Follow these Brilliant Cold Weather Hacks for Plants to Create Warmth and keep them safe from cold drafts of harsh winter.
Does your place experience extremely low temperatures, making it difficult for the plants to survive? Try these Brilliant Cold Weather Hacks for Plants to Create Warmth and help them thrive!
Check out some Cold Hardy Succulents for Winters here
Brilliant Cold Weather Hacks for Plants to Create Warmth
1. Cover Containers
Drape the containers with a thick fabric layer or bubble wrap for insulation. You can also use old blankets to wrap them up. Make sure they are well-ventilated and get indirect light.
The key here is to keep the bottom of the pot well-wrapped to ensure the roots get all the warmth they need.
Follow some Brilliant Gardening Hacks here
2. Wrap a Burlap or Jute Sheet Around the Plant
Create an insulating dome around the plants by raising a vertical structure of the plant’s height and covering it with a burlap or jute sack. Additionally, fill the space with a thick layer of hay or shredded wood for good insulation.
3. Keep the Plants in the Greenhouse
In the winter months, keep the plants in the greenhouse. This not only keeps them safe from harsh weather conditions but also creates a micro-environment/climate where they stay warm with the other plants.
Here are some great Easy DIY Mini Greenhouse Ideas you can check out
4. Bring Potted Specimens Indoors
Do not expose the potted plants to the outdoor freezing weather. Bring them indoors to ensure they stay protected from cold drafts and extremely low temperatures.
While keeping them indoors, keep them away from the windows in a way that the leaves are not touching the panes. This will keep them safe from frost.
Check out How to Grow and Maintain Indoor Friendship Plants Here
5. Make a Mini Cold Frame / Hot House
Cold frames or grow boxes are great options for compact restricted areas on limited budgets. Assemble a few wood panels and a clear covering like sheet glass, so plants remain protected from winter breeze, have access to sunlight, and get insulation from expected frosts.
Find out some Wacky Plant Parenting Hacks here
6. Use a Full Spectrum Lamp
To bar the risk of plants going into a state of shock due to low temperature, provide an external heat source, such as a full-spectrum lamp. Go for a one which has a mix of red and blue light to keep the plants warm and safe from cold weather.
Find out the Best Light Hacks for Indoor Plants here
7. Use a Good Layer of Mulch
Winter mulching insulates the soil surface protecting the roots and perennial bulbs from freezing drafts, thus keeping them warm. It also helps retain moisture.
Layer 2-3 inches of straw, pine bark, shredded wood, or dry leaves around the plants. This will allow air circulation to the roots besides providing food for beneficial microbes in the soil.
8. Install a Soil Warmer
Another easy solution you can opt for is using soil warmers to increase the ground temperature. It will be beneficial for outdoor vegetation and flower beds.
However, do remember that removing this heater will cause sudden fluctuation that your plants might not appreciate. So, always slowly acclimate them to the warm environment when the winter ends by adjusting the temperature setting in the warmer before removing it completely.
9. Do Not Water in the Morning or Evening
Always water the plants in the afternoon when the sun is at its peak. Morning and evening hours experience lower temperatures compared to the daytime, due to which stagnant water might freeze in the soil, inhibiting plant growth.
Watering in the daytime will ensure the moisture is soaked in the soil, which would otherwise freeze by night.
10. Use a Cloche
A cloche acts as an insulator trapping sun’s heat and storing it for the rest of the day. Thus, a mini greenhouse is formed around the plants, creating a warm, humid home for their growth.
To save bucks, you can cut a water bottle and make your own DIY cloche.
Check out some great garden cloche ideas for plants here
11. Cover with Fabric
Fabric insulation is an inexpensive way to stimulate warmth around tender bulbs and vulnerable species.
Install a metal or wooden frame around plants and drape a permeable fabric such as polypropylene or fleece. This will keep the cold drafts from hitting the plant by creating a barrier. Here’s a great DIY you can check out.
12. Refrain from Pruning Plants
While pruning plants encourage new growth, it needs to take a back seat in winter if you don’t wish to kill them. Snipping the stems or leaves exposes their cell membranes, which are more prone to cool damage than the outer skin.
Also, most plants enter the dormant stage during colder months, and fertilizing or pruning disturbs their growth cycle.
