Hopefully, we will be getting some cooler temperatures this month and a lot less humidity. It sure makes it more pleasant to work outside in the garden and landscape.
With that in mind, there is still a little time to plant some cool season vegetables this month. Finish planting the cool season cole crops like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower from transplants so they have time to develop and mature by the first freeze. Lettuce and spinach seed can still be planted. Remember that lettuce seed is barely covered with soil because they need light to germinate. Plant seeds of root crops like radish, carrot, beets, and turnips now. Thin seedlings to a spacing equal to the mature width of the roots so that they develop properly. Mulch these plants when they are up out of the ground to reduce the weeds from taking over.
Don’t forget to fertilize about every four weeks. Use about 1/3 to ½ cup of fertilizer per 25 square feet. Double this amount if using organic fertilizers since they are lower in nutrients. On the other hand don’t use too much nitrogen on your root crops or you will end up with vigorous top grow and poor root development.
Fall is a great time to plant perennial herbs so that they have time to develop good roots for a healthier plant in the spring.
Control caterpillars like the cabbage looper with a treatment of Bt (an organic control). They can devour your cole crops overnight. Another way to control them is to pick them off the plant once they arrive. Attack aphids with a blast of insecticidal soap.
Fall is a great time to plant those wildflower seeds. Loosen the soil surface, scatter the seeds, and water well to bring the seed into good contact with the soil. Bluebonnet seeds should be lightly covered with soil before watering. They can also be planted in 4” pots and allowed to grow before transplanting into a flower bed in late fall or at the end of winter.
It’s also a great time to plant larkspur, poppies and sweet peas. They will be established for that spring growth spurt. Just a note of caution: Last year I had a great stand of sweet peas in a large whisky barrel but the hard freeze we had killed them all. I think I will protect them with frost cover this year if we have a hard freeze.
Cool season transplants of stocks, snapdragons, asylum, dianthus, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbages can be planted now. Wait for some cooler temperatures to plant pansies. After planting these cool season plants, water well with a diluted fertilizer application.
It’s a great time to plant those spring blooming bulbs, corms and rhizomes. Purchase them from reputable nurseries.
If you’re looking for fall color from trees, there are a few available for our area. Some Crape Myrtles will have leaf colors of yellow to orange/red colors. Some red oaks and white oaks will change color in the fall if we get a few cool crisp nights before the first freeze.
Persimmons and several types of citrus are entering their harvest season. Oranges are ripe enough for harvest before they turn completely orange. Sample a few for quality before you harvest all of them. They will lose quality if left on the tree too long.
Persimmons come in two types: astringent and non-astringent. The astringent types need a freeze or two to break down the astringency and make them palatable. Non-astringent types can be harvested once they are fully orange. If left on the tree longer they will soften a bit.
Pick up pecans once they have fallen to the ground to maintain quality. They can be shelled and frozen for long term storage.
Mid to late October is a good time to fertilize your lawn. If you are treating your lawn for brown patch, it is time to apply a second treatment later this month. Proper watering and fertilizing can go a long way to prevent diseases in the lawn. Cool fronts and too much water can make conditions just right for lawn diseases. Brown patch will not kill the grass but just rots the leaves off the runners. It will come back next spring. Rake fallen leaves off the turf to allow sunlight to reach the grass. The leaves will be great in the compost pile.
With that in mind, there is still a little time to plant some cool season vegetables this month. Finish planting the cool season cole crops like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower from transplants so they have time to develop and mature by the first freeze. Lettuce and spinach seed can still be planted. Remember that lettuce seed is barely covered with soil because they need light to germinate. Plant seeds of root crops like radish, carrot, beets, and turnips now. Thin seedlings to a spacing equal to the mature width of the roots so that they develop properly. Mulch these plants when they are up out of the ground to reduce the weeds from taking over.
Don’t forget to fertilize about every four weeks. Use about 1/3 to ½ cup of fertilizer per 25 square feet. Double this amount if using organic fertilizers since they are lower in nutrients. On the other hand don’t use too much nitrogen on your root crops or you will end up with vigorous top grow and poor root development.
Fall is a great time to plant perennial herbs so that they have time to develop good roots for a healthier plant in the spring.
Control caterpillars like the cabbage looper with a treatment of Bt (an organic control). They can devour your cole crops overnight. Another way to control them is to pick them off the plant once they arrive. Attack aphids with a blast of insecticidal soap.
Fall is a great time to plant those wildflower seeds. Loosen the soil surface, scatter the seeds, and water well to bring the seed into good contact with the soil. Bluebonnet seeds should be lightly covered with soil before watering. They can also be planted in 4” pots and allowed to grow before transplanting into a flower bed in late fall or at the end of winter.
It’s also a great time to plant larkspur, poppies and sweet peas. They will be established for that spring growth spurt. Just a note of caution: Last year I had a great stand of sweet peas in a large whisky barrel but the hard freeze we had killed them all. I think I will protect them with frost cover this year if we have a hard freeze.
Cool season transplants of stocks, snapdragons, asylum, dianthus, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbages can be planted now. Wait for some cooler temperatures to plant pansies. After planting these cool season plants, water well with a diluted fertilizer application.
It’s a great time to plant those spring blooming bulbs, corms and rhizomes. Purchase them from reputable nurseries.
If you’re looking for fall color from trees, there are a few available for our area. Some Crape Myrtles will have leaf colors of yellow to orange/red colors. Some red oaks and white oaks will change color in the fall if we get a few cool crisp nights before the first freeze.
Persimmons and several types of citrus are entering their harvest season. Oranges are ripe enough for harvest before they turn completely orange. Sample a few for quality before you harvest all of them. They will lose quality if left on the tree too long.
Persimmons come in two types: astringent and non-astringent. The astringent types need a freeze or two to break down the astringency and make them palatable. Non-astringent types can be harvested once they are fully orange. If left on the tree longer they will soften a bit.
Pick up pecans once they have fallen to the ground to maintain quality. They can be shelled and frozen for long term storage.
Mid to late October is a good time to fertilize your lawn. If you are treating your lawn for brown patch, it is time to apply a second treatment later this month. Proper watering and fertilizing can go a long way to prevent diseases in the lawn. Cool fronts and too much water can make conditions just right for lawn diseases. Brown patch will not kill the grass but just rots the leaves off the runners. It will come back next spring. Rake fallen leaves off the turf to allow sunlight to reach the grass. The leaves will be great in the compost pile.