What Eats Potato in Texas, and When
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension documents 13 entries of vegetable pests in Texas, and only about half of them bother a potato patch.
Gardening in Texas
Everything we have worked out for Texas: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Houston, the last spring freeze runs February 4 to March 1 and the first fall freeze runs December 1 to December 19, USDA zones 6a-10a, 7,280 growing degree days in the year.
Heat, not frost, is what shortens the season here: above 86 °F tomato pollen goes sterile, so growers run a spring crop and an autumn one rather than a single long season. Garlic is the awkward one: only 0 weeks below 40 °F, where it needs six to split into cloves. Chill the cloves before planting, or grow a softneck type.
Elsewhere on the property in Texas: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Finishing a Basement in Texas: Permits, Ceiling Height, Egress and Waterproofing
Explains why Texas basement rules come from each city rather than the state, and what that means for ceiling height, egress windows and permits.
What Eats Parsnip in Texas, and When
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension documents a working list of vegetable garden pests statewide, but only a handful of those actually touch parsnip.
What Do Homes in Texas Cool With?
Texas homes cool almost entirely with central air conditioning, and the number that matters most is the gap between “has AC” and “has a central system” —…
When to Overseed a Lawn in Texas
Texas overseeds in late spring through mid-summer, not fall like northern lawns, because nearly every grass recommended here is a warm-season species…
Which Sweet Corn to Grow in Texas: su, se or Supersweet
For most Texas gardens, standard su or sugar-enhanced se sweet corn is the safer pick over sh2 supersweet.
First and Last Frost Dates in Texas
For Houston, the closest thing to a frost calendar comes from NOAA’s 30-70% probability band for a 32°F freeze: last spring frost lands between February…
When to Pick Tomatoes in Texas, and Ripening the Rest
The short answer: pick tomatoes as soon as they show color break, that first blush of pink or yellow on an otherwise green fruit, rather than waiting for…
When to Harvest Garlic in Texas, and How to Cure It
In most of Texas, garlic bulbs come out of the ground between late May and late June, once the lower leaves have browned back but four or five green ones…
When to Pick Apples in Texas, and How Long They Keep
The honest answer is: it depends on where in Texas you’re standing, and on the variety more than the date on the calendar.