Winter Landscaping Prep: What to Cut Back, Cover, and Leave Alone
When winter approaches in Billings, most homeowners turn their attention indoors—but what you do (or don’t do) to your yard in fall can significantly impact how your landscape bounces back come spring. At Horizon Landscape & Irrigation, we help Montana residents navigate seasonal transitions, especially when it comes to prepping gardens and lawns for harsh winter conditions. Knowing what to cut back, what to cover, and what to leave alone can make all the difference in your landscape’s long-term health.
What to Cut Back
Certain perennials, grasses, and shrubs benefit from a good trim before the snow flies. Cutting back plants like hostas, daylilies, and peonies once their foliage yellows or dies off reduces the risk of pests and fungal diseases overwintering in the dead material. Ornamental grasses can be cut back to about four to six inches above ground level, though some homeowners prefer to leave them standing for winter interest.
Pruning should be strategic. Dead or diseased wood can always be removed, but avoid heavy pruning of trees and shrubs in the fall—especially spring bloomers like lilacs and forsythia, which set their buds in the previous season. Cutting too much too soon can stunt growth or eliminate next year’s flowers.
What to Cover
Young or vulnerable plants benefit from a layer of protection during Montana’s cold snaps. A thick blanket of mulch—preferably 2 to 4 inches of shredded bark or pine needles—helps insulate soil, regulate moisture, and protect roots from freeze-thaw cycles. Evergreens and newly planted trees should be wrapped with burlap to guard against sunscald and harsh winds.
Delicate perennials and bulbs can also be protected with frost cloths or breathable covers during early or late frosts. Avoid using plastic, which traps moisture and can cause rot. For container plants, consider moving them into a sheltered location like a garage or shed, or wrapping the pots to prevent cracking.
What to Leave Alone
Not everything needs trimming or tucking away. Many native plants are best left untouched until spring—not only to protect habitat for pollinators and birds, but also to maintain winter interest in your yard. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and ornamental grasses offer natural beauty in the form of seed heads and structure, especially when dusted with snow.
Some shrubs and trees—like boxwoods, junipers, and hydrangeas—don’t require fall pruning. In fact, leaving them alone helps them better acclimate to the coming cold. Likewise, turfgrass should be left a little taller during the final mow of the season to insulate the crown over winter.
Let Horizon Help You Winterize Right
Every yard is different, and not every plant behaves the same in Billings’ variable winter weather. That’s why we tailor our winterization services to each landscape we manage. Whether you need help identifying what to cut back, wrapping your trees, or getting your irrigation system winterized before the first hard freeze, Horizon Landscape & Irrigation is here to help.
Book your fall prep service today at https://horizonlandscapemt.com and give your landscape the head start it deserves for spring.
