Just like you need warm clothes during winter, plants need some protection in winter too, particularly the ornamental ones which aren't local to Indian weather conditions or those that are traditionally found in warmer climates. So here are some tips to get your precious fauna protected against the chilling winters.


Build a shed
Do you have enough space in your garage? Perhaps you can make some space on your porch? Try to find a little space where you can put up a temporary (well, it is going to be around until March), shed. Buy potters and planters and move your ornamentals indoors and out of the cold.


Get the drainage right
Winter may be cold but nevertheless plants need water especially more so in winters when they lose moisture and water though the leaves. Make sure you have got the drainage right and keep watering the plants regularly. Also, if you bought potters and planters then be sure to set up the drainage right in your temporary shed. A good trick is to place the pots and planters on a slant where the excess water will drain out naturally.


Cover up the roots
Remember the warm clothes we mentioned at the beginning? Plants need them too. Cold weather is harsh on the roots and of the temperature drops too much the roots will be the first to get affected. Gather coconut husk, dried leaves and mulch (bits of wood and twigs) and place them in and around the root area. This will keep the roots warm and protected no matter how cold it gets.


Prune and trim down the excess
In winters plants have to work extra hard to make food. With little sunshine and harsh conditions the food preparing mechanism of plants take a hit and so there is no point in keeping excess leaves and twigs to increase the overhead of providing food for all of that. Make it easy on your precious plants by pruning down drying or sick leaves and excess twigs and branches that doesn't need to be on the plant.


Get in touch with a nursery
In case you tried all of the above and still haven't been able to figure out the best way to protect your plants, we suggest you talk to somebody at a nursery in your locality. They will have helped people just like you to figure out the right way to care for plants and they will be happy to help you too.