This is the one thing you need to do to stop your garden soil from freezing

Worried about ground frosts? Preventing your garden soil from freezing is very easy with this tip, even if it sounds like the wrong thing to do

English country garden covered in frost
(Image credit: R A Kearton/ Getty)

Hard frosts are not far away now for most gardeners, and they can be a problem in your garden. While the first, lighter frosts often don't affect your plants all that much, it's the ground frosts that pose a real risk, because they freeze the ground and not just the air. 

Learning how to protect plants from frost is essential for all but the hardiest of plant species once the ground frosts hit, but there is one surprising trick that will help you either prevent the ground from freezing, or at least reduce the effects. 

A top expert tip for preventing garden soil from freezing

This may sound counterintuitive, but our gardening experts recommend watering plants even through frosty weather in order to prevent the soil from freezing. Nikki McAteer, manager at My Perfect Plants, a family-owned plant nursery based in North Florida, says that 'the best way to stop soil from freezing would be to continue watering even through winter.'

Not only will watering your plants prevent the ground from freezing, but it will also help support your plants' root systems. 'Plants need water year round, even when temperatures are freezing,' points out Nikki.

A garden with frost

(Image credit: David Cole / Alamy Stock Photo)

Emilly Barbosa Fernandes, a small space gardener from California and a consultant at HouseGrail, agrees, further explaining that water 'holds heat longer protecting the air near the soil.' However, she warns gardeners not to overdo it – 'do not soak the ground because this will cause it to freeze; just a bit of water is all you need.' You want the ground to be moist but not soggy.

Moreover, you should keep watering plants even after they've apparently been killed by a frost. Be patient and keep watering them as part of your winter garden jobs –you might be surprised to discover that they will bounce back. 

A garden in winter with frost

(Image credit: Thomas David Pinzer / Alamy Stock Photo)

You can also forget everything you've been told about not watering your plants at night – that only applies to summer gardens. If a frost is forecast, go ahead and water your plants thoroughly the night before, as this will give you the coveted insulating effect.

This is a simple and reliable way to reduce frost damage to your plants – and, even better, it's compeltely free.

Anna writes about interior design and gardening. Her work has appeared in Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, and many other publications. She is an experienced outdoor and indoor gardener and has a passion for growing roses and Japanese maples in her outside space.