Take care of your terracotta pots
Take care of your terracotta pots this winter and they'll last you for many, many years. Garden centers sell handsome clay planters to suit a range of styles, from beautifully ornate traditional vases and urns to pared-down models with clean lines and understated chic.
5 point care plan
All are frost-proof and will get through the winter without shattering in the cold – but to extend their life as much as possible, follow our five-point care plan:
- Empty containers wherever possible as sodden compost expands when it freezes and can crack even the most frost-proof of pots.
- Move containers to a sheltered spot by the house as these areas are slightly warmer and less vulnerable to hard frosts.
- Stand permanent containers on pot feet – you'll find these in garden centers. Raising containers off the ground means excess winter rain can drain away.
- Tip containers of bulbs over on their sides over winter so water doesn't collect inside and rot the bulbs. Stand them back upright just as green shoots start appearing.
- Wrap in layers of hessian or bubblewrap to prevent roots freezing inside the pot. A layer of straw between pot and bubblewrap allows air to circulate, too.
