Keeping Outdoor Potted Plants Safe Over Winter (flower, spider, growing)

[PhinneyWalker]

I have several pots of mini roses that I keep outside all year. I let them sit on top of the soil in the garden beds, and the warmth coming up from the earth was enough to see them through the last few Winters, even Winter before last which broke all sorts of records here. This year, however, I have moved into a tiny apartment. I no longer have garden beds, but I have a balcony which is cement/concrete. I am worried how they will fare out there without the earth's natural warmth coming up through the soil. Any recommendations other than to bring them indoors? There really is no room indoors unfortunately. It is just a one room apartment.

[Zoisite]

There's a variety of things you can do to protect them on the balcony depending on the specifics of the plants and the balcony dimensions. If you've had them for years they likely won't do well indoors anyway, I've found they tend to become too susceptible to spider mites floating in the air when put into such a dry, warm, foreign environment after repeated years spent outdoors year round. But first things first in order of priority, provide me with a picture to see in my mind's eye or else post photographs of the roses as and where they are right now on the balcony.

Exactly how many is "several" pots of mini roses?

What average size are the plants in height and width above the soil line?

What size is each of the pots they're in - depth and width?

How long ago did you last prune them back severely, if ever?

Have they dropped all of their leaves for winter in preparation for winter dormancy or do they customarily keep most of their leaves evergreen through winter in your climate?

What is your growing zone?

Does any part of the balcony get exposure to direct sunlight at any time of the day?

Assuming there is a railing or privacy fence around the balcony, how high is the railing/fence?

Is the balcony covered? Does it have 3 walls, 2 walls or just 1 wall (the door to inside the apartment).

What floor are you on - ground level, 2nd or 3rd storey or higher?

Is there an electrical outlet outside on the balcony wall?

What are the exact dimensions of the balcony floor space - width and length?

.

[grampaTom]

You can wrap the pots in bubble wrap and set them on a piece of styrofoam. Also mulch the soil a couple of inches.

[gentlearts]

Perhaps nestle the pots in a bale of straw?

[luv4horses]

If your balcony faces southwest the afternoon sun will warm the side of the building and reradiate some of that heat somewhat at night so keeping the pots close to the living room wall helps.

However, wind is cooling so being out of the wind is best.

[Hemlock140]

We have gotten down as low as 10F and my potted mini rose has done fine, it's blooming now despite being as low as 27F in the last week. It sits on a concrete patio, out in the middle. I have some other plants that are less hardy like Geraniums on the front porch, and those come in when below 30. I just lay down a plastic tarp in the entry so not too far to move them.

You might be able to do the same, bring them in from the balcony when it's expected to go below about 25F. If it doesn't get that cold there, I wouldn't worry about it. You didn't give you USDA Hardiness zone, ours is 8b.

[NORTY FLATZ]

One nice thing about plants that are potted, is that they can be moved around, with the help of casters. Move them into the sun? Easy. Move into the shade? Easy.
A warmer OR colder area? Easy. A wetter or dryer area? You betcha. Just roll ‘em where ever you want them.

Since this is a thread, focused on minimizing cold exposure, some houses have heater vents that blow warm air outside. It seems to me that this could reduce cold exposure damage to some plants.

[mojo101]

question-
I have an Aloe Vera plant which has grown HUGE outdoor in a large flower pot,it cant come indoor,so what should I do?
Can I cover it with clear plastic film?
itwould be difficult to move it,may be the garage?

[twinkletwinkle22]

There are ready-made plastic covered frames to protect plants, mini-greenhouses in other words. They come in all sizes on Amazon.

Also putting styrofoam block under the bottom of the pot will keep the roots from freezing because the root zone allows the plant to come back in the spring.

Someone living in very cold climate or on shady side of building might consider a stronger greenhouse, maybe clear acrylic or even glass.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by mojo101

question-
I have an Aloe Vera plant which has grown HUGE outdoor in a large flower pot,it cant come indoor,so what should I do?
Can I cover it with clear plastic film?
itwould be difficult to move it,may be the garage?

How cold does it get in the garage? It would be an improvement, but they cannot tolerate 25ºF or -4ºC for more than an hour or two. If you have the furnace in the garage, bring it in and put it near the furnace where it might get a bit of "second hand" heat. If it has to stay outside, put an empty carboard box upside-down over it, then a blanket over that and a couple of rocks or bricks on that at night. Remove once it warms up during the day so it gets light and air. If it stays below 25 all day leave it covered but uncover as soon as you can, within at least 3-4 days.