1. Plant a tree: now is still a perfect time to get that shade or
ornamental tree in the ground.
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2. Plant flowering perennials: it’s never too late. Even though
their tops will be burned back with the first hard freeze, their
roots will be hardy. During the cool days of winter, they will
establish a healthy root system for a show in the spring.
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3. Plant some winter blooming annuals: in central Texas, we
can grow pansies, snapdragons, violas, stock, cyclamen, flower-
ing cabbage and kale. Remember to work in some organic plant
food such as blood and bone meal. These slow release plant foods
will feed your plants throughout the winter and into the spring.
Pansies love blood meal.
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4. Plant fall bulbs: there is still plenty of time. There is a great
selection of late winter to early spring flowering bulbs to choose
from. Look for tulips, narcissus, jonquils, muscari, daffodils, ran-
unculus, and anemones. Bulbs benefit from the slow release
phosphorus found in bone meal. Mix a tablespoon in the root
zone when planting. For 'a drift' of any of these flowers, you'll
need 30 or more.
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5. Force some bulbs indoors: this is a fun activity for Thanks-
giving and Christmas time. The easiest are paperwhite narcissus.
Add some potting mix to a clay or plastic 6” bulb pan (fill about
½ way). Place 3 to 5 bulbs on top of the soil and add some dec-
orative gravel to keep them upright and firm. All you need to
do now is water the bulbs in and place the pot in a sunny locat-
ion. It takes around 3 weeks for the bulbs to force out their fol-
iage and open their flowers. Easy and decorative.
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6. Winterize your lawn: use a slow release organic lawn food.
This will give nutrition and strength to your lawn for the com-
ing cold months.
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7. Cut back your perennials: do this after the first frost, and
mulch your beds with compost and mulch mixed together. This
combination will feed the roots while conserving water and
warming the bed. (First fall frost expected November 28-ish.)
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8. Onions, scallions, garlic: November is onion, scallion, and
garlic month. To be successful with these vegetable gems, don’t
wait until the days get long again. Success requires growing in
the short days of winter. You can grow an onion 6” across! Tim-
ing is most important.
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9. Keep on the lookout for a world of fall bedding (annual)
plants. As temperatures cool, we can begin to plant dianthus,
snapdragons, and petunias.
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10. Watch for black spot and mildew on roses. With cooler
weather, these pesky rose diseases will begin to show up. An
organic spray of Neem oil or wettable sulfur should help in
keeping it at bay. Happy gardening everyone! ❦
