| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| • Start winterizing in early fall, before the first hard frost, so tender plants and irrigation lines stay protected. • Mulching is one of the most impactful winterization tasks, as a 2- to 3-inch layer insulates soil temperature and suppresses spring weeds. • Remove all plant debris and weeds from garden beds before winter to prevent pests and disease from overwintering. |
Winterizing your garden is an integral part of preparing your vegetables, flowers, and shrubs for the next growing season. A sudden temperature drop can damage or kill tender plants, so it pays to prepare before cold weather arrives.
These steps, along with tips from gardening experts, cover the proper timing, cleanup, and protective measures your garden needs to survive the winter.
Winterizing requires the right timing, proper cleanup, and protective measures to ensure your plants survive the cold. If you’d rather skip the chilly yard work, hire one of LawnStarter’s local pros for fall cleanup services to take winter prep off your plate.
12 Steps to Winterize Your Garden
Winterizing your garden means protecting plants from cold, clearing out debris, and setting your soil up for a strong spring. (Don’t forget to winterize your lawn, too.)
Start in early fall, ideally 4 to 6 weeks before your first frost date, so your tender plants, irrigation lines, and garden beds are all covered before the freeze arrives.
1. Know Your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
Before you winterize, consult the updated hardiness zone map (now built on data from 13,412 weather stations) to find out which USDA zone you’re in. It determines everything from which bulbs to dig up to whether your shrubs need burlap wrapping.
If you’re in Zones 4 to 6, expect to do the full checklist. Gardeners in Zones 7 to 9 can often skip a few of the more protective steps.
The USDA determines plant hardiness zones by calculating the average annual extreme minimum temperature over the past 30 years. Your zone tells you how cold it typically gets. Think of it as a starting point, not a guarantee.
See Related: How to Use the Updated and Warmer USDA Hardiness Zone Map
2. Harvest and Store Your Vegetables and Herbs
Root vegetables: Before clearing out your beds, do a final harvest pass. Root vegetables like carrots and beets can tolerate a frost (around 28 to 32 degrees), but pull them before the ground freezes solid.
Herbs: Cut back woody perennial herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme to about one-third their height. Tender herbs like basil won’t survive any frost, so pot them up and bring them to a sunny windowsill.
For the vegetable beds, remove all spent vines, stalks, and any rotting produce, which can harbor fungal disease and overwintering pests.
3. Give Your Plants a Good Watering
Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil. A deep watering before the freeze helps prevent winter desiccation and gives your plants’ roots a protective buffer.
Once your garden is dormant, water deeply every few weeks on warmer days (above 40 degrees). Skip watering when temperatures are near or below freezing.
4. Remove Annual Vegetables and Flowers
Annual flowers like marigolds and petunias won’t return next spring, and neither will vegetables like tomatoes and radishes. Flowering perennials like hydrangeas and daylilies typically return for many growing seasons without replanting.
While you may want to skip removing spent plants, leaving debris invites pests and disease. Many bacteria and pest eggs overwinter in debris and will attack healthy plants come spring. Clean up all plant debris in your flower beds.
5. Pull Weeds
Weeds that survive winter drop seeds and re-emerge stronger in spring, and many harbor pest eggs and fungal spores. Pull them now while the ground is still workable, roots and all.
See Related: How Much Does Flower Bed Weeding Cost?
6. Bring Your Tender Plants Inside
Hardy plants that can stay outside: Winter flowers like English primrose, violas, and camellia handle cold well. Most root vegetables are frost-tolerant, but leave them in the ground only if your soil won’t freeze solid (generally Zones 6 and warmer).
“Hardy perennials should not need much in the way of protection. They go dormant and their crowns and roots remain protected,” says Laura Deeter, professor of practice in horticulture and crop science at Ohio State University.
Tender plants to bring inside: Outdoor potted plants like succulents and tender bulbs need protection. A frost or sudden temperature drop can easily shock and kill these plants.
Deeter takes a practical approach: “Tender perennials can either be dug and composted, or simply left to decompose through the fall and winter.”
How to store bulbs: Dig up tender bulbs like dahlias, cannas, and gladioli in areas with freezing winters. Dry them in a cool, ventilated space, then pack in mesh bags or cardboard boxes with newspaper or dry peat moss between layers to prevent rot.
7. Divide Your Perennials
Fall is ideal for dividing perennials because the soil is still workable and plants are heading into dormancy. Gently dig up the parent clump and separate the plant by teasing roots apart, cutting with a sharp knife, or prying apart with two garden forks.
Each division needs roots and at least one healthy shoot to survive.
8. Cull Your Compost Pile
Even the compost pile needs tending before the first frost. Sprinkle the decomposed material over your flower beds and gardens to replenish nutrients and boost soil water holding capacity by up to 2.5 times.
This also creates more room in the compost bin for autumn debris.
See Related: What Can You Put in a Compost Bin?
9. Insulate with Mulch (and Put Those Fallen Leaves to Work)
Why it matters: Mulch buffers soil against swings of up to 21 degrees, preventing the freeze-thaw cycles that crack roots and heave bulbs out of the ground. Without it, a warm January spell can trick dormant roots into pushing new growth, then a hard freeze kills it overnight.
“I will often blow my leaves into the garden, and that can provide an additional layer of protection and organic matter,” Deeter says.
