If you haven't thought about frost yet, now is the time to turn your attention to preparing your garden. One of the most important areas to focus on is your container garden. More specifically, you should be aware of the mistakes that so many home gardeners unknowingly make when winter container gardening.
A container garden is a wonderful addition to the garden because it gives you the opportunity to showcase the season's best plants. However, failing to properly care for the best winter flowers for pots can lead to their deterioration and even damage to your containers.
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3 Winter Container Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
If you have pots in your winter garden, it's best to take the right precautions to ensure your pots and plants survive the harshest season unscathed. These three winter container gardening mistakes are a good place to start:
1. Using pots that are too small
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The first rule of protecting pots and planters from frost is to make sure you use the right containers. It's not just about frost-proof materials (like this concrete planter from Amazon), but also about choosing the right size.
“You want to use larger pots,” he says Lindsey ChastainHome resident and founder of The Waddle and Cluck. “Small pots get colder quicker and warm up slower,” she explains.
This could lead to a number of problems including roots freezing and pots bursting. Switching to larger pots provides a little more heat.
Of course, you need to keep in mind which winter plants you grow in your containers. A bigger mistake in container gardening would be to use a pot that is too large for the type of plants you are growing, which could lead to problems like root rot from oversaturated soil.
If you can't use larger pots in the winter, Lindsey recommends:
“Place the pots closer to a place protected from the wind, use cold frames or a portable greenhouse (from Amazon). You can also place the pots close together to conserve heat,” she adds.
Lindsey Chastain, a dedicated homesteader and experienced author, is the driving force behind The Waddle and Cluck, a platform that celebrates sustainable living, gardening and responsible farming
2. Forgetting to mulch
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Mulching is a top priority on the fall garden checklist to protect plants from frost. However, when putting down mulch, it can be easy to overlook your containers.
“You should mulch with shredded leaves or other organic mulches,” says Lindsey.
This is especially important for protecting container plants from winter weather, as they are more susceptible to frost than plants planted in the ground.
“Aim for a depth of about 3 to 4 inches. This will keep the soil warmer and protected from winter weather,” advises Lindsey.
If you're having trouble finding mulching materials in your garden, you can purchase mulch online, like this bark mulch on Amazon or these rounded coir mulch mats for containers on Amazon.
3. Drainage is not improved
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You may think that stopping watering your container plants in the winter is enough to meet their moisture needs, but it would be a big mistake not to take steps to ensure they have good drainage. This is especially true during the coldest and wettest winters.
“Soil that is waterlogged freezes more, which can damage roots and cause roots to die.” “You don’t want your soil to dry out, but you also don’t want standing water,” explains gardening expert Rachel McClure.
For this reason, you should always choose containers with drainage holes. If you have containers without drainage holes, you can add drainage holes in planters and place things in your planters to increase drainage, such as: B. Gravel from Amazon.
You can also elevate pots with pot feet (from Amazon) to improve drainage even further.
“Make sure you also use a potting or container mix for your soil that is well-draining,” says Rachel. “And don't place containers in a location that will be exposed to direct rain runoff or snow avalanches from your roof, which could flood your containers,” she advises.
Rachel is the Master Gardener Coordinator for Extension at the University of Nevada, Reno in Washoe County, Nevada. She helps lead the University of Nevada, Reno Extension Master Gardener program, which aims to teach research-based gardening practices in Nevada to volunteers who, in turn, share their knowledge with their site communities.
FAQs
Where should I put containers for the winter?
Ideally, you should keep garden containers covered for the winter unless you are growing winter plants in them. This will keep the spring and summer perennials and pots in good condition over the winter months. If you cannot provide a suitable sheltered space such as a greenhouse or conservatory, consider winterizing your pots and placing them against a house wall. The warmth of the wall provides additional insulation.
The same rule applies to winter window boxes, and for any pots you want to put away for the winter, our guide to storing terracotta pots in winter can help.
Shop for winter container gardening supplies
These clever concrete planters are a suitable material for frost. They all have drainage holes.
This garden burlap is perfect for wrapping containers in winter for extra insulation.
These beautiful gloves will not only keep your hands clean but also warm when gardening in winter.
Pot feet for outdoor pots
Use these pot feet to raise pots, which is especially important to provide additional drainage in winter.
This potting soil was specifically developed for container gardening. It is well draining to ensure good moisture management.
Use these plant frost covers to protect plants in pots. They measure 28 x 28 x 30 inches.