How To Winterize Plants

written by Gabrielle Smith

With winter around the corner, it's important you know how to winterize your plants. For gardeners and plant enthusiasts alike, it is essential to find simple and effective ways to winterize your plants and store outdoor plants for the winter, in order to protect them from potential snow and freezing temperatures. Below are some proven and easy ways to ensure your plants are protected throughout the cold winter months:

1. Lay Down Some Mulch 

Protect your plant's roots with a layer of mulch. Mulching can be purchased easily at most local hardware stores and serves as insulation for the root system as well as provides extra nutrients for the plant.

2. Plant Flowering Bulbs 

Make sure to plant your flowering bulbs! Using the Flora App, you can search for flowering plants such as tulips and daffodils to find all the details you need on how to ensure your flowering plants are healthy and blooming once spring comes along. 

3. Try Grow Lights 

An essential item for plant lovers to survive the winter months is grow lights. Grow lights provide much needed sunshine for any outdoor plants that have been brought in for the season. During the darker winter months where light from the sun is scarce, LED lights and even basic T5 fluorescent lights will work perfectly to ensure your plants are getting the correct amount of light to flourish. An important thing to keep in mind is ensuring your plants humidity level does not become too low due to indoor heating and furnaces. In order to protect your plants from low humidity, make sure they are as far away as possible from heaters and furnaces. 

4. Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate!

Keep your plants hydrated in the fall to help them survive the winter months! With colder winter temperatures, your plants will go into dormancy and therefore require less water. Although less water is required, it is still recommended to water your plants a few times a month. A pro tip for watering smaller plants during the winter months is to water the plant as close to the roots as possible, checking that the soil does not become too soggy and cause potential suffocation of the roots. A perfect way to ensure your plants are properly hydrated throughout the winter is through the Flora Pod. The Flora app will send you an alert directly to your phone letting you know when your plant is in need of more water or if it has plenty already!