Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for Texas: What Will Not Survive
Texas runs a full USDA hardiness spread, from 6a up near the Panhandle to 10a down along the Rio Grande Valley and the southern coast.
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.
When to Sow Carrots in Texas: Counting Back From the Last Frost
Count back 70 to 100 days from your local last spring frost date, and that’s when Texas gardeners sow carrot seed directly into the bed.
How Much Insulation Does a Home in Texas Need?
Texas covers six different IECC climate zones, so there’s no single R-value that fits the whole state.
When Can You Turn the Heat Off in Texas?
Texas doesn’t hand you a clean shutoff switch for winter. The quietest month here is March, when heating and cooling demand together add up to about 208…
When Does the Heating Season Start in Texas?
In most of Texas, heating demand doesn’t really show up until November, and it fades by April.
Will Sweet Corn Ripen in Texas?
Yes, in most of Texas sweet corn has enough time to ripen before the first fall frost arrives.
When to Sow Sweet Corn in Texas
In the Houston area, sweet corn goes into the ground once soil holds steady above 60°F, not on the day of the last frost.
When to Sow Autumn Spinach in Texas
The reliable sowing window for autumn spinach in the Houston area runs from mid-September into late October, once soil temperatures start easing back…
Will Spinach Bolt Early in Texas?
Near Houston, spinach bolts early for two reasons at once: the days get long enough to trigger flowering on their own, and the heat piles on before the…
When to Sow Parsnips in Texas
Houston-area gardeners can sow parsnips roughly mid-January to mid-February, two to three weeks ahead of the last spring freeze.