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AgriLife Extension’s Fall Gardening Guide offers tips on bulbs, seeds and holiday plants Some lucky gardens in Texas were blessed with a recent rain around the time the calendar marked the first day of fall.

While the rain helped, it didn’t negate the damage drought has done. Gardeners need to remain vigilant and keep leaves on their landscape plants as long as possible as we enter autumn and cooler weather.

Properly apply compost and soil Start collecting leaves for the compost pile. Be sure to have extra soil available so that each 6-inch layer of leaves may be covered with several inches of soil. Always wet the layer of leaves thoroughly before adding the soil. Add about 1 pound of a complete lawn or garden fertilizer to each layer of leaves to provide the necessary nitrogen for decomposition.

Divide and reset perennials There is still time to divide and reset such perennials as phlox, violets, hollyhocks, irises, day lilies, and Shasta daisies.

Reduce the odds of insect and disease for next year’s garden October is a good time to reduce the insect and disease potential in next year’s garden. Clean up the garden, removing all annuals that have completed their life cycle. Remove the tops of all herbaceous perennials that have finished flowering or as soon as frost has killed the leaves.

Select the proper place to plant sweet peas Plant seeds of sweet peas in South and East Texas during October/November. Select a site where there is at least a half-day of sun and protection from north winds.

Remove weeds, scatter wildflower seeds Now is prime time to scatter wildflower seed; remember to put them in sunny locations. Also, since wildflowers could technically be called weeds, you will have to remove other weeds from around them in order for them to get established.

Lookout for turf disease and winterize lawn Be on the lookout for turf diseases and treat them accordingly. Remember to reduce lawn watering as temperatures begin to cool. Also, now is a good time to “winterize” your lawn with a bit of fertilizer.

Consider moisture before planting container trees Container ornamental trees and shrubs can be planted if there is good soilmoisture.If exceedingly dry, one may want to wait for the fall rains.

Keep an eye on citrus color Citrus will begin to color as the temperatures cool. Most times the fruit does not need to be totally orange to have good eating quality.