As the days shorten and lower temps arrive, we know fall weather is near and winter is not far off.

Lantana

Our mailbox lantana, which we treat as an annual, never looked as showy as in the fall.

Photo Credit: David L. Morgan

Begonia

This begonia will thrive until the first frost, which may not arrive until December.

Photo Credit: David L. Morgan

Yellow lantanas

Lantanas in the landscape look their best in the fall and return with a flourish in summer.

Photo Credit: David L. Morgan

Fallen limb

This may only look like trash to you, but to us it’s good riddance to an overgrown garden.

Photo Credit: David L. Morgan

At least that’s what the almanac says.

For Southwesterners, there’s still work to be done in our gardens. While in some of our region’s areas light snow falls in October, others won’t get their first freeze until December. So don’t unpack your sweaters until you roll up your sleeves! Here’s what still needs to be done in your yard:

  1. “Un-landscape” your garden. Now’s the time to trash the trash, junk the junk, weed out the weeds. You found out this hot summer what worked in the garden and what didn’t, so grab the shovel and get busy tossing the “what didn’ts.” You’ll have a cleaner, tidier garden and a place to start for Task No. 2.
  2. Fall is for planting! Trees and shrubs put in the ground now will have a head start come next spring. Don’t wait any longer – do it now. (And consider No. 3.)
  3. Plant bulbs. Believe it or not, there are some really neat bulbs you can plant in the calcareous, basic soils of the Southwest. (Are you familiar with rain lily?) Check your local garden center for recommendations for your particular area.
  4. Finish off those fall webworms. In the US, 88 tree species are hosts to this pest. Webworms can attack just about all of our commonly-planted and native deciduous species – pecans, mulberries, oaks, Chinese pistaches, elms, maples and persimmons. Don’t let your trees remain infested; instead, pull off the webs, cut off small limbs where webworms inhabit, and spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) in your trees.
  5. Plan what you want to do with that profusion of containers of tender plants you’ve got on your patio. Make room in your house for the huge fern and the dumbcane you’ve nurtured over the past four months.
  6. Don’t trash your summer annuals or cut back perennials just yet. It may be tempting to pull out the pruners, but fall often brings out these plants’ best colors. Be patient and wait until the first frost. Then you can plant those colorful winter annuals, like pansies and kale. It’s also time to sow bluebonnet (Lupinus) seeds!
  7. Mulch your tree leaves. As your trees begin to defoliate, run your mulching lawn mower over them (the leaves, not the trees) once or twice a week. Not only will you be providing winter cover for your turf, you’ll be adding nutrients back into the soil. (It’s cheap fertilizer!)
  8. Trim deciduous trees. As the weather cools and the leaves have fallen, you can enjoy the great outdoors and more easily see what trimming needs to be done. (Much less frustrating than watching your favorite pro football team get clobbered!)
  9. Finally, continue to care for your lawn. Apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer, water in dry winter weather, spread a winter weed killer, and mow at a slightly higher level to protect roots.

This is also a good time to start making your spring plans. Measure your garden space, look through some garden books, and design you dream garden. By preparing for winter, you’ll be ready for spring!