Winter Garden Care: What to Do, What to Leave and What to Protect

Winter garden care is about what to do, what to leave and what to protect, so plants and wildlife come through the cold.

Winter is the quietest season in the garden but not an idle one. The plants that matter most to protect are their roots, any evergreens facing drying winds and anything in a container. The jobs that make a difference are mulching, selective pruning, checking stored crops, caring for wildlife and tools, and planning the year ahead. This guide covers each of them, with timing expressed against your own frost dates so it works in any climate.

It belongs to the Seasonal Gardening guides and links with Autumn Garden Tasks, Frost Protection Methods and Planning for Next Year. Southern Hemisphere gardeners should shift the timing by roughly six months, so “midwinter” there falls in July.

Winter at a glance

Protect roots first

Winter damage to hardy plants is usually caused by roots that freeze, thaw and freeze again, which heaves plants out of the soil, rather than by cold air alone. A layer of organic mulch evens the soil temperature and reduces that cycle. Apply 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) of bark, leaf mould or compost after the soil has cooled and before the deepest freezes, keeping it 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) away from stems and trunks so it doesn’t hold moisture against the bark. See Mulching Mastery for materials and depths.

• Check new plants that were planted in autumn. If frost has lifted them, press the soil firmly around the roots.
• Cover tender perennials such as agapanthus, dahlias in mild climates and half-hardy herbs with a deeper mulch or horticultural fleece. Fleece weights are explained in Frost Protection Methods.
• Lift and store tender bulbs and tubers before hard frost if you have not already done so, as covered in Autumn Garden Tasks.

Evergreens and winter drying

Evergreens keep losing water through their leaves in winter, but frozen soil prevents roots from replacing it. This causes the brown, scorched leaf edges often called winter burn. Reduce the risk with these steps.

1. Water well in late autumn while the soil is still unfrozen, so evergreens enter winter with moist roots.
2. Water again during mild, dry spells in the middle of the day when the soil is unfrozen. Check new plantings and shrubs near walls or under eaves, where rain doesn’t reach.
3. Add mulch to conserve moisture, as above.
4. Screen exposed plants with burlap on stakes placed on the windward side. Don’t wrap tightly, which traps moisture and heat.
5. Knock heavy snow off conifers and evergreen shrubs with a gentle upward sweep of a broom, since breaking branches is a bigger risk than cold.

Containers and tender plants

• Hardy plants in pots have roots exposed to far lower temperatures than plants in the ground. Cluster pots together against a sheltered wall, raise them on pot feet so water drains and wrap the container, not the plant, with bubble wrap or hessian.
• Tender plants such as geraniums (pelargoniums), fuchsias and citrus need a frost-free place. A cool, bright room or an unheated greenhouse suits them, with water cut right back.
• Choose frost-proof pots. Thin glazed and porous terracotta can crack when water freezes inside. Empty or move vulnerable pots under cover.
• Check weekly. Containers can dry out surprisingly in windy winters, and rain often doesn’t reach pots under eaves. Water on a mild day.

Pruning in winter: what, when and what to leave

• Prune now, while dormant: apple and pear trees, most deciduous shade trees, wisteria (the second, shorter prune) and, in late winter, most roses. Remove dead, diseased and crossing wood from any plant at any time.
• Wait until after flowering: lilac, forsythia, mock orange, camellia, magnolia and other spring bloomers. Pruning now removes this year’s flowers.
• Wait until frost danger has passed: tender and borderline-hardy plants such as lavender and many perennials. Old growth protects the crown from cold.

Avoid pruning stone fruit such as plum and cherry in winter in many regions because of disease risk. Prune them in summer instead. Use clean, sharp tools and make cuts just above a bud. For methods and safety see How to Prune Trees Safely and Shrub Maintenance and Renewal Pruning.

Lawns, paths and snow

• Stay off frozen grass. Frozen blades shatter underfoot, leaving brown footprints.
• Clear fallen leaves from lawns and beds so they don’t smother grass or shelter slugs, and add them to a leaf mould pile.
• Use salt carefully. De-icing salt damages plants and soil. Use sand or grit on paths and shovel snow away from beds.
• Don’t feed the lawn in winter. See Lawn Care Basics for the spring plan.

