5 Essential Fall Landscaping Tips for Texas Homeowners

1. Plant Cool-Season Annuals and Perennials

Fall is the ideal time to add color to your landscape with cool-season flowers like pansies, snapdragons, and ornamental kale. These hardy plants will provide beautiful blooms throughout the cooler months when most other plants are dormant.

2. Prepare Your Lawn for Winter Success

Give your grass the best chance to survive winter by continuing regular mowing until growth stops, applying a winter fertilizer, and addressing any bare spots with overseeding. This preparation work will result in a healthier, greener lawn come spring.

3. Strategic Tree and Shrub Pruning

Late fall is perfect for pruning most trees and shrubs while they're entering dormancy. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches to prevent storm damage and promote healthy spring growth. However, avoid pruning spring-blooming plants until after they flower.

4. Mulch Application and Garden Cleanup

Apply a fresh layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and flower beds to insulate roots from temperature fluctuations and retain moisture. Remove fallen leaves from your lawn but consider composting them or using them as natural mulch in garden areas.

5. Winter Protection for Sensitive Plants

Protect tender plants from potential freeze damage by covering them with frost cloth or moving potted plants to sheltered locations. Consider wrapping young trees and installing windbreaks for plants in exposed areas.