1. Prepare grass for winter Now is a good time to fertilize the
lawn. Feeding now will help the roots through winter dormancy.
Inspect and treat for brown patch, a disease common with cooling,
moist weather conditions.
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2. Plant fall-flowering perennials Look around and see what’s
blooming this fall. Some good choices are Mexican bush sage,
pineapple sage, Mexican mint marigold, Copper Canyon daisy,
and fall asters. Don’t forget to check out fall blooming orna-
mental grasses. Tops on my list are coastal, big muhly, and
maiden grass.
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3. Plant a tree Choose from central Texas’s great selection of
native and adapted shade and ornamental trees. Plant one of the
many oaks or elms for shade. Or add color to your late winter
and spring season by planting a redbud, mountain laurel, orchid t
tree, flowering peach or pear, or a Mexican plum.
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4. Plant a vegetable garden Now is the time for broccoli, caul-
iflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts from transplants. Easily
grown from seed are collards, spinach, carrots, radishes, lettuce,
mustard and collard greens, beets, Swiss chard, spinach, and turnips.
Garlic and shallots (multiplying onions) can be planted now with
short day onions just around the corner in November.
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5. Plant snap dragons These wonderful, winter hardy flowers
should be planted now for a showy late winter and spring garden.
They almost guarantee a Yard of The Month sign in April. Other
bedding plants to choose from are dianthus, violas, pansies,
stock and flowering kale, and cabbage.
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6. Harvest basil and make pesto Also plant some winter-hardy
culinary herbs. Rosemary, oregano, parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme,
and chives love winter and can provide fresh cut herbs for the
kitchen.
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7. Plant winter grass seed: if you have a bare spot or would
like to get rid of a muddy patch, sow some rye grass or fescue.
Rye grass can also be planted in a vegetable garden area to prov-
ide green compost in the spring and soil aeration. Elbon rye seed
can also be planted over winter in garden areas plagued by soil
nematodes (a disaster to tomatoes).
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8. Plant wildflowers These need to be planted in the fall. They
will grow leaves and stems while the days are short during the
winter and will flower in the spring as the days get longer.
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9. Plant fall bulbs For spring flowers, some of the best choices
are daffodils, grape muscari, tulips, jonquils, ranunculus, anemones,
hyacinths, and narcissus. When planting, remember to add a little
bonemeal to the root zone for some slow release organic nutrition.
Happy Gardening Everyone!
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