Ask any longtime North Texas gardener, and they’ll tell you the same thing: October is the best month to have a garden in North Texas. Warm days and cool nights are the perfect recipe for happy plants. Vegetables produce heavily, flowers bloom like crazy, and it’s finally cool enough to work in our gardens for extended periods of time.
Here is what to plant in your North Texas garden in October:
Vegetables by Seed Outdoors
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Collard Greens
- Garlic (cloves)
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Radish
- Spinach
- Turnips
Vegetables by Seed Indoors
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Collard Greens
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Spinach
Vegetables by Transplant
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Collard Greens
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Mustard Greens
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
Annual Ornamentals by Transplant
- Marigolds
- Petunias
- Calabrachoa
- Rudbeckia
- Chrysanthemums
- Celosia
- Ornamental Peppers
Perennials
October is the best month to plant perennials in North Texas. Here are a selection of the top perennials for our area:
- All Salvias including farinacea, greggii, and leucantha
- Gregg’s Mist Flower
- Texas Rock Rose
- Agastache
- Rudbeckia (look for ‘Goldstrum’ or other perennial types)
- Turk’s Cap
- Yarrow
- Caryopteris
- Ornamental grasses
- Purple Coneflower
Herbs
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Dill
- Parsley
- French Sorrel
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
General Tasks
- Order spring-blooming bulbs including tulips and daffodils. Pre-chill tulips and hyacinths in the fridge for at least 45 days before planting. Best time to plant bulbs in North Texas is between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Divide spring-blooming perennials, especially iris.
- Treat cabbage worms on brassicas with Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt). Repeat every other day until infestation subsides.
- Watch for tomato hornworms on fall tomato plants and pick off by hand.
Founder of The Dallas Garden School, Callie is an expert garden educator with 17 years of personal and professional gardening experience. She specializes in growing food, small-space gardening, managing community gardens, and plant propagation. She has an MBA from Southern Methodist University, a bachelor's degree from Skidmore College, and served as a horticulture intern for the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. Callie is a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, The Herb Society of America, the National Garden Bureau, and is a Certified Texas Master Gardener.
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