What to plant, prune and protect before winter

09 December 2025

With the arrival of colder days, your garden and vegetable garden face new challenges.

Low temperatures and frost can compromise sensitive plants, while other species take advantage of this time to develop.

In this article, we give you tips to keep your green space healthy and explain how VITO tools can help.

What to Plant Before Winter

Winter does not mean the absence of cultivation, since there are plants that tolerate the cold well and develop better in this season.

• Hardy vegetables: cabbage, spinach, garlic, and onions are excellent options. These species withstand low temperatures and ensure tasty harvests.
• Ornamental plants: some flowers such as camellias and chrysanthemums give colour to the garden, even on cold days.
• Aromatic herbs: parsley, rosemary, chives, and coriander withstand the cold of this season and can be sown in protected places.

Recommended tool to use: To prepare the soil, the VITO’s Portuguese Hoe is a versatile tool, ideal for turning the soil, incorporating organic matter and improving drainage before sowing or planting.

 

What to Prune Before Winter

Before negative temperatures arrive, it is important to carry out a strategic pruning to prepare the trees and shrubs to face the cold.

This task helps to remove diseased or damaged branches, reducing the risk of frost breakage and ensuring more vigorous growth in spring.

• Deciduous fruit trees: You can remove dry or diseased branches from trees such as apple and pear trees.
• Ornamental shrubs: you should only cut the most damaged branches to prevent them from breaking under the weight of the frost.
• Perennials: avoid drastic pruning, as they can weaken the plant and have the opposite effect to what was intended.

Recommended tool to use: VITO’s Ultra-Light Anvil Lopper feature sharp blades that ensure clean and precise cuts with ergonomics, reducing the risk of plant diseases.

How to Protect Plants from the Cold

The biggest challenge of winter is to protect the most sensitive species from the low temperatures that are felt.

• Mulches: you can use frost blankets or straw to protect roots and keep the soil temperature favourable.
• Mobile pots: potted plants can be easily moved to sheltered places.
• Wind protection: You can create natural or artificial barriers that help reduce damage.

Recommended tool to use: VITO’s 20V Blower can be useful for cleaning dry leaves and preventing moisture build-up, which favours the creation of fungi that are harmful to plants.

Winter does not have to be synonymous with a total break in the garden.

With the right species, strategic pruning, proper protection, and VITO tools, it is possible to maintain a healthy and productive green space.