Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: What to do with your containers as Winter approaches
We all know it’s coming, the s-word! While I could be talking about stew and sweatshirts, what I’m really talking about is getting our outdoor chores done. Including cleaning out the annuals in our pots. Yes, this is early as we still have beautiful mums and such in our containers, but there are some pots unsuitable.
The pot above will be moved (by someone stronger than me!) to my porch where it will be covered. The one below will be left where it is to decorate for the holidays.
Glazed pots handle the least amount of wet conditions and freezing temperatures. I’ve had 2 that have endured that abuse for years.
It’s time to say goodbye. They’re cracked to the point they’re unmovable except to throw the pieces away. One thing, they DID drain well this year! I have had these containers since 2006. That’s a good long run.
I removed the plants, the dirt and started deconstructing… it didn’t take much. I did forget to get a picture of the pieces… they’re in the trash and I’m not diving in to take THAT photo!
The other smaller glazed pots I have, I will turn over and they’ll be somewhat protected on my large covered porch.
The most important thing is that your pots are dry as we enter winter and stay as dry as possible. If there’s an opportunity for water to get under any cracks, you’ll see damage in the spring.
The moisture in any soil left in the container will freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw which causes expanding and contracting. It’s the same thing that happens to our plants, we call that “heaving” and it can lift the plants right out of the ground.
If you keep containers dry, you shouldn’t have a problem. If you have a very expensive glazed container then empty it out and protect it.
Terra cotta pots can also suffer from winter damage. These are stored in my garage. It’s not the cold it’s the wet.