Mulch
When to mulch
Two to four inches, off the stems, timed to your frost dates.
THE WINTER GARDEN
Winter garden care
Winter garden work is protection and timing, not a second planting season for tender crops. Mulch after the soil cools, cut only perennials that have collapsed, and shut irrigation off before a hard freeze. Your frost dates and USDA zone set the week. A national calendar Monday does not. Indoor plants need fewer drinks.
A winter list is a set of decisions tied to your own freeze, not a second planting calendar for tomatoes. University of Minnesota Extension treats mulch as insulation and a brake on freeze-thaw heaving, with the mulch kept off the trunk. Oregon State University Extension’s sprinkler guidance, already used on the winterize page, is to drain or blow out lines before a hard freeze and not to use an unregulated compressor. The perennial cutback on this site still splits collapsed or diseased foliage from seed heads you leave on purpose. The USDA zone answers whether a perennial is likely to live through the cold. The frost-date tool answers the calendar. Indoor plants do not get a heavier drink because the garden is frozen. Illinois Extension’s houseplant notes still say to water by the mix, and a cool dim room dries slowly.
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SIX WINTER DECISIONS
What should I do when growth stops?
Cutback
Perennials after frost
Cut what has collapsed. Leave seed heads and grasses.
Irrigation
Winterize sprinklers
Shut the water off and drain the lines before a hard freeze.
Roses
Prune roses
Fall is a light tidy. The main prune waits for swelling buds.
Frost dates
First and last frost
Median 32°F dates for your ZIP, not a national Monday.
Indoors
Indoor plant care
Water by the mix. A cool room is not a cue to pour.
Where the week comes from
Open the USDA zone finder for winter survival and frost dates for the calendar. Fall jobs that are not finished live on the autumn garden. Zone and frost pages name their own stations and limits.
- University of Minnesota Extension: protecting trees and shrubs in winter
- University of Minnesota Extension: mulching for soil and garden health
- Illinois Extension: houseplant care
Sources checked November 6, 2026. This hub points at guides. It is not a new frost table. Editorial responsibility.
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