Temperatures are finally beginning to drop here in West Texas, with overnight lows dipping into the 40s this week. We spoke with the experts at Willow Creek Gardens to gain their insights on preparing your lawn and garden for the cold months.
According to Adam Andrews, the owner of Willow Creek Gardens, picking up fallen leaves is an important step to maintaining your lawn’s health this season. “Believe it or not, leaves do not create insulation on the yard like some people think. Actually, what can happen is, number one, you're covering your lawn, which needs sunlight. Number two, those leaves can start to mildew a little bit and create a haven for insects and mold and mildew and disease and things like that.”
Andrews also recommends changing your watering schedule to once every two weeks. Specifically for Saint Augustine lawns, you won’t want to stop watering altogether, as this type of grass doesn’t go completely dormant here.
Now is also a good time to remulch your flower beds and add fertilizer for root growth, and, if you’re looking to add some color to your garden, Austin King states that, “Right now is the perfect time for pansies, which are nice little annual flowers. They're really cold-hardy. They're pretty too, you know, they come in so many different colors that are pretty easy to take care of.”
However, not all plants are built to withstand the winter freeze, so it may be time to bring some potted plants indoors during cold snaps. To prevent outdoor pests from coming into your home, you should treat your plants with a systemic insecticide.
The plants that may have the most difficulty this winter are tropicals. These plants originate from more temperate climates and cannot withstand the extreme changes in temperature.
“Believe it or not, there are some tropical plants that if you have them by a back door and you keep open air, your kids are coming in and out, or dogs or something, that cold blast will affect a tropical. So that and keeping them away from fireplaces with you, a lot of fire and heat. Tropicals like it very even-keeled temperature,” Andrews says.
And for the plants that will be braving the cold this winter, you may want to consider wrapping younger or less established trees and shrubs in freeze cloth.
“Some people do plastic,” King says, “but I don't recommend that because moisture can be trapped against the plastic and on the leaves, and it can rot, but freeze cloth lets it breathe a little bit so you don't get condensation.”
Winter can be a difficult time for beginner and advanced gardeners alike, but with a little advice from the experts and some preparation this Fall, it doesn’t have to be.