Frequently asked questions from North Texas gardeners heading into winter

Gardeners have many questions as fall melds into winter. See if these are things you’ve been wondering about.

Can I prune my overgrown shrubs back now? You certainly can do tidy-up trimming now but save major pruning and re-shaping for late January or early February. Pruning stimulates new growth, and you really don’t want new growth going into the coldest time of the year.

How can I keep my mums through the winter now that they have finished blooming? Cut the old stalks that were in bloom just a few weeks ago back to 2 to 3 inches from the ground. You’ll see new clusters of growth coming up around them. Those will be next year’s blooming stalks. Allow them to grow, then pinch out their growing tips in mid-April or early May to encourage side branching and compact habit.

What should I do with my Gold Star esperanza to protect it over the winter? We are north of its hardiness zone. They usually freeze here, at least to the ground, and often including their root systems. Mulch around their bases with several inches of compost. If it’s convenient and not too unattractive, construct a sheltering structure over and around it to insulate it from the sub-freezing temperatures. Even if you do all that there are no guarantees, but it’s almost sure to be killed out if you don’t.

Can I put my tropical hibiscus and bougainvilleas in the garage over the winter? Conditions in garages are almost never bright enough or warm enough for tropical plants like those two to survive and thrive. They need a sunroom or greenhouse with full sunlight six or eight hours a day and temperatures of 60-65F. Try them in the garage if you wish, but most people who do decide after one time never to try it again. It’s too easy just to buy new plants each spring.

Should fallen tree leaves be mulched into the lawn? It can be done, but if there are very many of them it can lead to thatch problems. There is so much organic matter in a hurry that it can’t break down fast enough. For the main leaf-drop time (now) it’s best to bag them and put them either into your compost pile or beneath shrubs or around perennials as a mulch. Do not send them to the landfill.

What do I do with my hardy hibiscus over the winter? The stems will die to the ground. As soon as that happens trim them back to 3 to 4 in. and leave the stubs as markers of where the clumps are. The roots are extremely cold hardy, so your mulch will be primarily to conserve moisture and slow weed growth.

I need to transplant a volunteer tree seedling. Is this the time to do it? Relocating of woody trees and shrubs should be done while they are dormant. That period begins with the first freeze and continues until their buds start to swell in early spring.

Does mistletoe kill a tree? How can I eliminate it? Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, so it weakens its host trees. It’s best to prune it out tree twig, mistletoe and all when it’s young because it begins growth usually on small twigs and branches. By the time the mistletoe has made large clumps the tree branches have usually grown so large that pruning is no longer feasible.

Can I leave frost cloth on my plants for as long as a week while I’m gone? If you have bought one of the lightweight gauze-like frost cloths intended solely for protecting plants from exposure to cold, those can be left in place for several weeks. They are porous so they’ll allow water and air to pass through. Do not use plastic and use old sheets and other cotton fabrics. They soak up moisture and become heavy, weighting down the plants in the process.

What grass can I plant during the winter? The soil is becoming too cold for good root growth of our warm-season grasses zoysia, St. Augustine, and bermuda. Of the three, bermuda will usually survive if it’s kept moist all the way through the winter. However, it’s still best to wait until March to lay the sod. This is the beginning of a 10-week period where planting grass is a gamble.

Does letting the grass grow taller in fall help it survive the winter better? No. St. Augustine is the only warm-season grass that we grow here that is at risk in extreme cold and letting it grow taller in late fall doesn’t increase its odds of survival one bit. Make sure it’s watered properly, and care for it well during the growing season.

How often should I water during the winter? Your plants will need moist soils during winter just as they do the rest of the year. The only difference will be that they won’t dry out as quickly. When the soil feels dry to the touch, that’s the time to water. Be especially mindful when you hear that a bad cold spell is coming in. Dry plants are much more vulnerable to damage.

How can I tell if tomatoes I harvest right before the first freeze will ripen if I leave them on a newspaper on the counter? Cut through a typical example with a very sharp paring knife. If the seeds move out of the way of the blade, that fruit would have ripened if left on a countertop with good air circulation. If the knife slices through the seeds, those green tomatoes should be used right away, for example, for making relish.

This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.