What to Do in Your Central Texas Garden (March 1-15): Spring is Here! Stop pruning trees, start planting perennials.
Welcome back, gardening friends! In this episode of the ATXGardens Podcast, landscape consultant and certified arborist Colleen Dieter walks you through what to do in your Central Texas garden during the first half of March—one of the busiest and fastest-changing times of the year. With March 1 marking the last average freeze in Austin, spring growth is exploding, weeds are popping, fruit trees are blooming, and it’s time to transition from cool-season to warm-season planting.
Let’s dig in.
🌱 Spring Is Here: Last Average Freeze & What It Means
March 1 is the last average freeze date in Austin (in town), which means:
Warm-season vegetables can start going in
Fruit trees are blooming and setting fruit
Weeds are growing fast
Established plants need more water
Keep in mind: “average” doesn’t mean guaranteed. Freezes can still happen in March, so keep an eye on the forecast before moving tender plants outdoors permanently.
🌾 Weed Control: Cool-Season & Warm-Season Weeds
Spring means rapid weed growth. Stay on top of:
Cool-season weeds:
Sticky weed
Hedge parsley
Rescue grass
Clover burrs
Grass burrs
False dandelions
Warm-season weeds already emerging:
Bermuda grass
Johnson grass
Weeds are much easier to remove when small. Colleen recommends:
Hoe
Digging fork
Fiskars Uproot Weeder
Japanese hand weeder
She also encourages gardeners to rethink what qualifies as a “weed.” Some volunteer plants may be beneficial natives like horseherb, sedges, or dichondra. Learn to identify what’s growing before you pull it.
🌿 Moving Plants Outdoors & Spring Watering
If you’ve been overwintering plants indoors or in a greenhouse:
Watch the long-range forecast.
Begin transitioning plants outside once freeze risk decreases.
Be prepared to bring them back in if temperatures drop.
With warmer temperatures and little recent rainfall, don’t forget to:
Water pots more frequently.
Water newly planted trees and shrubs from the past year.
Monitor sun exposure as intensity increases.
🌳 Trees & Shrubs: What to Plant and What NOT to Prune
Avoid “Crape Murder”
Topping crape myrtles (cutting off the tops) is outdated and harmful. Only remove tops as a last resort—such as when they’re rubbing against a more valuable tree like an oak.
Plant Now:
Mediterranean trees: figs, pomegranates, bay laurels
Tropical shrubs and trees: loquats, bougainvillea
South Texas natives: anacua, Mexican olive
Avoid Planting Now (Wait Until Fall if Possible):
Oaks
Pecans
Roses
Hollies
If you already purchased them, plant immediately—no later than April 1.
Do NOT prune oak trees now. It’s oak wilt season, and pruning can spread disease. In general, avoid pruning trees in early spring unless there’s a safety hazard.
✂️ Shrub Trimming Strategy for Health & Window Height
Now is a great time to:
Hard-prune evergreen shrubs (Burford holly, Texas sage, dwarf yaupon, boxwood, viburnum).
Reduce height of shrubs planted in front of windows.
Cut shrubs lower than your desired final height, because they’ll flush with new growth quickly. One hard annual prune is healthier than constant shearing.
🍎 Fruit Trees: Bloom, Pest Prevention & Early Care
Peaches, pears, apples, plums, and nectarines are blooming or finishing bloom.
When 75% of petals have fallen:
Look for baby fruit.
Protect fruit from maggots and plum curculio.
Options:
Spray organic insecticide (Take Down Garden Spray – pyrethrin + oil)
Cover fruit with micro-mesh or orchard socks
If spraying:
Spray in the evening to protect pollinators.
Important: Trees planted less than 3 years ago should have all fruit removed. Young trees need to focus on root establishment—not fruit production.
March is also grafting season, especially when Texas mountain laurels bloom. Colleen mentions upcoming grafting workshops through Central Texas Seed Savers.
🌾 Perennials, Bulbs & Ornamental Grasses
Finish cutting back all dead perennial growth before new growth makes trimming difficult.
Ornamental Grasses:
Cut non-evergreen grasses (switchgrass, inland sea oats, Indian grass, miscanthus) only halfway down.
Do NOT cut into the lower growth zone—grasses grow from the bottom up.
Muhly grasses (especially Gulf muhly) should not be cut hard—use a rake method instead.
If grasses have dead centers, divide them:
Dig up with a border spade or digging fork.
Slice vertically through root ball with pruning saw.
Replant healthy sections.
Also a great time to plant or transplant:
Perennials
Grasses
Bulbs
Cacti & succulents
Groundcovers
🥕 Vegetable Garden: Transition to Warm Season
Wrap Up Cool-Season Crops:
Harvest kale, collards, lettuce, carrots, beets.
Still okay to plant radishes and mustard from seed.
Too late for most other cool-season crops.
Warm-Season Crops:
Transplant tomatoes, eggplants, peppers (cover if below 35–40°F).
Direct sow beans, corn, cucumbers, summer squash.
Plant New Zealand spinach and Malabar/magenta spreen.
Add compost and fertilizer before planting. Mulch with:
Shredded leaves
Ornamental grass clippings
Colleen is also finishing her soaker hose system and adding animal protection (raccoons, armadillos, foxes, possums).
🌿 Herb Garden: Warm-Season Planting
Plant from transplants:
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme
Lavender
Lemon balm
Catnip
Lemongrass
Mint
Chives
Basil can be planted from seed or transplants directly outdoors.
🌼 Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by http://ATXGardens.com . Colleen offers personalized landscape consultations to help homeowners understand, maintain, and improve their Central Texas landscapes. Consultations can also be gifted to new homeowners.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned
Dutch Push Hoe: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D46NJJHT?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Stirrup Hoe: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JPMV7N8?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Digging Fork: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JPHDJJS?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Fiskars Uproot Weeder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004S0PH1A?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Japanese Handy Weeder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9F3FN6S?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Take Down Garden Spray: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QRAsn1G6arM6_PNCoA9ludkJndWm0JFS?usp=share_link
Maggot Barriers to protect fruits instead of spraying: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QRAsn1G6arM6_PNCoA9ludkJndWm0JFS?usp=share_link NOTE: you need string or twist-ties to use these, they don’t come with a way to close them.
Adjustable Rake: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07832TGD3?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Border Spade: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKVXG7S6?tag=atxgardens-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
🌼 Stay Connected
For more Central Texas gardening guidance, visit http://ATXGardens.com , follow Colleen on Instagram @ATXGardens_, and subscribe to the ATXGardens Podcast for seasonal, science-based gardening advice tailored to Austin and the surrounding region.
