Protecting Potted Plants from Cold Weather

Potted plants are a wonderful way to help decorate both the interior and exterior of the home. However, if you have any potted plants then you know just how vulnerable they are to cold weather, and just what kind of damage they can experience if. Protecting potted plants from cold weather isn't all that difficult as long as you are willing to not only keep a few things in mind, but also put forth a little bit of effort.

• Cover them up. At the first hint of cold weather, usually accompanied by a frost advisory, cover up your potted plants. For smaller potted plants this is a really simple craft project. Simply cut off the top of a plastic two liter bottle, take off the cap, and place it over the plants. In effect, this will turn the small potted plants into a terrarium. For larger potted plants, such as small shrubs, you can simply wrap some blankets, flannel, or even burlap around the pots. This will help protect the roots from the cold and keep things a little warmer.
• Use a greenhouse. If you have the funds, time, or space you can always build a green house. Building a greenhouse will allow you to create an extremely versatile work space. In fact, this will allow you to not only have a place where you can protect your potted plants from cold weather, but also get an early start on other plants and ensure better results. In addition, by having a greenhouse you will also have a nice little storage area for the more commonly used gardening equipment that you use.
• Bring them inside. Bringing potted plants inside is one of the simplest ways of protecting potted plants from cold weather. This method usually will require a little bit of effort on your part though. The reason for this is that you will want to place something down on the floors, counters, or tables that you are going to store the plants. Remember that these pots can be a become a bit dirty and grimy if they are stored outside for a majority of the year.
• Mulch can be a huge help. There are some potted plants that are simply too big to be able to move easily, and that means that you will not be able to move them indoors or into a greenhouse. For cases like this you will want to apply some mulching over the top of the soil in the pots. In addition, you can also apply a few burlap sacks, blankets, or other types of fabric around the pots to help keep them warm. If you have the funds available, you can also purchase some heating elements from your local department store or nursery that you can use to help keep the soil warm.