Welcome back to The ATXGardens Podcast! In this episode, landscape consultant and certified arborist Colleen Dieter shares exactly what to focus on in the first half of November to keep your Central Texas garden healthy heading into winter.

This week, Colleen covers fall planting for trees and shrubs, caring for fruit trees, which perennials and bulbs can still go in the ground, and how to prepare your cool-season vegetables, herbs, and lawns before the first freeze. She also shares a client story about transforming a shady, dog-friendly yard into a peaceful, functional space.

Whether you’re tackling leaf cleanup, protecting tender plants, or starting a cool-season garden, this episode is packed with local, practical advice you can use right now.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Client spotlight: backyard redesign for a shady, pet-friendly space
• Fertilizer warning: why it’s time to pause and switch to compost tea or liquid humate
• Woody plants: the best trees and shrubs to plant now (+ protecting trunks from deer rub)
• Fall color favorites: native small trees that bring vibrant leaves to Central Texas
• Tree care: what’s normal leaf drop and how to “leave the leaves” for mulch
• Fruit trees: clean-up tips and when to spray copper soap for disease prevention
• Perennials & bulbs: which cool-season plants thrive when planted in November
• Vegetable garden: cool-season planting list + why watering before freezes matters
• Herbs: annuals and hardy perennials that love fall temperatures
• Lawn care: how to manage leaves without smothering grass
• Design planning: why November is the perfect time to map out spring projects
• Annual color & wildflowers: what to plant if you missed the fall seed window
• Upcoming events: festivals, seed swaps, and community gardening talks.

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Consultations & Shop: ATXGardens.com
• Follow on Instagram - @‌atxgardens_
• Compost Tea Recipe
• Liquid Humate
• Tree Trunk Protectors
• Copper Soap Spray
• Seed To Tree Partnership
• Native American Seed
• Adjustable Metal Rake

Upcoming events:

• Nov 1: Seeding Hope Fall Festival — Central Texas Seed Savers fundraiser (Greensleeves Nursery, Pflugerville)
• Nov 8: Annual Seed Swap — Austin Public Library – Central (11–1 PM)
• Nov 17: Tree Planting Talk — Williamson County Master Gardeners (6:30 PM)

Find more on upcoming events.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow Central Texas gardeners!

Welcome back to The ATXGardens Podcast! In this episode, landscape consultant and certified arborist Colleen Dieter shares exactly what to focus on in the second half of October to keep your Central Texas garden thriving.

This week, Colleen covers eco-friendly lawn care, transplanting do’s and don’ts, and what to plant now (perennials, roses, wildflowers) before the first freeze. She also answers a listener question about her “Everything Garden” experiment—what worked, what she’d change, and how to get lush results without high maintenance.

Whether you’re managing leaves, protecting tender plants from early cold snaps, or setting up your soil for winter success, this episode is packed with practical, local advice.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Hold the pruners: why late October isn’t the time to trim trees, shrubs, or perennials
• Planting window: best timing for trees, shrubs, woody vines, and roses
• Leaf strategy: how to “leave the leaves” for wildlife while avoiding smothering plants
• Fruit trees: fall clean-up to reduce disease pressure next year
• Listener Mail: updates on the Everything Garden design (sheet-mulching wins, fewer species, seasonal mowing)
• Last call: perennials, bulbs, grasses, and cool-season veggies you can still plant now
• Freeze prep: simple steps to protect young and cool-season crops
• Annual color: swapping warm-season pots for pansies, violas, snapdragons, cyclamen
• Lawns: when to do the final (high-deck) mow and how to mulch with chopped leaves
• Wildflowers: realistic watering expectations in a dry fall
• What’s on deck: upcoming classes, festivals, and seed-sharing events across Central Texas

