Fall/Winter Vegetables: John Dromgoole | Central Texas Gardener

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Fall/Winter Vegetables: John Dromgoole

fall vegetable seeds and transplants John Dromgoole Central Texas Gardener
Fall is an excellent time in Texas to grow vegetables from seeds or transplants.
fall vegetable seeds Central Texas Gardener
Starting from seed lets you grow varieties that may not be available as plants and is also very inexpensive.
lettuce transplants and seeds Central Texas Gardener
However, if you start too close to first frost, transplants are much easier. Be sure to keep floating row cover handy to suspend over hoops or other structure to keep plants warm (especially seedlings) when temperatures close to freezing are expected.

Start beets, carrots, radishes from seed

Seed or transplant: arugula, cilantro, parsley
Transplant: parsley (easiest), rosemary
cilantro seeds, herb plants Central Texas Gardener
Annual (and can re-seed): arugula, cilantro

Annual or biennial (can re-seed): parsley

Seed or transplant: Swiss chard, Pak choi
Pak choi transplants Central Texas Gardener

Perennial: rosemary (though check for hardy varieties; some require spring planting)

Plant strawberries in November
strawberry deer screen hardward cloth Central Texas Gardener

Get Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s planting guides for Central Texas.

And these are great books to guide you for soil prep, fertilizing, planting, pest control and harvesting.
vegetable garden books for Texas Central Texas Gardener
Texas Fruit and Vegetable Greg Grant

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December To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Hardy perennials, shrubs
Trees
Roses (best time!)
Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale and cabbage
Avoid planting cold tender plants like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago

Plant: herbs

Perennials thyme, oregano
Avoid planting rosemary
Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage, rue, chives
Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze

Plant: food crops

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Prune freeze damaged plants or not? Best to leave seeds on plants for birds and protect root system. If picky relatives coming, okay to prune
Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see damage
Do not prune oak trees unless you have damage: paint wound immediately
Okay to prune trees other than red oaks and live oaks

Divide/Move

Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials while dormant
Asters and other fall-bloomers which are dormant

Prep

Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
Keep that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!

Lawn

Pluck out early weeds.

Other tasks

Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and return nutrients to the soil
Mow leaves on grass (if not raking to beds or compost) to break them down
Collect leaves from neighbors to add to compost pile!
Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched