container plants-winter care

[marcin esparza]

Hello, i have a question about rooftop and terrace gardens. During the winter, snow and just cold temperatures effect plants. What should i do to protect container perennial plants during the winter season? can i use some type of protective covering over the containers? If so what can i use? or what else can be done so the perennials grow back stronger than ever during the spring season?

[Les Ballard]

If you do not know much about an area’s environment or a subject yourself it may be an idea to pencil your idea into a sketch then seek help from someone who does know stuff. A gardener would say you can remove whole trees if you have storage, leave them out in all weathers if roots are protected from frost and you can protect foliage with fleece and other stuff if weather is worse than planned if someone can take responsibility. Don’t cry too much if plans are thwarted due to impracticality or cost but it is probably more important to put a good idea forward than be reticent.  No-one has ever been accused of genius by being unoriginal.  

[Rob Halpern]

So much depends on the details: what is the winter like there? (Where?)

Is the spot particularly windy?

Are the containers large enough to include insulation (if temperatures get especially low)?

Can the containers be moved easily so they may be clustered together as part of a protection protocol?

Are the perennials especially hardy species (and cv.s or marginal)?

The approach to take for a marginal plant in Sacramento is not the same as what you’d do for a hardy plant in Chicago

[david j bockman]

Presuming your location experiences significant (more than 1 or 2) freeze/thaw cycles over winter, perennials and trees/shrubs need root protection at a minimum, and also anti-dessication measures if conditions are really bad.

I’ve used large bubble-wrap around big pots/containers, followed by aesthetically-pleasing wraps of either burlap or duck cloth and twine.Make sure the bottom of the container is up off the deck and insulated also, I use either closed-cell foam or blueboard. It can’t affect drainage either.

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