13 Steps To Keep Your Garden Safe Through Cold Winters

You may think the winter months leave gardeners with very little to do. While it’s true that most plants either die or go dormant in the cold winter months, this doesn’t mean your garden should be neglected. A garden that’s kept safe in the winter is far more likely to yield favorable results in the spring than a neglected one.

To keep your outdoor garden safe and secure through the coldest winter months, you should add a layer of mulch to the ground and cover any exposed roots to provide insulation. Know your plants' temperature limits, and water your garden before a frost to help keep the soil warmer. Cover vulnerable plants and keep young trees and perennials secure and protected from wind and snow.

Gardening in the winter is very different from gardening in warmer months. It involves preparation and damage control. If you live somewhere with cold winters and have a garden you care about, then make sure you read all the tips below. Following all these steps will ensure the plants in your garden stay alive throughout winter’s harsh weather.

13 Steps To Help Keep Your Outdoor Garden Safe In The Winter

1. Add A Layer Of Mulch

Before cold weather sets in, one of the first steps you must take to ensure your garden’s safety in the winter is to add mulch. Adding quality mulch in the late fall will help keep your plants safe in several ways. 

For one, it keeps the ground moist, which will keep your plants hydrated even on dry cold days. Furthermore, a layer of mulch will help insulate the soil. This means even when the outside weather dips below freezing, the soil below will be several degrees warmer.

2. Cover Exposed Roots

In addition to adding mulch to your garden, you should also take the time to ensure none of your plants have exposed roots. Roots can become exposed after a flooding event, or in areas with lots of wind. 

Add additional soil and mulch to any plant with exposed roots to keep them safe and insulated in the winter.

3. Know Your Plants’ Limits

Arguably the most important step to keeping your garden and plants safe in the winter is understanding your plants’ weather limitations. Some plants can easily thrive in freezing temperatures and have no problem getting buried in snow.

Other plants will shrivel up and die when covered in snow and don’t enjoy extended periods in temperatures below freezing or even an overnight frost. Know what the plants in your outdoor garden can handle, and then you can plan accordingly when the cold weather approaches.

4. Inspect Garden After Storms

Another way to help keep your garden safe in the winter is to check up on it after a storm. Any time there is a wind, snow, or rain storm, you should take the time to look at your garden once the weather has settled.

You may notice broken branches, tipped-over trees, or a vulnerable plant buried in snow. If you make a habit of these post-storm walk-throughs, you will have far fewer plant fatalities in the winter.

5. Secure Young Trees 

Sometimes the best time to plant a tree is in the late summer or early fall. This means the tree will still be young and vulnerable in the winter. If you have a young tree or shrub, give it plenty of extra support in its first winter.

Use rope and stakes to keep the trunk secure. This will prevent it from snapping or becoming unrooted.

6. Use Tomato Cages And Burlap To Insulate Perennials

Just because a plant is a perennial and is likely to return every year, it doesn't mean it wouldn’t like some protection. Some perennials, especially flowers like roses, hydrangeas, and other beautiful spring and summer blossoms, like protection from severe weather.

If you live somewhere with harsh winds or lots of snowfall, protect these perennials using tomato cages. You can cover the cages with burlap, or even fill them partially with dead leaves or pine needles for some insulation. This will ensure these plants come back thriving in the spring.

7. Cover Vulnerable Plants In Cold Weather

If you have plants that don’t like frost or freezing conditions but are rooted in the ground, then you must be ready to cover them. You can use insulating plant covers, tarps, old blankets, and other materials. The key is covering the plants before the temperatures dip below freezing.

8. Bring Container Plants To Shelter

If you have plants in a container garden, then you should diligently move them indoors and outdoors according to the forecast. If your container plants are hardy and can tolerate some frost, consider relocating them under a shelter. 

They may be cold but will be protected from snow and wind. Once the days get longer and warmer, you can place your container garden in its original location.

9. Water Before A Frost

Watering your garden before a cold snap is a trick every gardener in a cool climate should know. When you water your garden before temperatures dip below freezing, the moist soil will take much longer to freeze. It will also give your plants much-needed water before a frost, as a frost dehydrates most plants.

10. Remove Debris Promptly

In addition to protecting your plants from cold and snow, you also need to keep plants clear of debris. If you notice fallen branches, or a layer of late-falling dead leaves, clean and rake them up promptly. Debris can damage plants, and dead wet leaves can cause mold and other unwanted bacteria to grow when the weather warms up.

11. Add A Fence To Ensure You Don’t Walk On Your Plants

Believe it or not, one of the easiest ways to kill your plants in the winter is by walking on them by mistake. If your plants are dormant and hidden by snow, it’s very easy to walk on them. This is particularly true if you have pets you let roam your yard in the winter, or small children who like to play in the snow.

Plants can easily break and snap when they are frozen. To avoid this damage to your garden in the winter, create a simple fence around the garden. You can make it with a few wooden stakes and rope, or make a more permanent structure to keep animals out. Either way, a visible fence line will help keep your plants untouched and safe when they are covered.

12. Add Wind Protection In Exposed Gardens

Wind can cause just as much damage as freezing temperatures and snow. It can displace soil and mulch, and snap branches. Therefore, you must protect your garden from wind, especially if your garden is placed in an exposed and open area.

Create a temporary barrier, fencing, or a lean-to of sorts to block the wind. This will keep your plants intact and out of harm.

13. Consider Investing In A Greenhouse

Lastly, if you want to continue gardening in the classical sense in the winter, or live somewhere cold but have a passion for warm-weather plants, then consider investing in a greenhouse. 

A greenhouse is a great way to keep all sorts of plants alive, even when winter temperatures and weather get extreme. It also enables you to keep your hands in the soil, actively gardening, throughout the coldest months of the year.

Wrapping Up How To Keep Your Garden Safe In The Winter

Winter isn’t known as a season for gardening, but it is a crucial time for those with outdoor gardens. You must take several steps to ensure your dormant plants come back thriving in the spring. Cover vulnerable plants, bring in container plants, and add a layer of mulch to keep the soil warm. You should water your garden before a frost, and inspect your garden after a winter storm, removing debris, and providing care as needed.

Related Guides:

• How To Prepare Perennials For The Winter
• Helpful Tips To Keep Outdoor Plants Alive In The Winter
• What Citrus Trees Can Survive An Annual Frost?