Episode 2: Time to Enjoy

Written By Colleen Dieter

Welcome back to The ATXGardens Podcast with landscape consultant and certified arborist Colleen Dieter of ATXGardens.com!
In this episode, Colleen shares exactly what Central Texas gardeners should focus on in the first half of October—from irrigation updates and fall planting to cool-season vegetables, herbs, and wildflowers.

Plus, she shares a sweet client story from East Austin and gives important reminders about fertilizers, pruning, and prepping your yard before our unpredictable fall weather kicks in.

🌼 Client Story: Designing a Tiny East Austin Yard With Big Dreams

This week, Colleen met with Carina in East Austin, who has a small yard but a huge vision:

  • A pocket prairie

  • A fig tree

  • Privacy from a busy street

  • Rainwater management

  • A vegetable garden

Together, they found a way to fit all of those elements into her small space without overcrowding. By the end of the consultation, Carina had a clear plan and was energized to get gardening.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a small Central Texas yard functional and beautiful, this episode is full of clever ideas.

🍁 October Garden Big-Picture Tips

As temperatures begin to cool (a little), early October is about slowing plants down—not speeding them up.

🚫 Don’t trim anything right now

Avoid pruning trees, shrubs, and perennials. Pruning now triggers tender new growth that can easily be damaged by upcoming freezes. You’ll also cut off fall flower buds.

🚫 Stop fertilizing after October 1

Fertilizers stimulate new growth, which is exactly what we don’t want going into winter.
Instead, use:

  • Compost

  • Maxicrop liquid seaweed

  • Other soil amendments

These support plant health without pushing new leaves.

🔬 Fall is soil testing season

Send a soil sample to:

  • Texas A&M Soil Lab

  • Texas Plant & Soil Lab

  • Or any U.S. soil lab

This is especially helpful for vegetable gardens and fruit orchards, which require higher nutrient levels than landscape plants.

💧 Adjust your irrigation for cooler weather

Austin Water has returned to conservation-stage watering rules, so double-check your watering day and update your system.

🌳 Trees, Shrubs & Woody Vines

October is prime time to plant or transplant woody plants—trees, shrubs, roses, and native vines like crossvine or Carolina jessamine.

Why plant now?

Because woody plants are beginning to go dormant, which helps them root deeply before next summer's heat.

🍁 Leaf Wisdom

Keep as many leaves as possible on your property:

  • Use leaves as mulch in beds

  • Chop them with a mower to keep them from blowing away

  • Free mulch = happier soil, healthier plants

If you’re new to Austin, you’ll notice many trees (especially live oaks) don’t drop their leaves until spring.

🐛 Webworms in fall

If you see fuzzy silken bags in trees:

  • One or two bags in a big tree = harmless

  • If they cover more than ⅓ of the tree, intervene

  • Tear down reachable bags

  • Poke holes to let predatory wasps inside

🌹 Roses

Repeat-blooming roses are often putting on a second flush right now.

Colleen’s advice:

  • Do NOT deadhead in fall

  • Allow hips to form—they signal the plant to enter winter dormancy

Spray roses with compost tea or Arbor Biofungicide to prevent fungal issues heading into winter.

🌸 Perennials, Bulbs & Dividing Plants

October is an excellent time to plant:

  • Lantana

  • Indigo spires salvia

  • Ornamental grasses

  • Cool-season perennials like spiderwort, yarrow, and lyreleaf sage

These cool-season perennials stay green all winter and bloom early in spring.

It’s also a great time to divide:

  • Perennials

  • Bulbs (iris, daylily, canna, amaryllis, rain lilies)

  • Yuccas & agaves

Tools Colleen recommends:

  • A digging fork

  • A Root Slayer shovel for tough roots and agave pups

More dividing guidance is in her booklet series: Let’s Care for Texas Plants.

🦋 Nature Stuff: What’s Happening Outdoors Right Now

Early October brings:

  • Monarch butterflies migrating south

  • More butterflies in general (sometimes mistaken for falling leaves!)

  • Cooler, calmer days ideal for simply being in the garden

Colleen encourages gardeners to slow down:

  • Sit in the garden

  • Invite friends over

  • Pass along seeds and plants

  • Savor the connection that gardening creates

🥕 Vegetables

October is a major planting month for cool-season crops.

Direct-sow now:

  • Arugula

  • Radishes

  • Swiss chard

  • Mustard greens

  • Turnips

  • Bok choy

  • Beets

  • Collards

  • Carrots

  • Lettuce

  • Kale

Plant as transplants:

  • Broccoli

  • Cauliflower

  • Cabbages

  • Artichokes & cardoons

Also plant:

  • Onion seeds (in beds or trays)

  • Garlic cloves

  • Cover crops (if resting beds):

    • Rye

    • Clovers

    • Austrian winter peas

    • Texas bluebonnets

Freeze readiness

Freezes can hit as early as November 15.

Have on hand:

  • Row cover fabric

  • Cloches

  • Blankets/sheets

  • Mason jars for tiny plants

🌿 Herbs

October tasks:

  • Remove basil and other warm-season annual herbs

  • Plant seeds for cool-season herbs:

    • Cilantro

    • Parsley

    • Dill

    • Calendula

    • Fennel

  • Plant perennial herbs like sage, oregano, chives, and thyme (with protection if a freeze hits early)

Mix compost + decomposed granite into herb beds for drainage.

🌼 Wildflowers

Now is the best time to plant seeds for:

  • Bluebonnets

  • Pink evening primrose

  • Other early spring bloomers

Colleen strongly recommends Native American Seed (SeedSource.com).
Avoid big-box seed mixes—many contain non-native, invasive species.

🌻 Events & Classes (Fall 2025)

October 12
Heirloom Fruit Tree Preservation Talk — Austin Water CER, Hornsby Bend (9:30–11:30 AM)

October 18
Healing Roots & Wings Festival — Givens Park (11–4)
Organic Veg Gardening Class with Colleen (12–2)

November 1
Central Texas Seed Savers Fall Festival Fundraiser — Greensleeves Nursery, Pflugerville

November 8
Annual Seed Swap — Austin Public Library (11–1 PM)

November 8
Garden Conservancy Open Days — Pollinator Paradise by Leah Turner

November 17
Tree Planting Talk — Williamson County Master Gardeners (6:30 PM)

More details at ATXGardens.com/speaking-events

🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned

Make an appointment or shop at ATXGardens.com

🌼 Stay Connected

For more Central Texas garden tips, visit ATXGardens.com, follow Colleen on Instagram @ATXGardens_, and don’t forget to subscribe to The ATXGardens Podcast for biweekly, season-specific gardening guidance straight from your favorite Austin garden consultant.

Colleen Dieter
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Episode 3: Get ready for Winter?
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Episode 1: Mid to Late September