How To Protect Tropical Plants In Winter

Tropical plants hold a sway over people because they are exotic and relatively easy to grow. Having tropical plants in a garden or terrace is not only an owner’s dream but it is also neighbors’ envy. Tropical plants are mostly ornamental garden plants with a few of them being fruit bearing ones. These plants thrive in hot weather as their natural habitat is around the equator. So, if you happen to grow tropical plants in places other than the equator then you will have to bestow enormous care on them. Most can survive the slight chill but in places where the winter is harsh, tropical plants must be protected in the same manner as you would protect a newborn child. Otherwise, the plants wouldn’t survive the cold. One good news is that, hundreds of years of cultivating tropical plants in other climes have resulted in hardy plants that require very little maintenance during the cold winter months. All that is required of such hardy plants is to grow them in containers and when winter comes, they should be brought indoors. To know more go through the article below for tips on protecting tropical plants during winter.

Protecting Tropical Plants In Winter

Indoor Plants

These plants should be placed in areas where they can get the sunlight but are still away from the outside air currents.
They should also be kept away from the radiators of the central heating system.
Since dryness affects the plants, the level of humidity in the house must be increased.
The plants must be frequently sprayed with tepid water.

Outdoor Plants

If the plants have been planted in flowerpots then they should be kept in protected places. However, they should not be in any enclosed spaces as frost tends to develop in stagnant air.
An ideal place is one, which is at a high place and is protected from the winter wind.
Tropical plants cannot resist the cold and so it is better to move them indoors, if possible.
For large flowerpots, which cannot be moved special care must be taken to protect the roots from freezing. You can cover the pots in sackcloths, bubble plastics, or coconut fiber. In addition, you can keep the medium sized pots inside bigger ones and stuff the space in between with straw. The leaves or flowers can be loosely wrapped in plastic foils using some supports so that the foil does not touch them.
If the plants are planted in soil then the first thing to do is to protect the roots from freezing. This can be done by adding mulch to the soil. Covering the soil with a 10 cm layer of insulating material like straw, leaves, and pine bark is also very effective.
The insulation of the ground must be carried out before the floor starts freezing over.
Medicinal plants must be planted in small containers so that they can be taken out to the sun during the day and brought back at night.
The plants can also be kept in the terrace because it is the sunniest place and they must be grouped together so that they can be covered in plastic during the night.
Tropical vegetables can be protected from the winter by covering them with a sheet of newspaper. The vegetable must be covered with the vegetable placed transversally with the tips buried in the soil.
For plants with evergreen foliage, it is important to protect them from the wind. The dry winter wind sucks the moisture from the leaves and the cold roots cannot provide the necessary moisture. To protect from the wind a wire cage must be built around the entire plant and a white plastic wrapped over it.
To protect the larger and tender tropical plants, the branches and the leaves should be tied with a strings or wires so that it is easy to cover the entire tree. The branches should be tied in such a way that they are held vertically. Now, wrap the plant in fleece or hessian and tie it with a string.

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