November Winter Gardening: This is the month that feels like fall. If it cools down enough at night, we may even see some fall color in the trees and shrubs. Of course that also means that deciduous plants will begin to shed their leaves in earnest, providing plenty of raw material for homemade mulch and compost. The average first freeze for Houston is anywhere falls around December 4th depending on the period of record.

For your vegetable garden, Texas A&M Agrilife recommends you plant root crops, such as carrots, beets, radishes and turnips in small sections for continual harvest.

After seeds sprout and they get their first set of true leaves, thin so they are 2-3” apart. The thinned tops are edible and can be added to salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, casseroles or quiche.

Keep root crops well-watered for best flavor. Plant seeds of cilantro, parsley, dill, lettuce, spinach, and fava beans. Harvest basil, parsley, and cilantro before the temperatures fall below 40°. Harvest tomatoes and other cold-sensitive veggies before the first frost.

Cover and protect the soil in unused vegetable beds with mulch, leaves, straw or cover crops. Winter cover crop options include cereal rye, hairy vetch, fava beans, clover or Austrian winter peas.

If you have any questions about Winter Gardening, don’t hesitate to stop by and ask one of our staff members at Arcola Feed.