Best materials: Wood chips and shredded bark insulate well and suppress weeds. Fallen leaves work just as well, and are Deeter’s favorite mulch to use.
“It’s free, decomposes easily, and adds organic matter to the soil. Anything that hasn’t decomposed in the spring can be moved to the compost pile to add as organic matter later,” she says.
How much to apply: A 2- to 3-inch layer does the job. Bagged mulch costs $3.25 to $6.50 per bag, or hire a pro for $77 to $94 per cubic yard installed.
Raised beds need extra care: They lose heat faster since they’re exposed on all sides. Topdress with 2 to 3 inches of compost, then add mulch on top. The compost feeds the soil while the mulch insulates it.
See Related: Types of Mulch: How to Choose the Right One for Your Landscape
10. Cover Your Vulnerable Plants
Give new plants a sheltered covering for protection from snowfalls, frosts, and cold weather. Landscape fabric, bed sheets, and tablecloths all make great covers. Remember to remove coverings when the frost threat has passed so plants get enough light.
If you’re growing cold-hardy vegetables like kale, lettuce, and carrots for winter harvesting, set up row covers, a cold frame, or mini-greenhouse now. For establishing shrubs and small trees, cover with burlap or landscape fabric during temporary freezes to prevent winter burn and wind stress.
11. Drain Your Irrigation System
Shut off your irrigation system before temperatures drop below freezing. Frozen pipes mean costly repairs. The cost to winterize a sprinkler system is between $59 and $144.
If you have a garden pond, things might be a bit more tricky. “Ponds with fish will need to maintain a small patch of surface water (don’t let it freeze over all the way) for oxygen exchange. A small, floating heater can help with this in areas with very cold winters,” Deeter says.
If you’re unsure of the best winterization strategy for your pond, consider speaking with a professional to ensure your pipes and your fish make it through the winter unscathed.
12. Clean Your Tools and Store Garden Structures
Dirty tools spread plant disease; dull tools make every chore harder. Scrub metal blades with soapy water, dry completely, then rub with a light coat of mineral oil to prevent rust. Sharpen blades on hoes and spades with a file.
Gather tomato cages, plant supports, and garden ornaments and store them in the shed or garage.
Expert Tip: Keep a Visual Garden Journal
Take photos of your garden throughout the growing season so you can remember what flourished, when different plants bloomed, and what may need to be changed next year.
“When the weather is dreary and gray, and you are positive the sun will never come out again — I’m looking at you, February — I like to open my gardening books, my seed catalogs, dig out my gardening journal, and begin planning my plantings for the spring,” says Danesha Seth Carley, associate professor of horticultural science at North Carolina State University.
“Having photos of my garden throughout the past year helps me remember what worked, when things bloomed, and where things needed to be adjusted,” she says.
All the chores we listed are necessary, but that’s not where the joy of gardening is. “Reviewing what’s gone well, and where the new season might take me gives me life,” Carley says.
Common Winterizing Mistakes to Avoid
Two common fall habits can undo all your winterizing work. Here’s what to skip before the first frost hits.
| Mistake | Why It’s Harmful | What to Do Instead |
| Fertilizing in late fall | Triggers vulnerable new growth before frost | Add compost or mulch instead |
| Pruning trees and shrubs | Creates wounds and stimulates new growth | Wait until late winter or early spring |
Late Fall Fertilizing
Applying fertilizer right before winter encourages new, tender growth that won’t harden off before the first freeze. Instead, add organic matter like compost or mulch to your beds. These break down slowly over winter, enriching the soil without triggering vulnerable new growth.
Fall Pruning of Trees and Shrubs
It’s tempting to tidy up shrubs and trees while you’re clearing the garden, but resist the urge. Fall pruning stimulates tender growth that can’t harden off before freezing, and open wounds make plants vulnerable to winter disease. Wait until late winter or early spring for heavy pruning.
“Don’t clean the stems until spring growth appears. This is beneficial for many pollinators and other native beneficial insects as well as small mammals,” Deeter says.
FAQs
Yes. Fall is a good time to test soil because you can address pH and nutrient issues before spring planting. Use a local Extension or at-home kit, then apply recommended amendments. Avoid heavy fertilizing right before freezes, but you can topdress with compost to improve structure.
See Related:
• 9 Reasons Why Soil Testing Is Important for the Lawn
• How to Use a Soil Test Kit
Yes. In many regions, fall is a great time to plant garlic, spring-blooming bulbs, and some shrubs and trees, since roots can establish in cool soil. Water well before the ground freezes, then mulch to stabilize soil temperature and reduce heaving during freeze-thaw cycles.
Yes. Containers freeze faster than in-ground beds, so move tender plants indoors and group hardy pots in a sheltered spot. Insulate containers with burlap or bubble wrap, then mulch the surface. Water lightly on warmer winter days so roots do not dry out completely.
Let LawnStarter Help Winterize Your Garden
Winterizing your garden takes time, effort, and a solid understanding of what your specific plants need. If you’re short on time or want to make sure the job is done right, let the pros handle it.
Hire one of LawnStarter’s local landscaping professionals to take care of your winter prep. From cleaning up your yard to mulching beds to draining irrigation systems, our pros will ensure your yard is ready for the freeze.
Main Image: A frost-covered red flower bud droops under a coating of delicate ice crystals on a cold winter morning. Photo Credit: Manfred Richter / Pixabay
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