How do you keep plants warm in winters? – Protecting plants from cold

I used to worry about how to protect my plants from winter, which made me hesitant to grow any plants. However, when I eventually discovered ways to protect plants from the cold, trust me, it was truly magical and mind-blowing.

After implementing these solutions, my garden looked amazing, and I couldn’t keep this knowledge to myself.

In this guide, I’ve shared all my research on how to protect plants from the cold and keep them warm during winter. But before diving into the methods, it’s important to know which plants will need winter protection. This guide aims to provide you with all the information you need in one place. So, continue reading to learn how to protect your plants and help them thrive.

Key takeaways:

• You can protect your plants even if they are outdoors with their other fellows in the garden, porch, or stairs.
• The pants that need to be protected from are soft plants, seedlings, tender trees,
• The plants which have big surface areas can be easily blown off by winds and winter weather.
• The different ways to protect the plants from winter are providing them with sunlight, watering, Fertilizer, Potting, etc.

Which plants need protection from winter?

• The plants are summer-loving and not much winter-tolerant.
• The soft plants, seedlings, and tender trees are more prone to being affected by frost and cold winds.
• The plants that have bulb flowers as they have a big surface area can be easily blown off by winds and winter weather.
• The plants are not very hardy and cannot bear frost that well.
• Some annual plants like dusty miller, petunia, pansy, etc. cannot survive winter that well. The seeds of annual plants are usually stored during the wintertime. The dormant stage is usually seen in these plants while winters are there. 

How do you keep plants warm in winters?

Sunlight

During summer sunlight is not much regular and is short with low intensity. In such a case, if the plant is placed inside, move the potted plant near the window where the sunlight is more. If outside, the plant can be placed in a sunny spot, make sure to provide the plant with noon heat or sun rays.

Watering

Avoid too much watering of plants in cold weather. Stay connected with the weather updates, if windy make sure that you don’t let your plants get dry at night. It is advised to water the plants before sunset or in the afternoon. Don’t go for regular watering, instead, look at the soil and leaves. If dry then you should water them.

Soil

The soil in winter should not be damp for too long as it may cause water clogging. The soil needs to be well-drained in winter. Too much water in the soil can lead to many diseases, rotting conditions, and unhealthy growth. Porous soil helps plants tremendously in winter. It is crucial to maintain good air in the soil. 

Fertilizer

Use peat-free fertilizer in winter. Fertilizing sparingly will be beneficial for the plants in frosty weather or winters. Before the last frost, be sure to fertilize otherwise later you are not allowed to do that if you want healthy plants in winter too.

Potting

Use pots that are not too heavy so you can move them easily to multiple favorable spots. The pots should have holes so that the soil doesn’t stay drenched in water and gets well-drained.

How do you keep indoor plants warm in winter?

We know as compared to the outside, the inside of the house is usually warm. But, in the areas where the temperature goes too low, the plants need to be kept warm indoors as well. Use lights to keep plants warm in winters. You can use heat lamps indoors that will keep them warm. It is important to keep such heating appliances away from the plants to avoid burns.

Other than this, you can also wrap the plants with lightweight fabrics or sheets to keep them warm.

How to keep outdoor plants warm in winter?

Bring the plant inside into the warm conditions of a room while it’s windy or frosting outside

You can mulch the soil with shredded bark or softwood pieces that can retain the heat of the earth and help warm the plants

As the temperature drops too low on winter nights or frosty times, make sure to provide the plants with soft blankets to keep the air inside warm. You can also use winter sheets but make sure to use stakes so that plants don’t get damaged.

Jute sacks can also be a great option to keep the plants or soft trees warm. You can wrap the jute cloth around the shrubs or soft trees.

Though there is sunlight in winter too, it is not as strong as needed. Some plants need warmth and heat to grow well. The less hardy plants can be protected by covering them with black fabric to absorb more heat and sunlight. 

Landscape fabrics are used to cover the landscape while it is frosting to keep them safe from freezing. 

Covering the plants with fleece: this is a great option to protect plants from the last frost. Fleece helps keep the plant warm and also protects them from winds and strong rain. They are helpful to cover plants outside.

For more such plant related-articles, you may also read, Spanish Bayonet Yucca ‘Yucca Aloifolia’ – How to grow & care for Yucca Bayonet?

How to keep outdoor potted plants warm in winters?

The outdoor potted plants in winters can be easily moved and placed in a safe shredded area like 

Greenhouse

Cold frame  

Polytunnel 

Wrapping up the context:

So by now, we hope you have understood all the ways you can keep your plants safe in winter. It is equally important to know what plants need extra care during winters. You also come across that covering the plants will help them not to freeze. The water on the plants can easily frost as well as the temperature drops. All these things should be kept in mind. 

FAQ:

Can I cover plants with garbage bags?

Until the nags are not touching the plants, the garbage bags can be used to cover plants. Use stakes to keep it in place and avoid it from getting blown away by the winds. 

What temperature should I cover my plants?

The winter nights are too cold and the temperature turns drastically low in many areas. The temperature in winter is believed to be harmful to plants if it goes around 28 degrees Fahrenheit and also for a long time. Then, it’s high time to cover your plants with winter sheets, blankets, fleece, tarp, etc. 

What plants should I cover in a freeze?

Plants that need to be covered in freeze are sun-loving plants, less hardy plants, like cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, celery, lettuce, etc.

How do you insulate potted plants?

The potted plants can be taken inside or wrapped well with warm cloths, bubble wrap, bedsheets, etc. using stakes so that the cloth doesn’t touch the foliage.