What to Do in Your Central Texas Garden (Sept. 15–30): Fall Planting & Bluebonnets
Welcome back to the ATXGardens Podcast! Late September brings the start of Central Texas' short but wonderful fall—and with it, one of the best planting seasons of the year. In this episode, Colleen shares what to plant now, why it's time to stop pruning woody plants, how to build budget-friendly raised beds using hügelkultur and keyhole gardening, what vegetables and herbs belong in your fall garden, and her tried-and-true method for planting Texas bluebonnets.
🌳 It's Officially Tree & Shrub Planting Season
Good news: it's finally time to start planting woody plants again! Around September 15, Central Texas enters a new planting season for trees, shrubs, and woody vines, especially once nighttime temperatures begin dropping below 75°F and rain is in the forecast.
What You Can Start Planting
Oaks and other shade trees
Fruit trees like plums and peaches
Yaupon hollies
Rose of Sharon
Hydrangeas
Beautyberries
Crossvine
Carolina jessamine
You may even find trees and shrubs discounted at local nurseries as deciduous plants begin losing their leaves.
Don't Plant Too Deep
When planting a tree or shrub, make sure the hole is no deeper than the root ball. It's better for the root ball to sit slightly above ground level than too deep.
Remember Colleen's saying:
"Too low won't grow. Too high, never die."
✂️ Stop Pruning Woody Plants
While it's time to start planting, it's time to stop pruning trees, shrubs, roses, and woody vines.
Pruning encourages tender new growth, and that growth may not have enough time to harden off before the first freeze. Unless a branch poses a safety issue or is repeatedly being damaged, save the pruning for another season.
🧪 Fall Soil Testing
September is also an excellent time to test your soil, especially before starting a new garden or adding amendments.
A soil test can tell you what your soil actually needs, potentially saving you money and helping you avoid unnecessary fertilizers and amendments.
Colleen recommends the Texas Plant and Soil Lab and also offers help interpreting soil test results through http://ATXGardens.com .
🍐 Late September Fruit Tree Care
Keep checking your pears, apples, pomegranates, and persimmons for ripe fruit. Orient pears and Pink Lady apples may be ready around this time of year.
If fruit begins developing color, consider harvesting it before wildlife gets to it and allowing it to finish ripening indoors. Placing fruit in a paper bag with a ripe apple can help speed up the process.
Try Grafting & Rooting Fruit Trees
Late September is also a good time to take cuttings from:
Figs
Pomegranates
Loquats
Citrus
Some cuttings can be rooted to create entirely new trees, while others can be used for grafting. Colleen explains how to use rooting hormone and propagation mix and shares an example of grafting a new grape variety onto a wild mustang grape growing in her backyard.
🌼 Plant, Divide & Transplant Perennials
Late September is an excellent time to plant:
Perennials
Succulents
Cacti
Bulbs
Ornamental grasses
Sedges
It's also a great time to divide and transplant plants that have become overcrowded, are growing into walkways, or are competing with neighboring plants.
After months of waiting through the summer heat, planting season is officially here!
🪴 Build Raised Beds on a Budget with Hügelkultur
Continuing the series on building a new vegetable garden, Colleen introduces hügelkultur, a technique that uses logs, branches, sticks, and other organic material to partially fill a raised bed.
Instead of purchasing enough garden soil to fill the entire bed, you can layer woody material underneath and add at least 12 inches of soil on top.
As the wood decomposes, it becomes spongy and helps retain moisture, which can make plants more drought tolerant—a major benefit for Central Texas gardens.
🌱 Keyhole Gardening for Texas Gardens
Keyhole gardening uses a similar concept but incorporates layers of organic matter such as:
Cardboard
Paper
Leaves
Vegetable scraps
Soil
Traditional keyhole gardens include a composting area in the center, but Colleen explains that you can use the same layering concept in other raised bed shapes.
Because decomposing organic matter holds moisture, this can be especially useful in hot Texas gardens.
Free & Low-Cost Materials for Raised Beds
Look for organic materials you may be able to source inexpensively or for free, including:
Coffee grounds
Vegetable and fruit scraps
Juice or smoothie pulp
Hair from salons or pet groomers
Mushroom blocks
Colleen recommends adding at least 12 inches of quality vegetable garden soil over the organic material so plants have enough root space while everything underneath decomposes.
🥕 What to Plant in Your Fall Vegetable Garden
Late September is one of Colleen's favorite times in the vegetable garden because there are so many crops you can plant.
Plant as Transplants
Artichokes
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collards
Leeks
If temperatures are still hot, give young plants some afternoon protection with shade cloth.
Direct Sow from Seed
Now is a great time to plant:
Beets
Turnips
Carrots
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Swiss chard
Arugula
Peas
Radishes
It's also your last chance to plant green beans, cucumbers, and summer squash if you want them to produce before the first freeze. Choose varieties that mature in 80 days or less.
🌿 Transition Your Herb Garden for Fall
Warm-season herbs like basil are beginning to wind down, while cool-season herbs can start taking their place.
Plant from Seed
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley
Calendula
Borage
Feverfew
Chamomile
Plant as Small Plants
Garlic chives
Oregano
Sage
Mint
Late September is the beginning of a whole new growing season for Central Texas herb gardens.
💙 It's Bluebonnet Planting Time!
If you want Texas bluebonnets next spring, now is the time to plant the seeds.
Colleen shares her tried-and-true bluebonnet planting method:
Put bluebonnet seeds in a strainer and pour boiling water over them to help crack the hard seed coat.
Mix the seeds with one bag of compost and one bag of decomposed granite.
Rake the planting area to expose bare soil and create small grooves and divots.
Spread the seed mixture throughout the area.
Stomp the seeds firmly into the soil to create good seed-to-soil contact.
Then let nature take it from there and look forward to bluebonnets in the spring!
🌱 Save One Seed This Fall
For this episode's activism segment, Colleen encourages gardeners who are new to seed saving to start small: choose just one plant and learn how to save its seeds.
Those seeds can then be shared with friends, donated, or brought to the Central Texas Seed Savers seed swap on National Seed Swap Day in January 2027 at the Austin Public Library.
Free seed-saving zines are also available through http://ATXGardens.com to help you get started.
🔗 Resources, Products & Organizations Mentioned
Book a consultation with Colleen: http://atxgardens.com/
🌼 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_.