Help wildlife through winter

• Leave seed heads on echinacea, teasel and sedum for birds, and hollow stems for overwintering insects.
• Keep water unfrozen. Float a ball on a pond or replace a bird bath’s water daily on frosty mornings. Never add salt or antifreeze.
• Feed birds consistently. Once you start, keep feeders stocked, and clean them every one or two weeks to prevent disease.
• Leave log piles and leaf litter in a corner for hedgehogs, beetles and other overwintering animals. Check bonfire piles before lighting them.

Use winter for tools, soil and planning

Tool care pays back in the spring: clean off soil, sharpen blades, oil metal parts and replace worn handles. Drain hoses and irrigation lines, disconnect and store them, and shut off outdoor taps in freezing areas, following the winterising steps in Drip Irrigation and Smart Watering. Check stored crops every one or two weeks and remove any that are rotting, using Harvesting and Storing Vegetables.

Winter is the best time to plan. Review last year’s notes, order seeds before popular varieties sell out, plan crop rotation, and sketch new beds. Send soil samples for testing so the results are ready for spring, as explained in Reading Your Soil, and start your plan for next year.

A winter month-by-month rhythm

Because “winter” starts and ends at different times in different climates, tie each job to conditions rather than the calendar. Early winter, after the first hard frost, is for mulching, cutting back collapsed perennials, finishing leaf clearance and wrapping or moving containers. Midwinter, the coldest weeks, is for checking stored crops, feeding birds, cleaning tools and planning, with outdoor work limited to clearing snow from evergreens and watering anything dry. Late winter, when buds begin to swell and the soil first becomes workable, is for dormant pruning, cleaning pots and seed trays, starting early seeds indoors and sowing the hardiest crops under cover. Use your average last frost date as the anchor: count back 6 to 8 weeks for tomatoes and peppers, and 10 to 12 weeks for slow starters such as onions from seed, as set out in the Seasonal Planting Calendar.

How winter care protects your plants and soil

Mulch holds heat and protects roots of lavender, fuchsia and fig from frost, and fleece shields citrus and olive. A cold frame or polytunnel shelters kale, spinach and lettuce and extends the harvest. Snow insulates plants, but heavy snow breaks branches of yew and cedar, so you should brush it off gently.

Winter pruning of apple and pear removes disease and improves light, and clean loppers stop canker spreading. Wet clay compacts under footsteps, so don’t dig it in frost, and compost and manure spread now feed earthworm activity and break down by spring. Do evergreens need water? Yes, because wind dries the leaves of camellia and rhododendron while frozen roots can’t absorb water, so you’ll water on mild days. Bird feeders support wildlife, and your extension service gives frost dates.

How winter garden care decides what to do, what to leave and what to protect

Mulch of 5 to 8 cm protects rose, hosta and peony crowns and reduces frost heave. Leave seed heads of echinacea and rudbeckia, because they feed birds and shelter ladybird. Leave leaf piles under hedge of yew or box, because hedgehog and frog use them. Frost damages fig, olive and banana, so wrap or move them below 0°C. Wet clay holds water and causes root rot, while sand and compost improve drainage. Prune apple and pear in dry weather, but leave plum and cherry until summer to prevent silver leaf. Lavender and rosemary tolerate cold but dislike wet, and gravel mulch keeps their crowns dry. Snow weighs on cedar and pine, so you should brush it off gently. Check stored dahlia and onion monthly, because rot spreads fast. Your extension service or the rhs lists hardy plants for your area. The frost protection guide covers covers and cloches.

Common mistakes

• Wrapping plants too tightly. Plastic traps moisture and cooks plants on sunny days. Use breathable fabric and leave gaps.
• Mulching against trunks. It invites rot and rodents. Leave a gap around stems.
• Forgetting evergreens and pots. Dry winter spells cause damage even when it looks cold and wet.
• Pruning spring bloomers. You remove the coming flowers. Wait until after they bloom.
• Digging or walking on wet or frozen soil. It damages structure and compacts the soil. See Preventing Soil Compaction.

If you add lights for winter, read Seasonal Lighting Displays.

For how fleece, cloches and frames compare, see Best Frost Protection Fleece & Covers.

Next steps

Mulch, check your pots and evergreens and make the planning list. Then read The Gardener’s Year-Round Checklist, Spring Garden Tasks and Succession Planting to prepare for the season ahead. The Seasonal Gardening guides holds every seasonal guide.