How to Protect Plants With Styrofoam

Styrofoam insulates plants so that they are protected from the harmful winter elements. While you may be able to buy special Styrofoam items made to protect plants, you can also make Styrofoam structures at home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Surround Large Plants With Styrofoam

1. Find two pieces of tongue-and-groove Styrofoam. Cut them down to size if necessary. Position the two pieces over the plant like a tent and use bamboo garden stakes to join the top parts of the tent together. Stick more bamboo stakes into the bottom part of the tent to anchor it to the ground. This technique moderately protects plants.

2. Cut four pieces of tongue-and-groove Styrofoam to fit around the plant for more substantial protection. Surround the plant with the four pieces so that it forms a box-like structure. Anchor edges together and corners into the ground with bamboo stakes and wrap the box with packing tape.

3. Check the structures and plants daily to make sure they stay intact and healthy.

Use Styrofoam Coolers for Small or Medium Plants

4. Modify a basic Styrofoam cooler. Cut holes in the lid. These holes serve as drainage for the plant while it's inside the box.

5. Put the lid on the floor so that it's facing upwards. Layer it with pine needles.

6. Turn the Styrofoam box over and make holes in its bottom. Stick pine needles on the interior of the Styrofoam box's sides.

7. Place your plant's pot on the lid. Put the Styrofoam box's bottom over the potted plant so that it fits with its lid on the ground.

Tips & Warnings

• You may add an extra layer to your Styrofoam box by getting another Styrofoam box, completely cutting out its bottom and fitting it over the first Styrofoam box so that it hugs the first Styrofoam box's sides. Keep them together by using duct tape.
• You may want to decorate your Styrofoam box by pinning fake plants on its exterior so that others will know that a plant is inside.
• Tropical plants or other plants sensitive to low temperatures should always be brought inside if possible. Create Styrofoam protection as a last result if the plants can't be moved inside and kept in warmer temperatures.