Through the summer months, we tend to focus on the forecasted temperature highs: "Let's see just how hot it's going to get this week..."

And perhaps you saw the forecast for later this week (highs between 94 and 95), and thought, "Well, summer is still here."

BUT, the highs are not what is important this week.

It's the lows.

Notice how all of the overnight lows are below 75 degrees? That is significant for our gardens.

For many plants, their ability to flower and set fruit is negatively correlated with average nighttime temperatures. When average nighttime temperatures exceed 75 degrees, flowering slows and most vegetables fail to set fruit properly due to the impact of high temperatures on pollen's viability. (This is why we focus our vegetable growing efforts on spring and summer.)

Now that overnight lows are dropping, you will start to see your garden come back to life. Perennials will begin flowering well again (and with better color), and vegetables will start to set fruit again.

Here is how to set your garden up for success as we move into the fall season:

• Replenish mulch around perennials, annuals, and vegetables as needed. This will be your last application of mulch for any areas where you want annuals like zinnias and cosmos to re-seed and come back next year. (I will discuss this in detail in Saturday's class: Low-Maintenance Gardening with Perennials and Self-Seeding Annuals.)
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• Continue fertilizing. If your container plants look sad after months of heat, you'll be surprised how much better they can look after a good fertilization. If you kept any spring-planted vegetables in the ground through summer, they have likely exhausted nutrient stores in the soil by now. Consistent fertilization is key now through our first frost in late November.
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• Begin plans for replacing summer bedding annuals like pentas, vinca, and impatiens with fall seasonal color like petunias, marigolds, snapdragons, mums, coleus and celosia. Nurseries will be stocked with these plants now.

This Saturday at 10am: Low-Maintenance Gardening with Perennials and Self-Seeding Annuals. ​

What you'll learn in Saturday's live class:

• The best perennials and self-seeding annuals for North Texas
• Perennials and self-seeding annuals maintenance calendar
• Sample planting plans for spring, summer, and fall
• The best sources for perennials in North Texas
• The best online seed sources

REMEMBER! Even if you can't attend the class live, register now so that you can access the replay and materials later. Registered students get unlimited access to the replay and materials.

See you Saturday!

CWL
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