10 Things I Do to Prep My Garden for Winter

As the days get shorter and the air chills, it’s a clear signal that your garden needs some TLC to brace for the winter. If you, like many of us, have ever forgotten to prep your garden for the cold months, you know the scramble to protect and preserve your plants can feel a bit frantic.

But don’t worry, I’ve been there, and now I’m here to share the top 10 things I do to get my garden winter-ready.

From managing compost heaps to knowing exactly when to prune, these steps are all about setting up your outdoor space to survive the frost and thrive next spring. Let’s get your garden tucked in and ready for its winter rest.

Harvest and Store Vegetables Properly

When it’s time to say goodbye to the warm days, your garden needs a bit of prep to safeguard the veggies that fed you all summer.

Start by harvesting your tender vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and beans before the frost sets in, as they won’t survive the cold snap. Remove these plants completely from your garden beds, and be sure to discard any diseased ones properly to avoid any unwanted pests next year.

For your hardy veggies like Brussels sprouts and kale, they can actually benefit from a bit of frost and can be left in the ground, protected by a layer of hay or leaves, adding a little sweet touch to their flavor as they brace the winter.

For those in-betweeners, the semi-hardy types like Swiss chard and arugula, they can handle a light frost. However, they’ll appreciate a bit of extra care, such as a cold frame or floating row cover to extend their growing season.

This is especially true for root vegetables—while they can withstand a freeze, it’s best to dig them up before the ground turns into an impenetrable frosty barrier. Storing them properly can mean fresh veggies even in the deep winter.

Clean Out the Garden Beds

After you’ve secured your harvest, turn your attention to cleaning up the garden beds. Any plant remnants can turn into winter homes for pests and diseases, so it’s crucial to clear out the dead and decaying matter.

Composting is a great way to recycle these plants, but remember, any diseased plants should be burned or trashed to prevent spreading whatever got them sick in the first place.

Also, take the time to dismantle any temporary garden structures like trellises and clean them up for next year. It’s all about giving your garden a fresh start and making springtime setup a breeze.

Plus, snagging some of the prettier dried plants for a DIY wreath can add a personal touch to your winter decor!

Prune and Protect Berry Plants

As the chill sets in, your berry patches need a little TLC to ensure they come back strong next spring. For your summer-bearing raspberries, keep only the six strongest canes per foot; they’ll be your fruit-bearers next year.

Fall raspberries, on the other hand, need a tougher approach—cut them right back to the ground after their fruiting ends. This might seem harsh, but it’s the secret to a bountiful harvest next season.

Blackberries and blueberries are a bit hardier; however, mounding soil around blackberries and adding a mulch layer around blueberries will shield them from severe frosts.

Don’t forget your strawberries—cover them with straw to cozy them up until spring.

Winter Care for Perennials

Your perennial garden can be a source of life even in the coldest months if you give it the right prep. Start by quenching your perennials’ thirst thoroughly in the fall—it sets them up to better withstand winter.

While it’s tempting to tidy up completely, leave plants like coneflowers and rudbeckia intact; their seed heads provide winter snacks for birds.

For those susceptible to powdery mildew, such as bee balm and phlox, cut them back once the ground freezes, but leave about three inches of stem to protect the roots. Mulch over with leaves or straw for extra insulation.

Planning a new flower bed? Suppress weeds by covering the future bed area with mulch or heavy plastic now, which will make your spring gardening much smoother.

Cozy Up Your Roses for Winter

As autumn deepens, it’s time to give your roses a little extra love to make sure they come through the winter unscathed. Keep watering them as usual during the fall, but hold off on the fertilizer as the cooler days approach—new growth now could get nipped by the frost.

Snip off any dead or diseased branches to keep things tidy and healthy. When you feel that first chill and see the frost, heap up some mulch or compost around the base of your roses, right where the stem meets the roots. This acts like a cozy blanket, protecting the roots from freezing.

In really cold areas, wrapping your shorter rose varieties in chicken wire and stuffing it with leaves or pine needles can offer them a snug winter retreat.

And those elegant climbing roses? Lay them down gently and cover them with a layer of mulch or some evergreen boughs to keep them safe until spring.

Start Fresh with a New Compost Pile

If you’re like me and love seeing your garden thrive on homemade compost, fall is the perfect time to get your compost setup ready for next year. Finish off your current pile by not adding any more to it—mix it up one last time with some soil to bring in those helpful microbes and check that it’s moist, but not too wet. Let it sit and do its magic over the winter, breaking down into beautiful, rich compost you can use when planting season rolls back around. Now, grab all the organic leftovers from your fall garden cleanup—those pruned branches, old plants, even the last of the lawn clippings. Start piling them up in a new spot. This way, you’ll have a fresh batch of compost cooking just in time for spring.

Enrich Your Soil with Compost

Before the garden settles for its winter nap, giving it a boost with some hearty compost is one of the best things you can do. Scoop up about 2 to 3 inches of organic goodness—whether it’s leaves you’ve collected, some leftover mulch, or that compost you’ve been nurturing—and mix it into your garden beds. Using a square hoe or just a good old spade, work it into the soil.

This is essential for feeding those underground microbes that play a big part in creating a rich, fertile bed for next year’s crops. It’s like prepping a feast for all the tiny creatures that will feed your garden while it sleeps.

Turn Leaves into Gold with Your Mower

If you’re looking at your lawn and thinking about all those leaves you’ll need to deal with, here’s a tip: don’t just rake them up—shred them! Grab your mower and go over them a few times until they’re nicely chopped.

Not only does this make them less likely to blow away, but it also speeds up their decomposition. Spread these shredded leaves over your perennial beds as a mulch or sprinkle them over your lawn.

They’ll break down and naturally enrich your soil, giving you a healthier garden come spring. Plus, it keeps your yard looking neat all winter.

Hold Off on Pruning

As tempting as it might be to get your garden looking trim and tidy, hold off on pruning your trees and shrubs just yet. Winter is actually the best time for this task when your plants are fully dormant and all the leaves have fallen. Jumping the gun and pruning too early can lead to a spurt of new growth that won’t stand a chance against the winter cold.

So, let your garden have its messy moment—it’s for the best. Once everything has settled into winter dormancy, you can grab those pruners and get to work without risking your plants’ health.

Plant a Cover Crop

Thinking about planting during the cooler months? Consider sowing a cover crop. This isn’t just about keeping your garden busy, it’s a strategic move to enhance soil health come spring.

Cover crops like crimson clover, hairy vetch, and certain resilient grasses work hard beneath the surface. They protect against erosion, loosen compacted soil, and even help fix nitrogen—a boon for whatever you plant next season.

Plus, they’re great for the environment, supporting pollinators when other food sources are scarce. So, clear out any leftover debris and get those cover seeds into the ground.