Keith Hansen

The end of daylight savings time this weekend, along with the shorter, cooler days and incoming cold fronts, confirm the changing of seasons. The first freeze of winter could be not far away, and plants must adjust to new conditions.

The average first freeze for our area is in mid-November, which means it could come at anytime. It has come as early as Oct. 20 and as late as Jan. 4 in 1966. The further north and west you live, the earlier the freeze. Folks in low lying and rural areas may see freezes sooner than those dwelling in the middle of the city.

The least stressful winter weather for plants is when the weather turns progressively cooler prior to a mild first freeze. This is what horticulturists refer to as hardening, acclimatizing or conditioning. Plants naturally slow in growth and begin entering into a dormant state in response to cool weather. When the first really severe freeze does occur, hopefully plants will have completely entered into full dormancy. Plants which are still actively growing are most susceptible to freezing temperatures.

You can encourage hardening of plants by gradually withholding water and not pruning yet. However, do not let plants become drought stressed if it does not rain. We've been rather dry the last few months, and lawns, shrubs and trees will need periodic watering, even in the wintertime. Plant roots continue to slowly grow during the winter and need moisture to survive.

This is the time of year trees begin to loose leaves in earnest. Dealing with leaves covering lawns, driveways and walks is an annual chore. Make good use of those leaves by turning them into compost.


FIRST TUESDAY EVENT

Next Tuesday is the final "First Tuesday in the Garden" workshop this year in the IDEA Garden, where Master Gardeners will show you how to easily turn leaves and other plant debris into valuable compost for your garden. Composting also reduces the flow of unnecessary waste entering the landfill. Come to the IDEA Garden, in the southeast corner of the Tyler Rose Garden, Noon on Tuesday, Nov. 6, and learn all about composting.

Speaking of Master Gardeners, consider becoming one yourself. Learn more about this exciting educational volunteer organization by coming to an information/orientation meeting at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 at the Texas Cooperative Extension, Smith County office, located at 1517 Front St. in the Smith County Cotton Belt Building.


PROTECT PLANTS

It's time to make room in your home to overwinter tropical plants that have been growing outdoors. If you have favorite tender plants you'd like to include in your garden again next year, then carefully dig them out of the flower bed, plant them in a well-drained potting mix, and keep in a bright, humid room. They may look terrible during the winter, but if they survive, you can replant them in the garden as soon as the soil begins to warm. Or, take cuttings and root them in a well-drained potting mix in a bright room. To get a few more weeks of production out of your frost-tender vegetables, think about using special covers, called "floating row covers.''

These are used to protect cold-sensitive plants if the forecast is only predicting frost or a slight and brief dip into freezing territory. Floating row covers, which are made of lightweight polyester or polypropylene, can keep the air inside a few degrees warmer, while still letting air and light into the covered plants. It is very light weight and should be anchored on the edges. However, when the weatherman calls for a hard freeze, it's time to harvest all warm-season vegetables.

As the summer vegetable garden fades and dries up, clean up the area, destroying diseased or insect-infested plants and compost the rest. Add compost, or rototill shredded leaves into the soil now so it will be ready for spring planting. At the same time, add lime to adjust the pH if a soil test indicates a strongly acidic soil. You might be surprised at the increased performance of your vegetable garden next year.


GARDEN COLOR

There's still time to plant winter annuals. Pansies are the number one choice for blooming bedding plants at this time of year. They're hardy, bloom over a very long season, and come in a wide array of colors. Visit your favorite nursery to see what new varieties have been developed for this year. Seed companies are constantly improving pansy garden performance and creating new and interesting color combinations. Don't overlook violas which are like miniature pansies, and give a lot of flower power for such small plants.

Other choice bedding plants include snapdragons, calendula, stock, primrose, alyssum, ornamental kale/cabbage, red mustard, Swiss Chard "Bright Lights,'' pinks, dianthus, and sweet William.

Some names you might not be familiar with but are worth trying include diascia, nemesia, linaria and erysimum (wallflower). Consider buying larger container sizes to get them established more quickly.

All cool season flowers prefer soil that has been heavily amended with compost and/or peat to loosen the soil and improve drainage. Also, most cool season plants are heavy feeders, and greatly benefit from frequent applications of a water-soluble fertilizer.

Top off the flower bed with a layer of bark mulch to make things tidy and keep the weeds at bay.


ODD JOBS

As winter approaches, check the thickness of mulch around established flower beds, azaleas and other shrubs. Organic mulches like leaves and pine needles, which are plentiful at this time year, break down and need to be replenished periodically. Run a mower over leaves before using as a mulch to prevent them from forming a thick, smothering layer.

With colder weather arriving, birds will appreciate your help by supplying them food and water. Locate feeding stations and bird baths so you can see and enjoy the action. Don't take hummingbird feeders down yet - I saw a hummer yesterday feeding on my red firespike bush. Stragglers will appreciate the availability of food before continuing their long journey south.

Keith Hansen is Smith County Horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension. His Web page is http://EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu Texas Cooperative Extension educational programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

Keith Hansen
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