How to Winterize Your Lawn and Garden in North Texas

Keeping plants alive in the winter can be challenging if you don’t know how to take care of them properly. If your plants were already stressed or sick, they could easily die. Not to mention the fact that despite your preparations, in North Texas you could get a winter that looks nothing like you expected and prepared for. Read on to learn about the dangers of the cold and some tips to winterize your lawn and garden.

Six Ways Your Lawn or Garden May be Damaged in the Winter

1. Extreme cold: Below freezing, plant cells may freeze and burst, which often leads to permanent damage. Plus, the cold can wipe out helpful soil microbes, which can interfere with your plants’ health next spring.
2. Temperature fluctuations: If the weather keeps bouncing between freezing and thawing, it can really stress out your plants and soil. This might weaken roots, crack bark, or even split stems. These fluctuations can be especially dangerous in North Texas, where the temperature in winter frequently dips and rises across the freezing point.

1. Root heaving: When the ground freezes and thaws repeatedly, it expands and contracts, which can push plant roots right out of the soil. These roots may dry out or die.

Wind damage: Winter winds can be brutal, sucking out moisture, snapping branches, battering delicate plants, and even uprooting younger ones.

Winter wetness / dryness:

1. Wetness: Snowmelt or rain can lead to flooded soil, suffocating roots and breeding fungal diseases like root rot – especially with poor drainage present.
2. Dryness: In contrast, winter drought can cause plants to dehydrate. Evergreens are at higher risk since they never shed their leaves to mitigate water loss.

Salt damage: Road salts can end up in lawns and garden beds. High salt levels can burn grass, damage plant roots, and inhibit water absorption.

Lack of snow: Snow functions as an insulating layer, protecting plants from extreme cold and temperature fluctuations. Without it, plants are more exposed to freezing or drying out.

Mistakes to Avoid While Winterizing your Lawn or Garden

Brushing off snow:

It might be tempting to knock snow off your plants, but resist the urge unless it’s a vertical-branching conifer. For most plants, snow actually acts as a protective layer, however, snow can break branches on conifers. Gently brushing it off those is a good idea.

Late pruning:

Pruning in late fall or early winter can stimulate new vulnerable growth and leave open wounds on the plant. Stick to pruning in late summer or early fall when plants are preparing to go dormant.

Fall planting:

While planting in fall, timing is key. Planting too late means your plants might not have enough time to establish their roots before a freeze. Aim for at least 6-8 weeks before the first hard frost.

Fertilizing too late:

Fertilizing in late fall can encourage plants to put out new growth, which is often too soft to withstand freezing temperatures. Instead, fertilize earlier in the fall or wait until spring when plants can use the nutrients effectively.

Tip #1: Use Tree Wrap

Temperature fluctuations can cause North Texas trees to prematurely leave hibernation, opening them up to potential harm. Winterize with tree wrap on thin-barked trees to keep them from warming and coming out of hibernation.

Tip #2: Insulating Layers

If you’re worried about your plants freezing under the snow, don’t be too hasty and remove it! The snow acts as an insulating layer, trapping heat in and slowing down the cooling process. Even better is a layer of mulch under a layer of snow. The slowly decomposing matter will release heat, which then gets trapped under the snow and provides a robust defense against freezing.

Tip #3: Mulch Ring

Cover the base of trees with plenty of mulch, but pull it away from the trunk, creating a donut shape about 6 inches wide to avoid upward root growth. Otherwise, roots may break the surface and be exposed to the elements. (Source: UNM.edu)

Tip #4: Water Before a Freeze

If the fall has been dry or you live in an arid region, water thoroughly before a freeze. Typically, you might assume the opposite – that you should winterize by keeping your lawn dry so moisture doesn’t freeze – but surprisingly, wet soil insulates against the cold better than dry soil.

Tip #5: Pre-Emergent Weed Control

Come springtime, plants will come out of dormancy, but so will weeds. If you’re not careful, they might come out faster and choke out your plants. It’s best to apply a pre-emergent weed control during late winter to ensure a healthy recovery.