How to Prepare Your Landscape for a Texas Winter

A practical, honest guide for homeowners in the Houston, Spring, Magnolia & The Woodlands areas

Texas winters don’t follow rules. Some years are mild, some bring surprise freezes, and some swing back and forth weekly. These changes can stress lawns, damage irrigation systems, and injure plants—especially if you’re not sure what to do.

This guide is written for homeowners who want simple, clear, trustworthy advice without sales pressure. Whether you’re brand new to lawn care or just want to avoid common mistakes, this will help you prepare your yard the right way.

1. How to Water Your Yard in Winter (The REAL Way to Do It)

This is one of the most misunderstood parts of winter landscape care in Texas.

The biggest mistake most homeowners make:

Watering too much.

St. Augustine (the most common grass in our area) goes dormant or semi-dormant from late November through March. When it’s dormant:

• It uses very little water
• Overwatering increases fungus risk
• Natural rainfall often provides more than enough moisture

Texas A&M and local extension offices agree: Dormant warm-season turf usually needs little to no supplemental watering unless conditions are warm, dry, and windy for extended periods.

So how much water does a dormant St. Augustine lawn actually need?

A good homeowner rule of thumb in our Houston/Magnolia climate:

• If you receive ½” or more of rainfall in a week — you do NOT need to run your irrigation.
• If conditions are cool, damp, or cloudy — you do NOT need irrigation.
• If it’s warm, sunny, and dry for 2–3 weeks — run one deep watering.

That’s it.

Most winters in our area, lawns go 3–8 weeks with no irrigation needed at all.

If you use a traditional controller:

Use the “as-needed” approach, not a fixed schedule.

• If it’s warm & dry: one watering every 2–3 weeks
• If you get measurable rain: skip irrigation entirely
• Check soil with your finger: if it’s still moist 2–3″ down, wait

Your logic is correct: once a week is too much for a dormant lawn unless we get an unusually warm, dry winter.

If you use a smart controller:

Seasonal Adjust typically reduces run time, not frequency. That means your system may still water more often than necessary.

For winter, the most accurate approach is:

• Pause the schedule
• Run manually only if you see prolonged warmth and no rain

A note on this year’s weather:

If we get a La Niña winter (warmer & drier), you may need to water slightly more than a typical winter—but still only on an as-needed basis.

✔ Bottom Line:

From November through March, water only when needed, and watch the rainfall, not the calendar.

2. How to Protect Your Irrigation Backflow (The Right Way)

The backflow preventer is one of the most vulnerable parts of your irrigation system during freezing weather. Many homeowners simply wrap the copper pipes and hope for the best—but that only protects you by a couple of degrees.

What actually works:

Use a full insulated backflow cover that goes:

• Over the entire brass assembly
• All the way to the ground
• Closed snugly at the bottom

This traps ground heat—which is warmer than the air—and gives you significantly better freeze protection.

A good example of a proper insulated backflow cover: Site One insulated backflow cover: https://www.siteone.com/en/bfa2424g-backflow-bag-24-in-long-x-24-in-tall/p/674490

Important: Don’t close all the valves tightly.

This can trap water inside the ball valves and cause them to crack.

The correct step-by-step method to prepare your backflow before a freeze:

1. Turn off your irrigation system.
2. Turn off the isolation valve (the shut-off valve before the backflow).
   • If you don’t have one, you should—this is essential for freeze protection.
3. Open the test-cock screws (small flathead screws) to drain water out of the backflow.
4. Let the housing drain completely.
5. Then install your insulated cover.

Here’s a video walkthrough you can include if you want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Tx-_j7UxI

This is one of the simplest ways to prevent expensive freeze damage.

3. Mulching: Your Best Winter Root Protection (Depth Matters)

Mulch is an easy and extremely effective winter protection tool—when it’s installed correctly.

Ideal mulch depth:

2–3 inches across the root zones.

Why this works:

• Insulates soil from temperature swings
• Reduces evaporation
• Protects roots during sudden freezes
• Helps soil stay stable and healthy

Avoid piling mulch against the trunk—that causes rot.

