How to Preserve Clay Pots from Winter Freezing

Clay containers usually do not overwinter in the landscape or garden very well. Often by spring, either the bottom of the pot ends up shattered or even the sides begin to peel away into flakes. Most clay pots seldom last past three years in the landscape or garden if no care is taken to preserve them.

This article will focus on how to preserve or save on clay pots used in the garden or landscape. The clay pots can be used for annuals, emptied and taken inside. Clay pots that are used for perennials can also be preserved through proper care.

Clay pots that have annuals in them are the easiest to preserve. After the annuals die from the October frosts but before the ground freezes, take the soil and remove the soil from the clay pots. If you want to save the soil for the following year, put the soil in a plastic container. You can also store the soil on a tarp or in a bin. Clean the remaining soil from the garden pots with a brush, and then store the garden pots upside down, preferably in a shed or under a porch where they will be dry and protected from the elements. When water gets into the clay and freezes, it is the freezing action of the water that causes the clay pot to "shred" into a lot of tiny pieces or peel off in layers.

If the clay pot is used for perennials, you always have the option of taking the perennials out from the clay pot in October. You have the option of either planting the perennials in a permanent garden location or temporarily planting them in the ground for the winter with the intent of putting them back in the clay pots in spring. In most cases, perennials tend to multiply and get crowded in the clay pot, so permanently planting the perennial into the perennial garden and taking a division of the perennial for the clay pot the following spring is usually the best option. Should the perennial be temporarily planted, it should not be too big for the pot and needs to be dug in spring lest it become a permanent perennial.

Should the perennial remain in the garden pot during the winter, take the pot and elevate it from the ground with a couple pieces of wood in order to improve the drainage as well as keep the bottom of the pot from direct contact with the ground. If there is a saucer, it is a good idea to remove the saucer and store the saucer in a dry location. The pots can also be moved to a location under a porch to protect them from standing water in the pot and from snow or ice. The only problem with this is that the plant needs to be checked for drying out on warm days.

There is a third option as well. The perennial can be removed from the clay pot and placed in a plastic pot of equal size assuming the roots hold together well. This only makes sense in places where planting the perennial for the winter is not possible.