Central Texas Gardener - October 17th, 2009

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October 17th, 2009

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When shopping for plants, pick stocky plants. Leggy ones may have been in the nursery too long.
If you've kept poinsettias since last year, it's time to force them back into bloom. They need long nights. Put them in a closet around 5 p.m., and then take them out to a sunny spot in your house during the day. Because they are tropical, you don't want to put them outside this time of year.
With Christmas cactus, you can force those in a closet, but you can also leave them in a dark room that you don't go in much at night because they aren't as sensitive to the length of the day as your poinsettias are.
Plant trees, perennials, herbs, and shrubs. This is the best time to plant!
It's not too late to divide daylilies and other perennials, like coneflowers.
Continue sowing winter crops, like lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula, and cilantro.
Plant parsley, dill, fennel, and chervil.
Mulch your cold-tender plants.
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