It has been a mild January all in all, we have had a couple of days of very cold weather this month with otherwise warmer wet conditions for the remainder. There could be more cold to come however and this could potentially damage any containers you may have. To protect plants which prefer milder conditions and also to protect the containers it helps to keep the soil and roots reasonably dry during the winter months. Any freezing conditions can cause ice crystals to damage the roots of plants and also cause expansion of water in the soil, which may crack pots and containers.
Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016
Frost and can not only damage tender plants but can also cause containers to crack and break
We have moved our most tender plants to our small cold frame but we have larger plants that do not fit such as our Olive Tree. To help it survive through the winter months, I have moved the plant into a sheltered corner next to the house, where frost is less likely take effect and have wrapped the pot in bubble wrap not only around the sides but also on top to help keep the roots reasonably dry.
I have tried covering plants with fleece in the past with mixed results. Our Coprosma did not enjoy being covered in fleece throughout the winter last year. It seemed to limit the light it received and although only hardy down to -5 degrees Celcius which can easily be reached here in the UK, we have left it uncovered this year and it seems to be fine so far even though we have had a couple of nights around -5. The evergreen nature of the plant means it probably is happiest gathering as much light as possible in winter and although the fleece does let light through, it must limit it to some extent.
Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016
Coprosma
is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. It is found in
New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Borneo, Java, New Guinea, islands of the
Pacific Ocean to Australia and the Juan Fernández Islands. Wikipedia
We have covered all our ceramic pots with bubble wrap to protect the containers themselves and also to help the plants which may be more exposed when kept in containers. We have also wrapped a small wooden container with our Dahlia tubers remaining in soil completely with bubble wrap to protect them and we shall see if this was effective later in the year.
Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016
Protect ceramic containers from cracking in the cold January weather
Save bubble wrap from packaging as a cost effective means of providing winter protection in your garden.
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