North East Texas Hardiness Zone Map
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Planting
- Plant shade trees, shrubs and woody ornamentals from nursery containers. Check out the Texas SmartScape™ program at
- to help you create an environmentally friendly landscape.
- Transplant small trees and shrubs while they are dormant. Water the plant well before digging.
- Plant cold-tolerant herbs such as chives, cilantro, garlic and parsley. Onions from transplants can be planted late month.
- Seed for warm-weather annuals can be planted in flats in a temperature-controlled environment.
- Tomatoes and peppers, especially those hard to find varieties in the spring, can be started from seed mid-month. All require bright light and warm temperatures (60-70°F). Use grow lights for best results.
- Tulip and hyacinth bulbs which have been chilled for 8 weeks should be planted immediately.
- Plant blackberries, fruit and nut trees. Cultivar or variety selection is critical. Contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Titus County at 903-572-0261 or visit
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut
- for recommended varieties.
Fertilizing and Pruning
- Prune trees, including live oaks and red oaks, to remove dead, broken and unwanted branches, or to raise the canopy to allow more light underneath.
- Keep a spray can of pruning paint handy to immediately paint any wound on your oak trees. To help prevent oak wilt, we no longer say there are windows of safety because of cold weather or hot weather. Paint every wound all year long.
- Water newly planted trees and shrubs as needed; and apply a liquid root stimulator monthly.
- Peach and plum trees should be pruned to stimulate lateral branches and keep their “bowl” shape.
- Thin out branches to open the center to allow more sunlight resulting in fruit production over the entire tree.
- Apply blood meal or a slow-release fertilizer to pansies and other cool-season annuals.
- Maintain free-form crape myrtles by removing “root sprouts” growing from the base – but please, never cut the tops out of crape myrtles. It produces unsightly knots and it delays blooming.
- However, removing spent seed pods is OK.
Garden Watch
- Remove by hand, broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelions, henbit and chickweed in lawns and beds. If necessary, spot spray turf with a broadleaf herbicide when temperatures are above 70 degrees. Be careful when using herbicides in flower beds to prevent the drift from harming desirable plants.
- Now is the time to have the soil tested in your lawn, vegetable and flower gardens. Contact the local AgriLife Extension office at 903-572-0261 for a soil sample test kit and mailing instructions.
- For additional information, go to
- .
The Bur Oak is a deciduous tree reaching a height of 60-70 feet and a width of 60-70 feet It tolerates full sun and low to medium water needs. This is a Texas native with reliable fall color. The Bur Oak produces attractive acorns eaten by wildlife but can pose a significant clean-up chore.
Planting Guide for North East TexasJanuary-February
| Information on this page is from a 2017 calendar published by Ellis county Master Gardeners and from a publication by Titus County Extension |