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Make an appointment or shop at http://ATXGardens.com
• Connect on Instagram @‌atxgardens_
• Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed https://amzn.to/4hbuSdh
• Antique Rose Emporium https://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorU423C6VIGcBmGKCxB0Yu27vZ_EO4D4bQgpU63NXp3y1OtzC57
• Xerces Society. https://www.xerces.org/
• Gloves: https://www.atxgardens.com/store-tools-and-accessories
• Horticulturati Episode: https://www.horticulturati.com/episodes/the-everything-garden
• Adjustable Leaf Rake: https://amzn.to/438ZzK6

Upcoming events:

• Oct 18 – Healing Roots & Wings Festival (Givens Park) – Organic Vegetable Gardening class 12–2
• Nov 1 – Central Texas Seed Savers Fall Festival Fundraiser (Greensleeves Nursery, Pflugerville) 5-8
• Nov 8 – Central Texas Seed Savers Annual Seed Swap (Austin Public Library – Central) 11-1
• Nov 8 – Garden Conservancy Open Days: Pollinator Paradise (Leah Churner)
• Nov 17 – Williamson County Master Gardeners: Tree Planting talk 6:30 pm

Find more on upcoming events.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow Central Texas gardeners!

In this episode of The ATXGardens Podcast, Colleen shares exactly what Central Texas gardeners should focus on in the first half of October. From adjusting your irrigation system to protecting tender veggies from early freezes, she covers practical tips to help your plants thrive as the seasons shift.

You’ll hear a real-life consultation story from Karina in East Austin, plus timely advice on why you should stop fertilizing, how to use seaweed as a soil supplement, and why now is the best time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Colleen also shares her favorite tools, the importance of seed saving, and a full rundown of upcoming Central Texas gardening events and seed swaps.

Whether you’re tending a pocket prairie, managing a veggie patch, or just figuring out what to do with all those leaves, this episode will get you set up for fall gardening success.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to adjust irrigation for Austin’s new watering schedule
• Why you should stop trimming and fertilizing this month
• The difference between fertilizers vs. soil amendments (and why seaweed is a great choice)
• Why fall is the best time to plant or transplant trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs
• Easy ways to save and share seeds through Central Texas Seed Savers
• Tools Colleen recommends for transplanting, watering, and dividing plants
• How to protect your cool-season veggies from the first freeze
• October’s best picks for herbs, lawns, and wildflower planting
• A roundup of upcoming seed swaps, workshops, and gardening festivals in Central Texas

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Make an appointment or shop at ATXGardens.com
• Connect on Instagram @atxgardens_
• Find your watering day if you are an Austin Water Customer. https://www.austintexas.gov/department/find-your-watering-day
• Maxicrop Seaweed: Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed (Kelp Extract, 32 Oz - Amazon Affiliate commissions earned.
• Little round yellow sprinkler: QVS 004113 Naan Irrigator Sprinkler 30 ' Round Carded, No Size, Yellow - Amazon Affiliate commissions earned.
• Root Slayer for digging up sapling trees: Radius Garden 22011 Root Slayer Shovel, Red - Amazon Affiliate commissions earned.
• “Let’s Care for Texas Plants” maintenance guide: https://www.atxgardens.com/store-books-and-info
• Native American Seed for wildflower seeds: seedsource.com

Upcoming events:

• Oct 12 – 9:30-11:30 Heirloom Fruit Tree Preservation Project talk (Austin Water Utilities Center For Environmental Research, Hornsby Bend)
• Oct 18 – 11:00-4:00 Healing Roots and Wings Festival (Givens Park, Organic Vegetable Gardening class)
• Nov 1 – Central Texas Seed Savers Fall Festival Fundraiser (Greensleeves Nursery, Pflugerville)
• Nov 8 – 11:00-1:00 Central Texas Seed Savers Annual Seed Swap (Austin Public Library Central)
• Nov 8 – Garden Conservancy Tour, Pollinator Paradise (designed by Leah Churner)
• Nov 17 – 6:30 Williamson County Master Gardeners Meeting (Tree Planting talk)

Find more on upcoming events.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow Central Texas gardeners!