How to Protect Your Plants in Winter
When winter rolls in and those chilly mornings greet you with a little frost on the ground, it can feel like the garden is ready for a long nap. But before you hang up your gloves, there are a few simple things you can do to keep your plants cozy and protected all season long. With a little care and planning, you can help your garden rest easy through the cold and wake up healthy come spring.
Here are my top 10 things to do to protect your plants in winter!
How to Protect Your Plants in Winter
When those chilly nights start to settle in and the frost begins to sparkle across your garden, it’s time to give your plants a little extra care. Winter can be tough, but with the right preparation, your garden can stay healthy and beautiful until spring comes back around.
1. Know Your Frost Dates
The first step is knowing when cold weather is coming. Check your local frost dates so you can plan ahead. Mark them on your calendar, then aim to protect tender plants a week or two before the first frost hits.
2. Mulch for Warmth
Mulch is one of the best insulators in your garden. A thick layer (about 2–4 inches) of pine straw, leaves, or bark chips helps regulate soil temperature and locks in moisture. It also protects roots from freezing and thawing cycles that can cause damage.
3. Water Before a Freeze
Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil, so give your plants a good drink before a cold snap. Avoid watering when temperatures are below freezing, but if a frost is in the forecast, watering the day before can help protect roots.
4. Cover Tender Plants
When frost threatens, cover your plants with lightweight fabric like frost cloth, old sheets, or burlap. Be sure the fabric touches the ground to trap warmth, and secure it so it won’t blow away. Avoid using plastic directly on plants—it can trap moisture and cause more harm than good.
5. Move Containers Indoors
Potted plants are especially vulnerable since their roots are above ground. Move containers to a sheltered spot like a garage, porch, or sunroom. If they’re too heavy to move, wrap the pots with blankets or bubble wrap to insulate them.
Here are my favorite items to protect my plants all winter long
6. Prune Carefully
Hold off on major pruning until late winter or early spring. Pruning too soon can encourage new growth that will be damaged by cold. Instead, remove only dead or diseased parts to keep plants healthy through the winter.
7. Protect Evergreens and Shrubs
Cold winds can dry out evergreens and broadleaf shrubs. Wrap them loosely in a shrub jacket or use a windbreak made of stakes and fabric. Water deeply during dry winter spells to keep them hydrated.
8. Bring in Tender Herbs and Tropicals
Herbs like basil and tropicals like ferns and citrus won’t survive freezing temperatures. Bring them inside to a bright window or sheltered porch before the first frost.
9. Check on Plants After Cold Spells
After a hard freeze, give your plants a little time before pruning or replacing them. Some may look damaged but will recover once temperatures warm up again.
10. Plan Ahead for Next Year
Once spring arrives, take notes on what worked well and what didn’t. A little planning now will make next winter’s prep easier and even more effective. If you’re not sure whether a plant can handle the cold, treat it like it can’t. A little extra care goes a long way in keeping your garden thriving through winter.
Winter may be quiet in the garden, but it’s also a time of preparation and promise. Every bit of effort you put in now—mulching, covering, or moving plants—pays off when everything bursts back to life in the warmer months. So pour yourself a cup of something warm, take one last stroll through your garden, and know that with a little love, your plants will be ready to greet the sunshine again soon.
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