Gardening This Weekend: October 8, 2026
There are some things that really need to be done now, before any more time passes. Here – I’ve made you a list.
PLANT
• Spring-flowering perennials. You may be able to find them in nurseries, but the main way is to dig and divide established plantings now. Watch, too, for plant society sales in your area.
• Cool-season annuals such as violas, pansies, pinks, snapdragons, and ornamental cabbage and kale as the weather cools. South Texas gardeners can add petunias, sweet alyssum, ornamental Swiss chard, and other less hardy types.
• Ryegrass for temporary winter turf in bare areas, also to overseed bermuda in lawns that receive heavy pedestrian traffic in winter.
• Landscape plants as nurseries reduce inventories before winter. Fall is an outstanding time for new plantings.
PRUNE
• Mow at same height you’ve been using all summer. You’ll keep weeds in check, and you’ll be able to mulch leaves back into the ground.
• However, when a large number of tree leaves fall in a few weeks, bag them after mowing and put them into the compost. For 2-3 weeks they would represent too much organic matter in a hurry.
• Errant unwanted shoots off shrubs, but save major reshaping for winter for evergreens. Spring-flowering shrubs should not be pruned until after their bloom season.
• Remove spent flower stalks and browned foliage from perennials.
FERTILIZE
• New cool-season annual plantings with high-nitrogen, water-soluble plant food to get them off to a good start.
• Fescue turf in Northwest Texas with high-nitrogen lawn food. It grows in fall’s cooler weather.
ON THE LOOKOUT
• Brown patch will be showing up in St. Augustine turf. It appears in circles 18-24 in. in diameter. Blades pull loose easily from the runners. You can see the decayed tissues where leaves attach to the runners. Treat lawn with labeled fungicide and do not water at night.
• Stinging caterpillars dropping from live oaks and other shade trees, also in foliage of shrubs as you work around them. There are several species, including puss caterpillars (asps), Io moth caterpillars, Hagg moth caterpillars, and others.
• Yellowjacket nests as you clean leaves from shrubs, gutters, and lawn. Many species of wasps are docile and won’t bother you, but yellowjackets are aggressive. If you must spray them, know that most wasp-and-hornet sprays will kill foliage due to their propellants.
• Snakes are very active at this time of the year. Be careful when handling leaves or picking up stacks of rocks, lumber, etc. When possible, pull them aside with a hoe before picking them up.
• Learn to recognize ragweed and its green, harmless-looking flowers. It is plentiful across Texas currently in spite of the drought. Use allergy meds as needed and remove all the plants you might have on your property.