The next most popular fall question is how to overwinter plants growing in outdoor containers To overwinter containerised plants , wrap the container with an insulator such as home fibreglass insulation — the more the better . The insulation will help protect against freezing and thawing . An unheated garage is a great place to overwinter containerised plants because it keeps the wind off the plant . If you don ’ t have a garage and are forced to overwinter the plant outdoors , keep the plant in a shady location . Placing it out in the sun increases the chances of the freeze – thaw cycle .
Another problem with overwintering containers is moisture . The soil should have some moisture to keep the roots from drying out completely , yet too much moisture can create problems with ceramic or terracotta pots . Expansion as the water freezes can crack non-plastic containers and even some plastic ones .
I know of gardeners who successfully overwinter many sensitive plants , such as Japanese maples , but they put in a lot of time and effort to ensure the plant ’ s survival . Overwintering containerized plants is at best a gamble , but you can improve the odds considerably if you are prepared to do the work .
The last most-asked question is whether one needs to wrap cedars to protect them from the winter winds Wrapping cedars is a bad idea . On warm days , the internal temperature under the burlap may get too high . The cedar tissue that is warmed under the wrap may be damaged when the temperature drops again . The cedars may also break dormancy too early in the spring . The simple method to protect cedars is to construct a wind screen rather than a wind wrap . Purchase ( or make ) three wooden stakes as tall or slightly taller than the cedar , and insert them into the ground on the south , west , and southwest corners of the plant . The stakes should be 30 cm away from the plant . Staple burlap onto these three stakes to create a screen .
Winter winds and the sun are the main culprits for cedar damage , and this burlap screen will offer protection from the drying winds and protect the plant from the scorching sun .
Our longtime garden columnist , Gerald Filipski , offers a quote from Albert Camus , “ Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower .”
news & views AUTUMN 2022 | 21