The Second Best Time For Fall Planting In Texas is Now

Heading into October, the triple-digit highs are turning into 90s and 80s. In Texas, that's the signal. Fall is on its way, and with it comes the second planting season of the year.

The window covers shrubs and trees as much as flowers. Planted now, they settle into the soil and take root before the first freezes. There's still time to make real improvements to your landscape before the end of the year, as long as the work gets on the schedule soon.

Why Fall Planting Works In Texas

Spring gets most of the attention, but fall is the second-best time of year to plant in Texas. The air cools off while the soil stays warm. Plants stop fighting the heat and put their energy into building roots.

A plant installed at the right time of year establishes in about 90 days. Something planted in October has settled in by the new year. By spring, it's rooted and ready to grow, with a full season of establishment behind it before the next Texas summer.

That timing pays off whatever kind of property you manage. Apartment communities get full beds when spring leasing picks up. HOAs get finished entrances when residents are back outside. Venues and commercial sites get grounds ready for spring crowds.

Fall Color In Texas

Fall color is the fastest way to change how a property feels. Summer color comes out, and cool-season varieties go in. Our clients love bringing in pansies, dianthus and ornamental kale to brighten entrances and community areas.

These plants are selected to hold their color as temperatures drop, through the holidays and into winter. When most landscapes around you go dormant, a property with fresh color stands out on the drive in.

Every plant in our fall rotation is grown at our greenhouses in Lillian, Texas. They're raised in real Texas conditions, so they arrive on your property already acclimated to the weather they'll be planted in.

More Than Flowers

Flowers are only one way to freshen up a property for your residents and customers alike. Other ways to use the fall window:

• Add or replace shrubs in priority areas, including anything the summer heat took out

• Bring in new pots and containers for doors, plazas, amenity areas and gathering spaces

• Plant trees, shrubs and perennials that will be established before next summer [OPS: what to feature]

Containers are especially useful where there are no beds. They put color at eye level, and

they can be refreshed without disturbing the landscape around them.

Put Color Where People Will See It

The biggest impact comes from placement. Twenty flats in the right spot will outperform two hundred spread across the property. We start with the areas people see first:

• Main entrances and monument signs

• Leasing offices, clubhouses and amenity areas

• Main walkways, plazas, gates and gathering spaces

• Street-facing sightlines

Concentrated color reads from a distance and is easier to maintain. When it's time to show what the budget went toward, it's easier to justify.

What We Handle at Every Install

Every fall color installation includes the same groundwork. At each one, our crews:

• Remove summer material and bring in fresh amended soil

• Build beds on a slightly raised base for drainage

• Set irrigation for what was just planted, since new annuals need shorter, more frequent watering than established turf and shrubs

• Monitor the beds through the first few weeks and handle fill-ins as needed

The first two to three weeks after install are when most problems start. We'd rather catch something at week three than replace it at week eight.

to your EarthWorks account manager now to walk the property, plan this season's planting and lock in your install date.

Get on the Schedule Now

The fall planting window is short. October and November are the months that count, and every week of delay is a week less of root growth before winter. Once it closes, new planting waits until spring, and those plants face their first Texas summer with far less time to establish.

What goes in the ground this fall is what your property looks like when spring arrives. Reach out to your EarthWorks account manager now to walk the property, plan this season's planting and lock in your install date.

Want to go deeper?

Click to view the Seasonal Color Management Guide or the 1-3-5 Budgeting Guide