Containers tend to cause different perplexed looks, especially during the winter season. Besides, it’s easier for us to accept when frost and freeze technically kill the plants. It’s usually disappointing for most people but they also understand that sometimes nature doesn’t like things staying green all through the year in some parts of the country.
Most people hate to see plants in pots getting hit by cold since it’s not fair for something portable to get wiped out associating it with carelessness in some situations. Containers typically allow moveable landscaping and comfortable moving of the plants around providing interest all through the growing season.
During winter, containers can take on different shapes since not all of them are made equal. Generally, plastic is winter-proof although it can break down due to the freezing or thawing cycle, ultraviolet rays, and heat in summer. However, you can leave plastic pots with soil outside all winter.
What to Do With Flower Pots in Winter
Snow and winter rain can fill the container while the freezing temperature causes the water to expand. In such cases, you will notice the soil and ice cube effect slightly expanding at the pot’s top.
Don’t worry if you have whiskey barrels as the cold will not affect them the way moisture and summer’s heat do. Concrete is equally a yarn-inducing flower pot. It can crack especially if it was not conditioned properly when forming or if it’s too thin. This is likely to happen with new containers than the old ones.
You can keep water out of concrete containers by covering the top area or putting a lid. It helps take care of the container. Ceramic pots are a less easy classification.
Ceramic or pottery containers are typically an investment glazed with decorative exteriors providing more drama on patios and decks. However, the glazing creates an issue besides the clay absorbing a lot of water since it’s made of clay.
Generally, if the container is glazed both inside and outside, it won’t absorb moisture. However, this kind of pots are relatively expensive. If you have doubts, find a place in the garage or garden shed to protect the pot from different elements.
Pots that aren’t glazed inside can crack and absorb moisture during the winter season especially when water freezes in between the pores. The surface outside will begin to flake hinting that something bad is going to happen.
Containers fired at higher temperatures are usually more winter-proof and not likely to absorb water whether empty or filled with soil. This begs the question; how do you tell?
One way of finding out is by checking the weight. If the pot feels lighter, it’s likely that it wasn’t fired enough to lower the risk of breaking during thawing and freezing.
You also need to check the pot’s interior. If it has large indentations and feels rough, it’s probably for garbage come spring unless you are doing some pottery shards like burying them for archaeologists to dig out years to come.
If the container’s interior feels as smooth as it does on the outside, though with a little bit of roughness, like fine sandpaper, it can pass as winter-proof. The container is less likely to break even when empty. Put the soil in a bucket or flower bed for reuse. Ensure the drainage holes are not blocked at the bottom of the container.
For containers with weaker walls, that may not be enough. Besides, you can cover the pots with a piece of metal or board weighed down with stones or bricks to ensure the snow and winter rain don’t collect inside. In this case, the biggest issue is the glaze flaking and not the pot breaking.
You can also turn the pots upside down on the patio and decks. Alternatively, buy some covers they resemble the ones put over air conditioners. Keeping the pots covered with a plastic sheet or tarp is relatively cheaper although some people find it unattractive.
However, some people cart the containers in the garage stacking them on each other as they still fret, they will break. This way, the pots will be safe until spring unless the garage burns down.
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