Roundup: Spring Gardening in Texas
Texan gardeners emerging from their winter hibernation have no time to waste when that first day of spring arrives. The fact is, there’s only a brief window before spring’s mild weather and comfy outdoor gardening temps are replaced with heat waves and days spent indoors with the A/C cranked.
You can get ahead of Texas’ weather curve and take advantage of each and every spring day with these guides to spring gardening — all it takes is a little preparation and a few sunny days.
Know Your Zone
Gardening is, of course, a perennial effort. Knowing how to cycle your plants throughout the year and care for them based on your geographical location are key to success. And since spring is the opportunity for a fresh start, now’s the time to learn what agricultural zone you live in. Our guide helps you determine how your area’s rain levels, weather patterns, soil health, and sunlight affect your garden and your harvest times, plus which vegetables, fruits, and flowers will thrive in your region. Learn all about your agricultural zone here.
New Season, New Produce
Rookie and expert vegetable gardeners alike can try out square foot gardening this spring. This is an easy method of building a grid of 1’x1′ square beds to produce a variety of veggies with minimal effort. Get the complete tutorial in our guide to square foot gardening.
Other easily maintainable garden items are herbs. Grow your own basil, thyme, mint, and other herbs to keep your kitchen stocked with fresh ingredients year-round. Find our tips and ideas for growing a DIY herb garden.
Budding berry gardeners should also get started this spring. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are always better when they’re fresh and local, and there’s nowhere more local than your backyard. Check out our full guide to berry gardening for everything you need to know.
Keep Pests Out
Gardeners aren’t the only ones returning to yards when winter ends — spring weeds may pop up in your garden before you know it. Some weeds, like ground ivy and dandelions, are easily identifiable, but others, like broadleaf plantain and yellow woodsorrel, can sneak into your landscape. Before they start overtaking your garden, check out our guide to identifying weeds and eliminating them safely.
Also on the way: As cute as they are, Texan critters like deer and rabbits see your garden and the fruits of your labor as a giant herbivorous buffet. Lucky for you (and the animals), there are plenty of humane ways to deter wildlife from unwanted invasions. Learn six safe ways to protect your garden from animals here.
Let the Right Ones In
Not all critters pose threats to your garden, of course. Transform your garden into a butterfly sanctuary this spring by planting herbs, flowers, and trees that these friendly insects enjoy. Learn how in our complete field guide to butterfly gardening.
Spring is also hummingbird season in Texas. You can easily attract them to your yard with bright, tubular, nectary flowers like petunias, hibiscuses, and trumpet creepers. Get our tips for creating a hummingbird garden in our guide.
For spring gardening tips on conserving water and creating natural habitats for Texas wildlife, check out our guide on ecological gardening.
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