Caring for Winter Containers

Welcome to my first ‘Garden Ramblings’ of the year.  I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year and are looking ahead to an exciting new gardening year.
I thought I might share some tips on Caring for Winter Containers with you, hope you find them useful.

If there is one thing guaranteed to kill a plant and break a pot it has to be waterlogged, frozen compost.  Drainage is one of the most important things to consider for your winter containers.

Follow these simple steps for Perfect Pots and Cracking Containers!  (That’s ‘Cracking’ not ‘Cracked’)

• Purchase good quality frost proof pots and containers
• Check that they have sufficient drain holes in their bases
• Place plenty of broken crocks in the bottom of the container
• Use a good quality compost with up to 10% grit added
• Raise containers off the ground with either purpose made feet or stand them on bricks.  This allows the water to drain away from the base of the container
• Group containers close to the house in a sheltered spot with protection from wind and rain; check they’re not under leaky gutters or standing in puddles.
• Hanging basket need liners that allow good drainage, avoid moisture retaining summer version

• Keep watering to a minimum but that does not mean you can ignore your winter containers.  Even with the persistent rain we’ve experienced, it may not reach containers in the shelter of the house or it may be that the water cannot penetrate the foliage.  Check regularly to ensure they do not dry out.  Allow frozen compost to thaw before checking and watering if necessary.
• Avoid feeding your containers during winter as this will produce lots of sappy young growth which is susceptible to frost damage due to its high water content.  Imagine filling a delicate glass container with water and sealing it tightly then freezing it.  As the water freezes it expands and will shatter the container, that’s pretty much what happens to immature new plant cells.
• If it’s going to turn really nasty you may want to pop your hat and scarf on and nip outside to pop a fleece hat on the plant and bubble wrap scarf round the pot!
• Deadheading Pansies and other flowering plants regularly will prolong flowering, also remove any dead leaves particularly after a hard frost

I hope this helps to keep your winter containers happy and healthy from now until spring.