Protecting Potted Plants from Cold Weather

Written by Lee Wyatt (last updated December 9, 2024)

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.

Author Bio

Lee Wyatt

Contributor of numerous Tips.Net articles, Lee Wyatt is quickly becoming a regular "Jack of all trades." He is currently an independent contractor specializing in writing and editing. Contact him today for all of your writing and editing needs! Click here to contact. ...

MORE FROM LEE

Culinary Cooking

Culinary cooking may sound like a slightly redundant term, however it is not. Rather, culinary cooking is more along the ...

Discover More

Removing Rust Stains from Cotton

Cotton is an extremely popular type of material that almost seems to love to collect stains. Rust is a type of stain that ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Lice in Your Home

Chances are everyone remembers those lice checks that they went through in elementary school at some point or another. ...

Discover More
More Gardening Tips

Aloe Vera House Plants

While native to more tropical regions, Aloe Vera can also be a fantastic house plant. However, in order to get your Aloe ...

Discover More

Choosing Your Houseplants

Whether you have a huge house or a tiny apartment, house plants can help brighten up any home. That is, if you have ...

Discover More

Taking Care of Ferns

Perhaps one of the most common and beloved of all houseplants is the fern. Just because they are among the most common ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)