What to Do in Your Central Texas Garden (Aug 1–15): Stop Planting & Plan for Fall
Welcome back to the ATXGardens Podcast! August in Central Texas can feel like a second winter for plants. The intense heat and lack of rainfall put many plants into a period of dormancy, making this a time for maintenance, planning, and preparation rather than planting. In this episode, Colleen shares practical tips for managing water on your property, pruning trees and shrubs, preparing for fall planting season, and deciding what can—and can't—still be planted in the vegetable garden. She also explains why August is the perfect time to start planning future landscaping projects and orchard additions.
🌞 August Is About Maintenance, Not Planting
Most plants are stressed by the heat in early August, making this one of the most challenging times of year for planting.
Focus on:
Weeding
Mulching
Watering
Sheet mulching future planting beds
Building pathways
Removing invasive plants
Planning fall garden projects
Avoid:
Planting trees and shrubs
Planting woody vines
Installing most new landscape plants
Colleen explains why even daily watering cannot fully compensate for the stress that newly planted trees and shrubs experience during extreme summer heat.
💧 Earthworks: A Better Alternative to French Drains
Continuing her series on erosion control, Colleen introduces earthworks as a sustainable alternative to French drains.
Earthworks Discussed:
Berms
Swales
Rain gardens
Dry creek beds
These landscape features are designed to:
Slow water down
Reduce erosion
Increase water infiltration
Store moisture in the soil
Support healthier plants
Rather than treating water as a nuisance to move off your property, earthworks help capture and retain rainfall where plants can benefit from it.
🌳 Tree & Shrub Care in Early August
Don't Plant Woody Plants
August is one of the worst times to plant:
Trees
Shrubs
Woody vines
Fruit trees
The combination of root disturbance and extreme heat makes establishment difficult, even with consistent watering.
Good Reasons to Prune Trees Now
Clear roofs
Clear sidewalks and driveways
Remove rubbing branches
Improve airflow
Lift tree canopies
Colleen also discusses how to identify declining trunks in multi-trunk trees and shrubs and how strategic pruning can improve plant health and longevity.
Plants That Often Benefit from Renovation Pruning
Redbuds
Roses
Winter Honeysuckle
Mexican Plum
Vitex
Rose of Sharon (Althea)
🍐 Fruit Tree Care & Orchard Planning
Early Pear Harvests
Some pear varieties may begin ripening now, including:
Warren Pear
Check your fruit trees regularly for signs of ripeness.
Continue Summer Pruning
Summer pruning can help:
Control tree size
Improve fruit production
Reduce excessive growth
Keep trees easier to harvest
Don't Forget to Sanitize Tools
When pruning:
Fruit trees
Roses
Oak trees
Use:
Alcohol
Lysol
Diluted bleach
Hydrogen peroxide
to help prevent the spread of disease between plants.
Start Planning Your Orchard Now
August is the perfect time to:
Evaluate this year's harvest
Research new fruit varieties
Decide what to add this fall and winter
Begin ordering bare-root fruit trees
🌿 Perennials & Ornamental Grasses
Last Chance for Mid-Summer Pruning
Many warm-season perennials benefit from being cut back by half before August 15.
This helps:
Prevent flopping
Encourage bushier growth
Promote fall blooms
Plants to Cut Back
Mealy Blue Sage
Henry Duelberg Sage
Mexican Bush Sage
Fall Asters
Goldenrod
Maximilian Sunflowers
Continue Deadheading
Remove spent flowers from:
Yellow Bells
Plumbago
Pride of Barbados
Hibiscus
to encourage continued blooming.
🥕 Transitioning from the Summer Garden to Fall
The first half of August marks the beginning of the transition from summer crops to fall gardening.
Crops Still Producing
Peppers
Eggplant
Okra
Southern Peas
Warm-season greens
Continue harvesting as long as plants remain productive.
Preparing Beds for Fall
If crops are declining:
Remove them
Add compost
Apply mulch
Begin planning fall plantings
If You Must Plant Now
For an early fall crop:
Plant from Seed
Beans
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
Corn
Okra
Southern Peas
Plant from Seed Potatoes
White Potatoes
Plant from Transplants
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplant
Too Late to Plant
Winter Squash
Melons
They likely won't mature before frost.
Still Too Early to Plant
Lettuce
Kale
Collards
Spinach
Wait a little longer for cooler weather.
🌿 Herb Garden Tasks
August herb garden maintenance is simple:
Focus On:
Weeding
Mulching
Watering
Light fertilization based on soil tests
Start Indoors for Fall
Cilantro
Dill
Fennel
Chamomile
Calendula
Borage
Parsley
These cool-season herbs can be started indoors now and transplanted later in the fall.
🌼 Wildflower Planning Season
Wildflower season is right around the corner.
Now Is the Time To:
Collect seeds from existing wildflowers
Share seeds with friends
Purchase additional seeds
Plan fall planting projects
September will be here before you know it.
🌎 Advocacy Corner: Reducing Unnecessary AI Use
This episode's advocacy segment comes from listener Mandy, who shared a tip for reducing unnecessary AI usage during online searches.
Tip:
Add -AI (no space) to your web searches to help bypass AI-generated search results and view traditional web results instead.
The discussion highlights the environmental impact of AI, including its energy and water usage, while encouraging listeners to think critically about when and how they use these tools.
🔗 Resources & Products Mentioned
Corona Razor Saw: https://amzn.to/4vkpn1f
Silky Professional Super Accel Folding Saw:https://amzn.to/3QLdLGp
Corona Orchard Loppers: https://amzn.to/44iywfD
Let’s Care for Texas Plants Digital Download: https://www.atxgardens.com/zines/p/lets-care-for-texas-plants-digital-zine
Let’s Care for Texas Plants Physical Copy: https://www.atxgardens.com/zines/p/lets-care-for-texas-plants-physical-zine
ATXGardens.com to make an appointment
🌼 Stay Connected
For more Central Texas gardening advice, seasonal planting tips, and sustainable landscaping guidance, visit http://ATXGardens.com and follow Colleen on Instagram @ATXGardens_.
