Where Can the Hypertufa Go in Wintertime?

Where do you keep your outdoor hardy hypertufa troughs and bowls?

In the past, I have always just left them sitting where they had been all summer.  ( Of course, I am always moving things, but I mean in general.) For all my hardy succulents and sedum hypertufa planters,  I leave mine exposed to all elements, which is rain and snow and ice here is Ohio.

We have winters with almost no snow, and then winters with continuous snow cover. And sprinkled between, are rain and sleet.

This past fall, I carried all the movable ones, and some of them were not really movable, such as the huge fire pit saucer hypertufa which I made during the summer of 2013.

It is the one pictured here. Moving it was a real struggle, and I will not try that again. My husband will demand we put it in place and never move it again!

Now that it is getting springtime weather, I am re-evaluating whether or not I felt it was better for the hypertufa planters to be protected from winter wetness, or to just be exposed to any water or snow which occurred.

My conclusion is leave them exposed. The hypertufa was just fine in the snow and ice and the plants inside seemed better off for the exposure. Bright colors and tight growth were especially apparent.

I really feel that the ones left out in the weather seem healthier and more hydrated. I did water the ones up under the deck when we got a little warm spell. But I had to be careful and not have them wet and frozen.

So it wasn’t “nature” making the decision, it was myself. In the future, I will just let nature decide how and when on the water in winter. I will leave them out where snow can cover them. And none of them cracked due to snow and ice.

And it saves so much work!

What do you do with your bowls and troughs in winter? Have you done any experimenting?