Winter’s Coming and It’s Time to Winterizing Your Container Herbs
Welcome Back! I have some new information for you about your container herbs. Don't forget to check out the new poster page.
Like most people today, you might have your herbs growing in containers because you lack room in your apartment or condo. With the onset of winter, it’s time to either bring them indoors or winterize them outdoors.
The decision to bring them in or leave them outdoors is a quandary (cool word, huh?) because of the pros and cons of growing herbs in containers.
If you leave them outdoors, they may die by wind, rain and the cold. Very few herbs like the cold and many still die if left outside to the ravages of winter. So what can you do to for your container herb over the winter?
You can bring them indoors but most herbs will wither and die from lack of sunlight and grow light cost money to run. You have to leave the lights on at least 8 to 12 hours a day. A nice windowsill that gets mostly sun throughout the day is a good place for them to winter over. But what if you don’t have a nice sunny windowsill?
There are several ways to winter over your container herbs that don’t require you to bring them indoors. You probably don’t have the room anyway. Use one of the following and your herbs will be set for spring!
The first type of winterizing is using cardboard boxes. Take two, one that fits inside the other or a box such as printer paper box. The box printer paper comes with a nice lid on it and is perfect for winterizing your container herbs. You can usually ask Office Depot or other paper supply companies for their boxes. They’ll give them freely, well, most of them do.
Put your container in the box and pack it with newspaper to keep it from the harsh winter. Of course, you’ll have to take the lid off every day and replace it at night but it will protect your herbs.
Mini Greenhouse
Another way is to build a mini greenhouse to protect your precious herbs for the winter. The advantage of a mini greenhouse is you can use them for years before you have to build another one. Also, you don’t have to put in on and take it off everyday like the cardboard box.
The disadvantage is you may not have anywhere to store it when you’re not using the mini greenhouse. But you can build it with that thought in mind and build in a hanger unit to hang from your balcony or the side of your apartment wall (outside).
Inside Mini Greenhouse
To build a mini greenhouse you need some heavy white plastic, slates of wood and a stapler or hammer and nails. A stapler is better but you can also use slates of wood.
Cut the wood the size of your container and plant. If your container is two feet tall and one foot wide then cut the slates three feet tall by two feet wide. This will give you ample room if you have to pack the plant with newspaper or old towels or blankets to protect them.
Stapled Corners
As you can see from the picture, my mini greenhouse is for my smaller container herbs but they can be made into any size you want.
Also, I add some bricks or rocks in the box with newspaper and the mini greenhouse. It helps retain the heat of the day, such as it is in the wintertime.
There you have two ways to winter over your container herbs. This method works very well for me and I hope this help those of you who don’t want to loose your herbs during the winter.
Here’s a short list of herbs that winter over very well with these two methods:
Parsley
Rosemary
Thyme
Chives
Sage
Oregano
Keeping your container herbs outside may be a little more work, but it’s an excellent way to save both plants and money from year to year. Don’t forget you can also take cuttings before winter sets in and hold them for spring.
Let me know how well it works for you by leaving a comment below. And don’t forget to let others know these little tips. Share with your favorite social network…
