October To Do List | Central Texas Gardener

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October To Do List

bluebonnets central texas front yard

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Perennials, shrubs, ornamental (clumping) grasses
Cover crops for dormant vegetable beds: clover, hairy vetch, elbon (cereal) rye, Austrian winter peas, or annual rye
Late: native wildflower seeds like bluebonnets, phlox, Mexican hat, Indian paintbrush, Indian blanket (gaillardia). Also, non-native poppies, larkspurs, hollyhocks

Plant: herbs

Perennials thyme, oregano, lavender
Cilantro seeds or transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage

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

Oak trees safe to prune

Divide/Move

Iris, daylily, fern, liriope, spring-blooming perennials, violets

Prep

Add compost to vegetable gardens along with organic fertilizer if not already done
Decide wildflower seeds and bulbs to plant in November
Mulch tropical and semi-cold-hardy plants like gingers, Esperanza, Pride of Barbados, Firecracker fern, bananas.
Take cuttings of tender annuals to propagate in warmth to renew your garden next spring
If temps dip, cut basil and preserve in oil in the freezer
Collect seeds of annuals to dry and store inside until next spring.

Lawn

Fertilize with an organic slow release formula like 8-2-4 or similar ratio. Avoid products with too much nitrogen. This is the best time of year to fertilize.
Brown patch: Apply a quarter inch of compost. Apply corn meal. Find out what’s causing the problem like low drainage spots or compacted areas.
Mow high to fend off weed seeds that are germinating. Taller grass shades them out.

Other tasks

Late month: get row cover or plan other protection in case of early frost in November
Cut basil to freeze in oil in ice cube trays to use this winter in soups and stews
Collect seeds from summer annuals to dry and store indoors until next spring
Get houseplants ready to move inside. Investigate for any “buddies” that could be coming indoors with them.

Tips for all 12 months

categories:

tags:

October
Perennials

Recent Episodes

Garden for Birds and Pollinators

Bird populations have declined dramatically in recent years. Wildlife biologist Rufus Stephens, co-author of Land Stewardship for Birds with Jan Wrede, explores how to give our birds a helping hand, even in our backyards. Chris Garza sheet mulched his small front yard to kill weedy Bermuda grass to restore soil health and wildlife diversity. Watch | watch episode →

Changing the Winter-Tidy Mindset

Explore nature-to-garden perceptions with Dr. Bob Duke and Dr. Art Markman of KUT’s podcast, Two Guys on Your Head, produced by Rebecca McInroy. A Army Veteran’s new backyard lacked personality until she dug into gardening. Find out where beneficial insects snuggle down in winter with entomologist Wizzie Brown and get the secret to composting with | watch episode →

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