When autumnal leaves cover the ground, and the weather brings a chill, you know winter is coming. For gardeners, that means it is time to winterize the garden!

Like we prep our homes to save energy in winter, prepping your plants for the change in season will ensure they thrive and you have a healthy garden next spring.

We’ve put together some tips on winterizing a garden so you can enjoy your yard season after season.

1. Start weeding early.

The sooner you prepare your garden for winter in Alberta, the better. Before the temperature really drops, grab your tools and get weeding! An early start allows you plenty of time to clean your garden beds while it’s still comfortably warm. Weeding during a blustery fall day is not fun!

While you’re taking out weeds, make sure to remove any dead, dying, or infected plants. Cutting those back will prevent disease from staying in the soil through the cold months. This also applies to vegetable garden beds—clear out all dead plants or rotten produce to prevent disease and pests from lingering.

Yes, those weeds will die in the winter. You still need to get them out of the plant beds! If you leave weeds behind, they’ll drop their seeds into the soil. The soil will protect those seeds all winter! Once your garden thaws, those weeds will start to grow like, well, weeds. Get ahead of them this fall, and you’ll thank yourself come spring.

2. Turn and cover the soil.

After weeding, give your soil a good rake. This can help remove weeds you’ve missed and get rid of any harmful pests.

Next, cover your soil. Vegetable gardens and flower beds with delicate plants, like irises and black-eyed Susans, need a thick layer of mulch or straw spread across the soil. This layer will insulate the roots. Add another layer after the ground freezes.

Stronger flower varieties such as hollyhock, peonies and bee balm often don’t need that insulating layer. Instead, water them thoroughly a few times before the season’s first hard freeze. Then, cut them back if needed.

3. Cut your flowers back.

Winterizing flower gardens might include cutting back some of the plants. While some plants can be left intact, others (primarily perennials) typically do better when cut down to within one to two inches above the ground. These include peonies, irises and daylilies. These flowers are either more susceptible to blight or become limp and difficult to handle in the spring.

Do some research on what your specific perennial plants need. Regardless, you can always cut back dead or old growth. This will ensure that it doesn’t choke off new foliage come springtime. Learn more about cutting back perennials.

4. Plant bulbs for a spring bloom.

If you love early blooming flowers, like tulips, plant those bulbs this fall. Choose hearty fall bulbs and plant them where they’ll get plenty of sun before the snow arrives. Make sure to group them together—five to 10 bulbs per pocket—and remember to keep the pointy tops turned upward.

Check out this resource on planning your garden to learn more about planting fall bulbs, including tulips, crocus, bearded iris, daffodils, and bluebells.

5. Wrap your evergreens.

You might not think about sturdy evergreen trees and shrubs needing protection—a snow-capped tree is a symbol of winter! Unfortunately, if a freshly planted or young evergreen gets too much winter sun and not enough moisture, it can get winter burn. This shows up as patches of brown, dry, and brittle needles on evergreens. Young and recently planted and deeply pruned trees are vulnerable to this, but wrapping them can prevent it. 

You can wrap them in burlap or pick up shrub jackets, screens and other supplies at your garden centre. Remember to give your trees and shrubs a deep water before the first freeze. Learn more about winterizing trees and shrubs.

6. Protect your pots and containers.

Winterizing a container garden can be tricky. Even if you have space to protect and store them for the season, they’re still no match for Alberta’s extreme cold snaps. Many gardeners don’t try to keep those potted plants through the winter and replant every spring.

But if you want to protect your potted perennials, leave them in the containers and store them in your garage or shed. You can cover them with a tarp to keep them dry and check their moisture every few weeks.

For annuals, your best bet is to clear out the old roots and replant in the spring. Most of the dirt will come up with the root ball, but you can leave whatever remains if you keep it dry throughout the winter. The ceramic pots themselves should be safe from cracking. You can wrap your pots in bubble wrap until spring for extra protection.

7. Solarize your garden.

Alberta winters are cold, but they sure are sunny! Use that sun to your advantage and solarize your raised garden beds. By trapping heat in and around the soil, you can protect it from the elements and ensure insects and pests can’t survive.

First, make sure the soil is damp. Then, wrap a UV plastic tarp around your raised garden bed and secure it well. Periodically throughout the winter, rake in some compost to add nutrients back into the soil and water it enough to keep it moist.

8. Build a greenhouse.

Investing in a deep winter greenhouse will remove the need to winterize your garden! With energy from the sun, your plants grow happily all season long in an enclosed, climate-controlled space.

If you invest in a cold-climate greenhouse, consider installing a backup heat source. Extreme temperature drops can still wipe out plants. You can choose between solar-powered, gas-powered or electric heating systems.