Gardening This Weekend: October 31, 2024
As November begins to unfold almost all of Texas is likely to experience its first killing freeze. That’s one example of things for which we need to prepare this month. Let’s take a look at others.
PLANT
• Daffodils, narcissus, summer snowflake and grape hyacinths as soon as you buy them. Refrigerate tulips and Dutch hyacinths for 45 days at 45F. You want to plant them during the final two weeks of December, so that timing will work out perfectly.
• Trees and shrubs as nurseries sell down their inventories to make room for Christmas trees. Shop soon.
• Pansies, violas, pinks, ornamental cabbage and kale, dusty Miller and other winter color plants so they can become established before it turns cold.
PRUNE
• Remove browned and dead stalks, stems, leaves and seedheads from perennials and stem stubble from annual gardens.
• Tidy up overgrown shrubs now. If you have major reshaping to do, hold off until mid-January.
• Dead or damaged branches from shade trees while you can still identify them. It is much more difficult to do so once they lose their leaves.
FERTILIZE
• Ryegrass and fescue turf with high-nitrogen lawn food now. These are “cool-season” grasses that utilize nutrients well this time of year.
• New annual color plantings with high-nitrogen, water-soluble plant food to get them off to a great start. Repeat weekly until weather turns really cold.
ON THE LOOKOUT
• Apply a broadleafed weedkiller spray (containing 2,4-D) to eliminate young dandelions, clover, roadside asters and other non-grassy weeds as they are getting a start in your turf. Spray on a still day and when no rain or irrigation is expected for 24 hours. Read and follow label directions carefully.
• Insects such as scales, whiteflies, mealybugs, pillbugs and even roaches may try to hitch rides into your house as you bring plants indoors for the winter. Examine the plants closely before bringing them inside. Treat any problems you find while they’re still outside.
• Fire ants will become rampant across much of Texas as rains resume. Control with individual mound treatments in high-traffic areas, and area-wide baits elsewhere.