether it ’s the south facing rampart of your house , garage , or fence , place a jazz proof barrier between your plant and the northward .

If this roadblock is thickheaded , heavy , and monolithic , it will serve another purpose as thermal mass , or a high temperature swallow hole . It will not only blockade the northerly blowing confidential information , but absorb the warm solar exposure on the southerly side and reflect that back onto your plants . It will also act to liaise the surrounding temperature and specify sharp temperature fluctuation . representative of barriers would be rock outcropping , rock walls , big the Great Compromiser pots , clinker blocks , or even a mint of bricks or roofing tile . These all control thermal great deal , and when placed correctly in relation to your plants , will provide benefit to help your plants survive cold temperature .

That ’s it for my 5 ways to protect potted plants in wintertime . I ’m sure there are many more direction , but these are the principal ones that adhere out to Joel and I. He aid me write this post , as he is the independent gardener andpermaculturistin this household . I hope these summit aid you keep your cute plants alive this winter ! Let me screw if you have any other cool ideas !

A potted plant protected with a wire cage.