How to Winterize Self-Watering Planters
Fall is here and winter isn’t far behind! Here’s what to do with your self-watering planters to ensure they are in tip-top condition for next growing season.
Move it Inside, if You Can
If you have a plant growing in your self-watering container that you’d like to keep over the winter, simply move the planter indoors before the temperature outside drops below freezing. Make sure that you take note of how much light the planter was getting outdoors and choose a location in your home that gets a similar amount of light to keep your plants healthy.
If You Can’t Move it in for the Winter, Follow These Steps
If you don’t have the space to move your planter inside for the winter or your plants are annuals that have finished growing, follow these steps to care for and store your self-watering planters over the winter.
Drain Your Planter
Drain all of the water out of your planter. Depending on the type of planter you have, do this by tipping the planter on its side to drain or pumping water out through the fill port, or if your planter has a bottom drain plug, remove that and allow the water to flow out.
Remove Soil
Make sure that you remove all of the soil from the planter. If you want to reuse your soil, you can throw it in your garden or add it to a bag of potting soil for next year. Otherwise, you can simply toss it in the compost.
Clean (optional)
Rinse your planter out thoroughly with a hose, then give it a gentle scrub with a sponge to get rid of any lingering grime.
Store
Store your planters somewhere dry for the winter, such as in your garage, garden shed, or basement.
If You Would like a Christmas or Holiday Planter Arrangement, Follow These Steps
Drain Your Planter
Drain the water out of your planter. Depending on the type of planter you have, do this by tipping the planter on its side to drain or pumping water out through the fill port, or if your planter has a bottom drain plug, remove that and allow the water to flow out. No need to worry if there is a little bit of water or moisture left inside the planter. To create a base to hold decorative items in your holiday arrangement, you can use the soil inside the planter which will solidify in freezing temperatures or you can use floral foam.
For outdoor use, it’s best that these planters are placed under a covered porch or awning.
Below are some decorative material ideas to create your own Christmas plant arrangement;
- Floral Foam
- Birch logs
- Cedar boughs
- Pine boughs
- spruce boughs
- Pine cones
- Winterberry
- Decorative twigs
- Ornaments
- Dried leaves
Summer gardening season may have come to an end, but there are many ways to garden indoors and create stunning outdoor Christmas holiday planter arrangements! It’s also a great time to plan for next year! Check out our wide variety of planters, rain barrels, decor, composters, and more.