Gardening This Weekend: October 22, 2026
Here’s my list of timely tips for the last full week of October. Compare your list and let’s get busy.
PLANT
• Nursery stock. I continue to preach it: Trees and shrubs set out now will be better equipped to handle next summer’s heat. Only exceptions: wait until spring to plant types known to be subject to freeze injury in your area.
• Pansies, snapdragons, pinks, ornamental cabbage and kale and other cold-hardy annuals, even if it means removing summer annuals that may still be looking good. The new plants need the head start to get themselves going.
• Buy tulips and Dutch hyacinths immediately, then place them at 45F. in the refrigerator for at least 45 days to give them artificial chilling. Without it in Texas they won’t bloom normally. Plant them the second half of December.
• Daffodils and grape hyacinths as soon as you buy them. Choose daffodils and narcissus that have the best chance of “naturalizing” (blooming in successive years). Best types include Carlton, Ice Follies, Geranium, Cheerfulness, Golden Cheerfulness and other early and smaller-flowering types.
PRUNE
• Minor shaping of shrubs to remove erratic growth. Save major pruning for late winter just before new growth begins.
• Spent flower stalks and dead leaves from perennials to tidy things up. As soon as first frost kills tops to ground, trim off all the frozen tissues and apply a 2-in. layer of shredded tree leaves as mulch over the clumps.
• Lawn at regular mowing height. Raising the blade does not help improve winter hardiness.
• Bag fallen tree leaves. Compost them or use them as mulch. Don’t send them to the landfill.
• Remove dead and damaged branches from shade trees while you can easily tell them from healthy limbs.
FERTILIZE
• Ryegrass and fescue turf with a high-nitrogen or all-nitrogen lawn food.
• Cut back on fertilizer given to patio pots and hanging baskets that you intend to bring indoors for winter. They won’t need the nutrition.
ON THE LOOKOUT
• Inspect patio pots and hanging baskets you intend to bring in for the winter for insects. Treat while they’re still outside.
• Brown patch is common in St. Augustine turf across Texas currently. See related Texas Garden Tip this issue. It turns circular areas of St. Augustine yellow, then brown. Blades pull loose from the runners quite easily. Apply a labeled turf fungicide to stop it.