Your beautiful green garden reflects your passion for plants. Plants are like your children to you. You love them, rejoice with them as they grow, and are hurt when they are hurt. When a beloved plant leaves you for good, your eyes well up with tears.
Such is the depth of your affection for your green relatives. When you are also extremely protective of non-living things, this love for your living plants is natural. Some of you even consider your motorcycle to be alive, renewing your motorcycle insurance as soon as it expires to ensure that your ride is protected.
How can you see your beloved garden plants in pain when you have such a sensitive heart? After all, they care about you and help to improve your home’s air quality.
You may be concerned about your garden every year as winter approaches. When you make all of the preparations to keep your loved ones safe from purchasing cold-weather clothing, installing heaters, and so on, you may wonder if you can do the same for your plants.
“Dear guardian, we feel too cold in the winter,” they whispered in your ear. We’ll go over some simple but effective ways to keep your garden safe this winter.
5 Practical Ways to Protect Your Garden Plants from the Bitter Cold:
Keep Your Plants Healthy and Well-Nurtured During the Summer and Spring:
The best way to protect your plants in the winter, according to horticulturists at the University of Georgia Extension, is to ensure that they are healthy and well-nurtured in the summer and spring. Plants are living beings with a physical body. They have health issues as well, which you must address.
They will emerge as strong, healthy plants if you make every effort to keep them in good health during the summer and spring seasons. To help them get the nutrients they require, follow a home composting guide.
Plants that are strong can withstand winter cold better than those that are weak. Now comes the question of how to keep your plants healthy. The solution is to return to the basics.
Water them regularly, give them plenty of sunlight, and keep pests and rodents at bay. These are the foundations of plant health. You should also hire a gardener to come to your garden on a regular basis and do whatever is necessary to keep your plants healthy.
They may apply manure, fertilizer, or detect an ailing plant and take appropriate action to restore its health.
Tender Plants Wrapped:
To keep warm during the winter, we dress in woollen clothing. Although your garden plants are unable to wear woolens, you can wrap tender plants to keep them warm during the winter. Tender plants include the banana plant, tree fern, and Ficus carica, among others.
You can also choose from a variety of plant covers, but make sure to remove them as soon as the weather becomes more temperate. Let us now look at the various types of plant coverings:
Plant covers of various types:
Burlap:
Burlap is a natural fiber that can be used to cover moderately hardy plants for the winter. It has the ability to protect shrubs and trees. To use this natural fiber to comfort your plants, simply wrap it around them loosely. Burlap, however, can break your plants if it becomes wet and heavy.
To avoid this, make a tepee out of stakes and wrap burlap around it. After that, use twine to secure it. This will protect your plants from any damage caused by the burlap covering.
Plastic:
Plastics can be useful, but they should be avoided because they do not breathe. They can trap moisture, which can harm your plants and, in extreme cases, kill them.
If you don’t have any other options at the time, you can use plastic as a last resort, but remember to remove it first thing in the morning. This is critical for your green family’s health and longevity.
Polypropylene Fleece or Polypropylene:
Propylene or propylene fleece is one of the best winter comfort covers for plants because it is lightweight and breathable. It also allows some light in, adding to its benefits. They are easily obtained from a garden supply store.
Invest in a Greenhouse:
For your green family, a greenhouse can be the ideal winter home. Glass or clear plastic are used in its construction. When sunlight enters the greenhouse, it is absorbed by plants and other opaque materials, converting it to heat. Heat cannot escape a greenhouse because the material is insulating.
As a result, the surface of the greenhouse and the air inside it warm up, keeping your green family healthy and happy even during the coldest winter months. As a result, you can purchase a greenhouse to protect your garden plants from the cold.
However, before storing your plants in it, make sure there are no loose windows. Plants also require good air circulation within the greenhouse. Also, keep in mind that while the greenhouse can provide light and heat for your plants, you are still responsible for watering and nurturing them.
Even in the winter, plants require small amounts of water to survive. So, at all costs, remember to water your plants. Plants that are well-watered and pruned are less likely to catch fire.
Purchase cold frames or cloches:
A cloche is essentially a miniature greenhouse. It’s a small glass cover that you can use to protect your garden plants from frost, storms, and hail. Cloches are great because they can be moved around your garden. A cloche can protect a single plant or multiple plants, depending on its design and size.
Depending on your design preferences, plant size, and location, you can choose the best cloches for your garden. Because cloches are typically small, a cold frame is a better option if you have a large garden.
A cold frame is a clear outdoor frame that shields your plants from the elements. It also functions as a mini greenhouse. A cold frame, unlike a cloche, has a cuboidal shape. It’s also portable, which is a plus.
Furthermore, you can construct your own cold frame. Obtain the necessary raw materials, use your imagination, and construct your own custom cold frame for your green family. Plants have feelings, too, despite their inability to express them.
I’m sure your garden plants will appreciate the warmth of a home made with love.
Bring Indoors Your Garden Plants:
Plants in pots can be moved indoors to a warmer location. It’s a difficult task, but when you have to do it, all you have to do is make a perfect cup of coffee, enjoy it, boost your energy, and get to work. After all, your plants will be delighted with the pleasant change, and your presence will bring them great pleasure.
Keep them indoors near a window for best results, where they can receive sunlight whenever the sun shines brightly. If your house does not receive enough sunlight for your plants to thrive indoors, bring them in at night and place them outside when the sun shines. This will prevent your plants from dying from a lack of sunlight.
Some plants, such as the broadleaf palm, snake plant, and ficus, can thrive indoors without direct sunlight. You don’t have to be concerned about letting them in. Additionally, if you’re unsure whether a plant will thrive without direct sunlight, you can look up its requirements online.
If a plant requires a lot of direct sunlight, you can try other methods to protect it from harsh winters.
Most plants are sensitive to cold. Winters are too harsh for them. As a result, it’s critical that you take concrete steps to protect your green family from the cold. Keeping your garden plants warm can be as simple as purchasing a greenhouse, building a cold frame, or bringing them inside.