Make Use Of Old Tree Logs With A Must-Try Trick From Martha Stewart

As temperatures dip toward freezing, some potted plants can't handle the cold and either die off, like annuals, or can be overwintered indoors so they'll stay alive. Martha Stewart mentions a handy idea on her blog for overwintering potted plants: repurposing logs from old tree trunks as risers to hold up the vegetation she will overwinter in hoop houses. The logs of varying heights maximize storage space for numerous plants, allowing her to store them without any of them touching one another. Logs from recently downed trees work well, provided they're free of insects.

Overwintering is one way to protect geraniums during cold winter months so they'll bloom again next year. The method works with quite a few decorative plants, such as mandevilla, or even herbs like rosemary and parsley. Stewart says she has a sizable collection of tropical plants at her farm in Bedford, New York, and additional ones from her Maine home that also require overwintering. "It's a tedious process to put all these container plants away, but a very important one that helps keep my plants thriving," she states in the post.

Though she has enough plants to fill five hoop houses, they're all inspected before they're placed inside. This is a good practice even if you have just a few plants to overwinter, as basic plant maintenance can also be done at this time. 

Check all of your logs to make sure there are no termites or other pests. You should do this for your potted plants as well. Whether you're bringing everything into a sun room, the garage, or a greenhouse, you don't want any stowaway insects coming indoors during the process. Also, look over all of your plants, deadheading spent blooms and removing any dead parts using sanitized pruning shears. Here's how to correctly deadhead flowers. 

While you could overwinter your plants in a cool garage, you could also overwinter them in your home and treat them like houseplants, displaying them on the logs for rustic vibes. Space the tree chunks out a bit to make sure the plants don't touch one another, as they don't like it. Unlike children who are just annoyed when siblings touch them, plants that touch others can actually go into defensive mode, resulting in reduced growth, according to Stewart. They're also more likely to spread pests or diseases if they touch. Wherever you place the logs as risers, choose a space where they're not likely to get knocked over. 

If you have logs left over, or aren't sure what to do with them once spring arrives, this DIY mosaic adds visual interest to your garden.