Get your garden ready for winter – 10 practical tips

You should prepare your garden for winter as early as October, in order to provide sensitive plants with sufficient protection against the cold.

Plants in pots should be made winterproof. Delicate specimens should be brought indoors for winter lodgings before the first frost – these include agapanthus, bougainvillaea and mandevilla, for example.

Winter-hardy plants in pots can be overwintered outside; relevant species include hydrangea, hosta and boxwood.

To wrap potted plants for winter, place the planters on polystyrene bases and then wrap them in jute, linen or bubble wrap.

Plastic gardening fleece will protect your plants from frost in winter. Jute or coconut fibre coverings are also suitable as a sustainable alternative.

Winter garden fleece is both breathable, light-permeable and water-repellent. It effectively protects your plants from frost.

A natural covering of leaves or twigs will protect your beds from frost. However, a winter protection tent, polystyrene sheets or bubble wrap are also suitable.

A dry, cloudy day in October is the right time for autumn lawn care and the lawn’s last cut of the year. If you have a very mild October, you may mow the lawn and trim the lawn edges even in November.

Rake leaves over beds and under shrubs, or blow them under bushes with a leaf blower as part of your autumn lawn care. The leaves are often already rotted by spring. Whatever remains in spring can be composted.

Our STIHL garden calendar also tells you when it’s a good time to collect and shred leaves. It can help you to keep track of your gardening before winter. 

Remember to place Mediterranean and tropical plants in their winter accommodation when preparing your garden for winter.

Even winter-hardy plants should be protected to prevent their soil freezing by placing them on polystyrene sheets and wrapping them with jute or bubble wrap, for example.

If you have a tomato growhouse or greenhouse, you should definitely insulate it for winter. This is particularly true if you use it for overwintering Mediterranean potted plants such as olive trees or oleanders. UV-stable bubble wrap is best suited for this purpose.

Remember to remove any fruit mummies when preparing your garden for winter. Fruit mummies are old, shrivelled or rotten fruit on fruit trees that remain after the fruit tree has been pruned.

They can overwinter moulds that will damage new flowers and fruits. Note the following about fruit mummies: Please do not compost them but dispose of them in household waste – this will prevent mould spreading in your garden.

When getting your garden winter-ready, you should definitely also clean your garden furniture. A high-pressure washer with appropriate accessories and the right cleaning agents is suitable for this.

By storing your garden furniture in a dry, clean and frost-free place, you help to prolong its lifespan.

Before the cold season, you should prepare your beds for winterby protecting the plants from the cold with a layer of mulch, leaves or twigs. Remove sick or damaged plant parts beforehand.

Also dig out delicate bulbs and store them in frost-free conditions, for example in a basement or garage.

Mineral fertiliser is temperature-sensitive, so you should store it somewhere frost-free and dry when winterising your garden.

Tightly sealed foil bags or plastic buckets with lids are best. In spring, you can use it again and fertilise your garden.

Empty your water butts and watering cans to prevent residual water from freezing, expanding and causing damage.

Watering cans are best stored in a basement or tool shed. In the case of water butts, remember to open the drain taps after emptying.

Turn off the external water line from indoors in good time and allow it to empty. This prevents residual water from freezing and the pipe from leaking or bursting due to expansion.

Also empty the garden hose when preparing your garden or allotment for winter.