Never Do These 7 Tasks After Your First Frost

There are many things to accomplish in the garden before the first fall frost. But afterward, things calm down. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to talk about some tasks that you should avoid doing after the first frost.

A gardener wearing warm garden gloves, pruning the stems of a potted plant in winter.

Contents

Picture it. You’ve finished prepping the garden for winter. You’ve planted your bulbs, cut or pulled weeds, and panted some late-season rose bushes. You composted and then tucked everything away under a blanket of mulch. Then you wake up one magical morning to a blanket of fine, white glitter covering the garden. 

There is much to do to prepare for this day, the first frost of fall or winter. Fall is a bustling time in the garden. Winter, however, is a time for most things to rest. You may still have some evergreens to tend to. But, for the most part, plants go dormant, and much work is over until things begin to warm back up in spring. 

So what should we do in the garden after the first frost? Well, the more important question is what we should not do. Let’s look at some tasks you should avoid after that first frost. 

YouTube video

Pruning

Close-up of a gardener's hands using green pruning shears to trim slender, arching branches of a fruit tree with glossy, lance-shaped green leaves in a sunny garden.
The dead foliage actually protects the rest of the plant that hasn’t died from the cold.

When the first frost hits, many of our plants respond by dying back to the ground. This frost lets them know that it’s time for their dormancy—time to retreat and conserve energy for the spring. 

Going outside and cutting off damaged foliage caused by the freeze can be tempting. However, it’s important to resist this temptation and leave that dead foliage for warmer days ahead. 

Here’s why: The dead foliage actually protects the rest of the plant that hasn’t died from the cold. This is particularly true of those plants that are questionable for your climate. Leaving that dead foliage intact can act as protection for the rest of the plant and its roots from future freezing vents. 

Pruning in winter is risky for two reasons. First, it removes that protection, exposing the healthy parts of the plant to freezing during subsequent events. Second, pruning stimulates growth. That tender new growth will be more vulnerable than mature wood that hardened off during the previous seasons. 

This doesn’t just apply to large plants and perennials. For smaller flowering plants, leaving seed heads intact feeds overwintering birds and other small animals. Many beneficial insects also overwinter in the hollow stalks left from these. 

Withholding Water

A gardener in waterproof boots irrigates an small evergreen tree by pouring water from a metal bucket.
Hydrated plants stand up to the cold better than dehydrated ones.

It’s important to keep watering your plants, even when they are dormant. While they won’t need as much water, they can suffer from more extensive root damage and potential death without enough. 

Hydrated plants stand up to the cold better than dehydrated ones. The hydrated tissues are more resilient and more likely to bounce back from the cold. Dry roots are fragile and easily damaged by freezing temperatures. 

Don’t water if the soil is already moist; check your plants weekly and wait until it is dry to the touch. It’s best to water when the air temperature is above 40°F (4°C). But watering ahead of a freeze is especially important. Pay special attention to any newly planted perennials, which need more water than established trees and shrubs.

Water trees to the drip line and smaller plants close to the crown. The water actually protects your plant’s roots, offering some insulation. The moist soil will stay slightly warmer than the air. If possible, use drip irrigation. Watering slowly will help your plants absorb the water more efficiently. 

Overwatering

Water in fertilizer for bulbs using watering can in the garden.
During winter, your plants take in less water because they are dormant.

This may sound contradictory, but as important as it is to continue watering in winter, it is equally important to avoid overwatering. During winter, your plants take in less water because they are dormant. While they still need some moisture, too much can cause more harm than good. 

Overly wet soil around roots and bulbs that aren’t absorbing and utilizing it can lead to root rot. This is especially true of bulbs, which already hold some moisture. If you let the ground stay soggy, you may end up disappointed by a lack of flowers in the spring as your bulbs have rotted. 

YouTube video

Fertilizing

A gardener wearing black gloves, adding fertilizer to a japaleno plant, growing in a garden bed.
Fertilizer has a similar effect as pruning: It encourages new growth, which is more vulnerable to cold.

Technically, fertilizing should stop in the fall, about six to eight weeks before your first anticipated frost date. Fertilizer has a similar effect as pruning: it encourages new growth, which is more vulnerable to cold, which compromises the whole plant.

Another reason not to fertilize in winter is that you’ll waste the fertilizer. Dormant plants take in far less water and nutrients than when they are actively growing. Too much fertilizer can also be detrimental to roots, which are more fragile from the cold.

The only time you should use fertilizer in winter is for winter-blooming houseplants. Use a diluted formula for actively growing indoor plants. Outdoor plants hardy to your region will be unable to absorb nutrients in their dormant state. 

Another alternative, if you feel like you need to give your beds more of a boost for spring, is organic amendments. If you haven’t mulched (which you should do before the first freeze), laying down a topdressing of manure or compost is fine. It will break down slowly as the weather warms up. 

Planting Anything That’s Not Dormant

Lantana camara in a large black pot features rough, green, ovate leaves and clusters of small, tubular flowers in a mix of colors like red, orange, and yellow.
Avoid planting anything that isn’t frost-proof, as the next freeze is certain to kill them.

