After you have brought your tropicals and houseplants inside and finished winterizing your outdoor garden, it is time to make sure your outdoor pottery and ceramics are protected from the elements.
With most tropicals and potted plants that spend the warmer months outside, when the temperature drops past the frost point you simply bring your pots and plants inside.
However, sometimes the pots are either too large or heavy to come inside or just not practical. In those instances, you will want to make sure you properly protect your pots, especially terracotta ones from cold weather damage.
Concrete and plastic pots should be able to winter outside without additional precautions. For porous pots like terra cotta and ceramic pots, you will want to protect them from cracking or damage by extreme weather or humidity changes.
If possible, raise the pots onto shims which will allow any water still in the soil or the pots to drain out.
Cover the pots with black, dark, or thick plastic to keep the pots from absorbing any additional moisture from the rain or snow.
In the spring once past the point of extreme freezes, unwrap your pots and continue with your normal spring planting.
