Winter Garden Prep Keeps Your Landscape Healthy Throughout the Season—Here's How to Do It

Garden maintenance doesn't end when your fall plants fade and the first signs of winter arrive. There are a handful of tasks you need to complete in the meantime to prepare your landscape for colder temperatures. Not doing so can wreak havoc on your landscape, resulting in plant damage, soil erosion, and pest and disease infestations. To keep your landscape in optimal condition during the chilly months ahead, be sure to complete these essential winter garden preparation tasks.

Bring Houseplants Inside

If you live in a climate where temperatures drop below 42 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to bring houseplants inside before frost or freezing conditions arise. "Many plants do not like the cold and will start to suffer by dropping leaves or having burn-like edges on leaves," says Heather Sherwood, senior horticulturist at Chicago Botanic Garden.

Leave Plant Debris to Protect Your Garden's Ecosystem

While you should remove any weeds or diseased plants from your garden before winter, leaving some debris and dead plant matter behind has several benefits for the garden’s ecosystem. "It’s important that the ground isn’t bare over winter. Debris on the ground can prevent soil erosion by acting as a natural mulch to keep the soil in place and reduce the loss of valuable topsoil," says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed's  From Seed to Spoon app. "Dead plant material can give shelter and food to wildlife, supporting their diverse and resilient ecosystem." If you're not planting anything over the winter, leave fallen leaves and flower heads for birds, pollinators, and beneficial insects.

Sow a Cover Crop

If you do want to plant during winter, clean up the area and grow either cool-season crops or a cover crop. "A cover crop is a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice that can improve soil health and overall ecosystem resilience," says Spoonemore. "It has many benefits in preparing the ground for spring, preventing soil erosion, decreasing compaction, adding nutrients, reducing weeds, and feeding pollinators." Cover crops like hardy legumes (crimson clover, berseem clover, and hairy vetch) add organic matter to the soil and increase nitrogen. Additionally, certain grasses help improve compacted soil and are tolerant of cold temperatures.

Cut Back (Certain) Perennials

Only certain perennials should be cut back during winter. "I like to cut back perennials that are not winter persistent," says Sherwood. "If the perennial lays flat after a hard freeze, I remove the top growth down to the crown of the plant and add mulch before the snow flies. Removing the horizontal debris helps keep the garden looking fresh." On the other hand, there are some plants that can be left unpruned come winter, like evergreen perennials, ornamental grasses, and those with attractive seed heads, says Jim Putnam, plant expert for Southern Living Plant Collection.

Protect Tender Annuals

If you want to protect tender annuals during colder weather, you can move them indoors and cover them with burlap, frost cloth, or cloches, says Justin Hancock, horticulturist for Costa Farms. Alternatively, you can let annuals die with frost, as they're typically intended to be planted every year. If you go this route, collect seeds or cuttings before your annuals die so you can use them next season.

Mulch Your Plants

Mulch is an essential part of winter garden prep as it protects the roots of perennial plants, shrubs, and small trees during cold weather. When mulching around trees, be sure to leave some space around the base of your plants. “I like to mulch in the fall to prevent winter weeds from germinating, insulate the plants, and help retain moisture," says Putnam. "Organic materials such as fallen leaves from an oak tree can be distributed in a thin layer around plants and covered with a traditional mulch to make areas look more finished.”

Protect Roses From Cold Weather

If you have roses growing in your garden, protect them from hard winter climates by adding 2 to 3 inches of mulch, leaves, or pine around the base of the plant. "Additionally, consider wrapping the plant with burlap to prevent drying out. In spring, remove excess mulch and trim any dead or broken canes," says Kristen Pullen, woody ornamental portfolio manager for Star Roses and Plants.

For roses in containers, it’s best to leave the containers outside until the first few frosts, then bring them indoors and store them in a cool, dark area like a basement or garage, says Pullen. "Keep the containers indoors until the last frost has passed, checking periodically to ensure they don't dry out completely," she adds.

Dig Up Tender Bulbs

Some bulbs cannot withstand cold temperatures and must be dug up and stored indoors for winter. To do so, dig the tender bulbs out of the ground with a four-tine flat pitchfork following a hard frost. "The bulbs shut down naturally with the cooling temperatures and receive less damage with a flat tine pitchfork," says Sherwood. "After cleaning the bulbs of soil, pack them with crumpled newspaper and put them in a cool, dark place." Check on the bulbs every other week to make sure they don't have mold or fungus growing on them.

Protect Trees and Shrubs

If you have any trees or shrubs that are newly planted or aren't cold tolerant, they may benefit from being wrapped with burlap to protect them from extreme winter winds and temperatures. Additionally, if your plants are near walkways or roads where salt is used, consider using protective coverings to shield them from salt damage. If the ground is not frozen and your region experiences dry spells during winter, you must water evergreen shrubs and trees periodically. Don't prune or fertilize woody plants until late winter.

Clean Your Tools

While you should clean your gardening tools after every use, winter is a great time to give your tools extra care. "Winter is the best time to make sure everything is sharp and disinfected for the next season," says Sherwood. "It's ideal to do a full inventory, see if anything needs replacing or maybe upgrading."

Disconnect Your Garden Hose

Empty any outdoor hoses of water for the winter and store them out of the sunshine. "If water is left in a hose over the winter, it will gather in the lowest location and freeze, expanding the hard plastic and cracking the hose," says Sherwood. "The sun degradation also cracks hoses and after a season or two will create little holes in the hose."