What Are October Garden Tasks For North Texas?
Prime Time For Fall Planting
Fall is perfect for planting as daily temps create the ideal situation for new plants to get established. The warm soil and cooler air encourage strong root growth with less transplant stress. Try your hand at something new like garlic and shallots, plant a patch of color with Texas wildflowers, or add to your winter menu with a cool-season veggie or two. Maintenance tasks include planting cover crops, dividing overcrowded perennials, and checking in on your lawn before winter arrives.
Plant Edible Bulbs
October is the perfect time to plant garlic and shallots for a delicious harvest next spring and early summer. Tuck cloves and bulbs into well-drained soil in a sunny spot, with the pointed end facing up.
Feed Your Soil Naturally
October through November is the perfect time to sow cover crops in any garden bed that you won't be using to grow winter vegetables. Often called "green manure," cover crops like crimson clover, fava beans, and other legumes improve soil structure, suppress weeds, and add valuable organic matter and nitrogen to the soil.
Divide Perennials
Fall is the perfect time to divide and replant crowded perennials. Daylilies, bearded iris, salvia, yarrow, coreopsis, penstemon, and ornamental grasses, all benefit from a little extra space to grow. Dig, divide, and replant now to encourage healthier plants and more blooms next season.
Sow Texas Wildflowers
October is the perfect time to sow Texas native wildflowers such as bluebonnets, larkspur, poppies, and sweet peas. Scatter seeds in a sunny spot and let cool fall weather help them establish strong roots through winter. A little effort now will reward you with a breathtaking display of color and pollinator-friendly blooms next spring!
Give Your Lawn A Fall Tune-Up
As temperatures cool and rains begin, gradually reduce irrigation to help prevent brown patch and other fungal problems. Apply a light feeding to Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine lawns to keep them healthy. Don't forget a pre-emergent herbicide to stop winter weeds like chickweed and annual bluegrass before they appear.
Cool-Season Veggie
October is prime planting season for a productive fall and winter vegetable garden. Set out transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, with many more options available. You can also sow seeds directly for carrots, radishes, arugula, parsley, sugar snap peas, and more!
Other Timely Tasks for October
- October is one of the most enjoyable months in the Texas garden. Average daytime temperatures typically range from the upper 70s to low 80s and nighttime temperatures cool into the 50s and 60s. For many Texas gardeners, October marks the beginning of a second spring!
- Before nighttime temperatures dip into the upper 40s, move tender plants indoors—like crotons, tropical hibiscus, orchids, pothos, and philodendrons. Give each plant a thorough inspection for spider mites, mealybugs, scale, whiteflies, and aphids before bringing them inside. As days get shorter and growth slows, keep in mind that most houseplants need less frequent watering to stay happy and healthy all winter long.
