Fall Weather is Finally Showing Up!
As soon as we have consistent sweatshirt weather we can start changing out summer flowers to pansies for the winter. If it stays hot they tend to stretch and get aphids. If your summer color still looks good you can enjoy well into November, but it is always good to get pansies in the ground a week or two ahead of our first hard freeze so they have some roots developed.
And when will the first hard freeze occur? It can happen any time from November 20 to February. And if anyone could know that more than a few days in advance, they need to be sitting at a table in Vegas.
Along with milder weather October brings a modest list of gardening chores. Turf still needs to be mowed and leaves mulched up, flowers changed out, fire ants treated with bait products, fall pre-emergents and fertilizer applied, and tired summer perennials tidied up. But outdoor chores are always easier on a pleasant fall day.Perennials and Shrubs that Shine in Fall
Several flowering plants will put on a last big show for the season. Some of our most notables are the cool lavender blooms of Mexican Bush Sage and Blue Fall Aster.
The bright yellow of Mexican Mint Marigold is a great companion. There are 3 cultivars of Texas sage that all put on a big purple bloom after rains. A nice plant year-round, but blooms well in fall too.
Salvia greggi are blooming in pinks, reds and many other shades, great forage for migrating humming birds and butterflies.
Mexican Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia gilliessi, is a small tree native to west Texas and can be winter tender here, but the unique blooms make it worth a try in well drained soils.
Great North Texas Trees for Fall Color
North Texas will never be mistaken for New England in the fall, but when our conditions are just right we do have several trees that can deliver a nice show of fall foliage. Chlorophyll is the chemical in leaves responsible for photosynthesis and it also give the leaves their green color. Leaves naturally contain other orange and yellow pigments but green dominates during the summer. As daylight shortens and temperatures decrease, photosynthesis slows, the chlorophyll breaks down, and the orange and yellow colors start to dominate. At the same time, other chemical reactions may produce red anthocyanins. All of the colors mix with the chlorophyll residue to form a variety of colors including plain old brown.
Temperature, light, and water supply have an influence on the degree and the duration of fall color. Low temperatures above freezing will favor anthocyanin formation, producing bright reds in maples and red oaks. However, an early frost can weaken the brilliant red color. Rainy and/or overcast days tend to increase the intensity of fall colors.So although weather is our biggest factor in a fall show, here’s the short list of dependable trees endemic or well suited to our area that have the best potential for color.
Autumn Blaze maple is one of only a few maples suited for our area. Do not plant silver maples! Although silvers are truly fast growers, they are prone to sunscald, borers, weak wood/storm damage, and relatively short lives.
Other good maples are Shantung and Fire Dragon. Fire Dragon is a cultivar of the shantung. It was developed by a local nurseryman, Keith Johannson and is a Texas A&M Superstar. Shantung is yellow and Fire Dragon is red.
Cedar elm is our native elm and can develop very showy yellow fall foliage. It is a sturdy tree with few problems. If you are into natural gardening, it’s tiny leaves are great for mulching beds.
Gingko biloba is a prehistoric tree that you won’t find on every street corner, but it is a unique tree that turns a beautiful bright yellow in fall. Make sure you purchase a male plant, and normally that is all you will find in nurseries. The females produce copious amounts of messy fruit. Gingkos tend to have a narrow upright growth habit, but many cultivars with a variety of characteristics have been developed.
Chinese pistache grows well here and is a medium sized tree that is well suited to our smaller urban yards. It can become brilliant yellow-orange in the right conditions. Pistache trees have a nice rounded canopy.
Another tree for beautiful yellow-orange hues is our common crape myrtle. Some varieties develop more color than others, and some may turn maroon or red. When selecting a crape myrtle, you should look at a variety of factors—size, shape, bloom, fall color, and mildew/disease resistance.
Last but not least is our native Shumard red oak. There are occasionally unscrupulous nurseries or growers that sell pin oaks or northern red oaks here, both of which are incompatible with our alkaline soils and water. The shumard tends to hold it’s leaves until around January, making for a late season clean up, but it is a tree that will still be here for your great grand children.
October Chores
- Mow less often as the lawn slows down
- Water once—twice a week as needed
- Treat fire ants—bait products work well in Fall
- Overseed rye and fescue grass
- Apply weed pre-emergent and fertilizer
- Sow wildflower seeds for spring