Extra protection for sensitive plants: use pine straw

Pine straw is a lightweight, breathable material that protects plants during hard freezes.

Why it works well:

• Traps insulating air
• Protects against freezing winds
• Easy to lay down and easy to remove
• Won’t suffocate the plant

To use it:

1. Buy large bales of pine straw
2. Break them apart
3. Tuck the straw into the base and around the lower stems of the plant
4. Remove once the freeze passes

For the cost and ease, pine straw offers exceptional freeze protection.

4. Be Careful With Pruning Before or During Freezes

Pruning creates a wound—and in cold temperatures, that wound stays open much longer.

General guidance for our area:

• Early fall: Light pruning is usually fine
• As we approach Christmas through January:
  • Avoid pruning entirely, especially within 1–2 weeks of a freeze

Why?

Open pruning wounds allow the freeze to penetrate deeper into the plant and damage wood that would otherwise survive.

If you’re unsure whether pruning is safe, wait until late winter / early spring.

5. Fertilizer in Winter: Focus on Roots, Not Color

Another common mistake: applying nitrogen fertilizer during winter.

Why you should avoid nitrogen in winter:

Nitrogen forces new green growth, which:

• Is fragile
• Burns easily during freezes
• Steals energy from root development

What you can use in late fall or winter (if anything):

• Low- or zero-nitrogen products
• Potassium-rich “root strength” products
• Soil builders (compost topdressing, soil amendments)

If you missed the fall fertilization window, it’s usually better to wait until spring than apply nitrogen late.

Ryegrass note:

Overseeding with ryegrass can protect the soil and give you winter color, but doing it correctly is a full topic on its own. If you want to overseed, follow a dedicated ryegrass guide.

6. Should You Cover Plants During a Freeze? (Honest Answer)

Not all covers are equal—and not all freezes are equal.

What frost cloth actually does:

Real frost cloth:

• Traps warm air rising from the soil
• Adds a few degrees of protection (typically 4–8°F)
• Protects against cold, drying wind

But here’s the part most people miss:

Frost cloth only works when it reaches the ground.

If you simply wrap the plant like a lollipop, the warm air escapes and the protection is minimal.

How to properly use frost cloth:

1. Drape it over the plant loose, not tight
2. Make sure it goes all the way to the ground
3. Secure the edges with bricks, stakes, or pins
4. Remove or vent it once temperatures warm up

What materials work best:

• Frost cloth / freeze cloth
• Bedsheets
• Burlap
• Light cotton fabric

What NOT to use directly on plants:

• Plastic tarps
• Painter’s plastic
• Anything that touches foliage during a freeze

Plastic conducts cold and can cause more damage unless used with a frame that keeps it off the plant entirely.

How much protection does covering really give?

• Light freezes: Often very helpful
• Moderate freezes: Helps reduce damage
• Severe hard freezes (teens for many hours):
  • Covers help but are not magic
  • Best option for tropicals: move into garage or indoors

7. A Simple Winter Landscape Checklist

Here’s a quick homeowner checklist you can reference all winter long:

Water

• Only water when needed, not on a schedule
• If you get ½” or more of rain in a week, skip irrigation
• Avoid all nitrogen fertilizers

Irrigation freeze protection

• Shut off the isolation valve
• Open test-cocks to drain water
• Install full insulated backflow cover
• Don’t trap water in ball valves

Plants & beds

• Maintain 2–3 inches of mulch
• Keep pine straw on hand for freezes
• Avoid pruning December–January
• Only cover plants properly (cloth to the ground)

Yard health

• Watch for soggy areas or drainage issues
• Remove debris after storms
• Check soil moisture before watering
• Don’t scalp or mow aggressively before freezes

Final Thoughts

Preparing your Texas landscape for winter doesn’t require complicated steps. It’s mostly about protecting roots, preventing freeze damage, avoiding overwatering, and timing your pruning and fertilizing correctly.

If you ever have questions about your specific plants, turf type, irrigation setup, or freeze prep, just ask. We’re always here to help homeowners make confident decisions and keep their landscapes healthy year-round.