Depending on your climate, you may or may not be able to continue planting certain things after the first frost. Technically, the ground is still workable until a prolonged hard freeze (28°F/-2°C or lower). You can plant dormant trees and shrubs in many places as long as the ground is workable. 

Planting dormant trees and shrubs in winter doesn’t disturb their natural cycle. Planting non-dormant plants, however, is not a good idea, evergreens included. Evergreens need to take in nutrients before the soil freezes, and they may not have the chance to do this if you wait too long. 

Using Weed Killer

A gardener spraying weed killer around the garden bed.
Applying herbicide below the indicated temperature restriction is less effective or not effective at all. 

I’d love to say that you shouldn’t use weed killers at all. They have been known to contaminate the groundwater and contribute to an unhealthy environment in general. However, some folks really like a weed-free turf lawn. 

Most of these chemicals have temperature restrictions. That is, they work best in a specific range. Using them below their indicated temperature restriction can render them less effective or not effective at all. 

The best times to spray for weeds are in spring when the soil warms to about 50°F (10°C), or in the fall. Just make sure to get it done when it has time to work before the temperature drops. 

Clearing Leaves From Garden Beds

A rake to be used to remove fallen leaves off a garden bed.
Allowing fallen leaves to stay in place can help insulate your beds.

Finally, if you can leave the leaf cleanup for spring, it’s truly the best thing for your garden as a whole. Allowing fallen leaves to stay in place can help insulate your beds. They act as mulch, so leaving them in place saves money on mulch. They also break down over time and replace valuable nutrients in the soil. 

Another reason to leave the leaves is for beneficial insects. Many beneficial insects hibernate during the cold weather. Leaf piles provide a warm, safe, and protected spot for bumblebees, native bees, fireflies, and the larval form of many moths and butterflies. 

These insects will find their way into these spaces before that first frost and stay put until the spring. By removing leaves from the garden, you dispose of these beneficial insects, and that can disrupt the ecosystem for the following year. 

Do your pollinating friends a favor and leave the leaves. If you can’t tolerate them laying where they fall, feel free to rake them into piles before winter. Then, simply leave them there to decompose and use them as compost in the spring.

Share This Post
A person wearing bright yellow boots stands on a bed of orange and brown fallen foliage, using an orange tool with wide plastic tines that are evenly spaced, gently moving through the dry foliage.

Gardening Tips

Should You Rake Leaves Off of Perennial Garden Beds?

Leaves are free sources of garden nutrients. Each autumn, they fall in thick layers, decorating lawns, beds, and containers. What should you do with them? Let’s see if we should rake them or leave them be. Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant as we dive deep underground to see how leaves benefit the soil.

Close-up of three potted plants insulated for cold with burlap wrapped around the pots and fleece covering the plants in an autumn garden.

Gardening Tips

9 Clever Ways to Insulate Your Potted Plants in Cold Weather

Our container garden specimens are often too valuable to sacrifice to winter extremes. To get creative on preserving your favorites, employ crafty measures of insulated overwintering. Streamlined techniques using household and natural materials offer winter protection and may even promote an earlier spring reemergence. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores ways to enhance insulation for overwintering success.

gloved gardener placing frost protection over rose bush

Gardening Tips

How to Protect Your Garden From Early Frosts

First frosts are never welcome! If you’re like me, you’re trying to hang onto summer weather before freezing winter arrives. Frost threatens tender crops and wildflowers while they grow. With some protection, your garden can continue performing through autumn. See how to protect your plants when they need it most with Pacific Northwest gardener Jerad Bryant.

A person in red gloves pulls a small green weed from the soil, surrounded by healthy plants with soft, brown mulch in the background.

Gardening Tips

Don’t Make These 11 Fall-Gardening Mistakes This Year

There’s a surprising amount of work to be done in the fall garden, not only to set the stage for the best spring ever but also to protect your perennials, soil, and local wildlife through the coldest months of the year. It’s easy to make a mistake or two, especially after an exhausting summer of keeping track of all your plants. Plant biologist Emily Estep will help you steer clear of pitfalls by listing 11 fall-gardening mistakes to avoid.

A close-up of delicate leaves coated with a silvery sheen, giving them a soft, velvety appearance as they overlap in various directions.

Gardening Tips

Should You Water the Fall Garden Until the First Frost?

As we excitedly plant and enjoy time outside this season, roots are busy growing and developing before winter’s turn. To sustain a healthy garden that overwinters heartily, plants need adequate moisture heading into frost. Explore when and how to water before the first frost with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

Vibrant lilac flowers soak up the golden sunlight, their delicate petals unfurling gracefully. Lush leaves form a tranquil scene, enhancing the ethereal beauty of the blossoms in their radiant display.

Gardening Tips

Never Prune These 13 Plants in Fall

As leaves fall and reveal crisscrossing branches, your first impulse may be to grab the pruners! Fall is an ideal time to prune species that bloom on new wood and cold hardy species. You’ll want to avoid chopping spring-blooming plants that bloom on old wood. Learn 13 of the most common shrubs you should leave alone during the fall alongside native plant gardener Jerad Bryant.