Thanksgiving week is when most of us finally slow down long enough to notice what our yards are doing. The lawn has stopped growing, leaves are collecting, and the cooler nights have us wondering what we should tackle before winter really settles in.
It is with this brief break that a short list of simple tasks that can make a big impact—as well as a few mistakes worth avoiding. Here’s a practical checklist to guide your Thanksgiving week in the yard.
First, give your lawn its last proper mowing. Don’t try and scalp anything this late in the season. Warm-season grasses like St. Augustine and Bermuda benefit from being left just a little taller going into winter—around 2½ to 3 inches. That extra height cushions the crowns against cold injury and helps shade out early weed growth. A too-close cut in November exposes the growing points of the plant and stresses turf that’s already slowing down for the season.
Next, deal with leaves before they become a problem. A light layer of leaves is no issue at all. In fact, running over them with a mower to mulch them back into the turf puts nutrients back into the soil.
But when leaves start piling up thick enough to mat on the lawn, they can smother the grass beneath. Mulch what you can, and bag or move the rest before it becomes a wet, compacted layer. Texas A&M AgriLife research has consistently shown that mulched leaves can improve soil organic matter and overall turf health—just keep the layer light enough that the grass can breathe.
Do not fertilize now. Late-season nitrogen is one of the quickest ways to push tender growth that is easily damaged by cold weather. At this point in the year, the grass is preparing for dormancy, not growth. Save your fertilizer money for spring.
Hold off on pruning. Every fall, as soon as folks have a few days off, the urge strikes to “clean up” shrubs, hedges, and trees. Resist the temptation. Pruning in November stimulates new growth and exposes plants to cold injury. Of course, if a branch is broken or poses a hazard, go ahead and remove it. Otherwise, hold off until mid-winter for trees and until late winter or early spring for most shrubs.
Plant trees and shrubs now while conditions are ideal. I’ve repeated the experts on this point multiple times. Mid-November through February is the prime planting window for woody ornamentals in East Texas. The soil is still warm enough for root development, but the cooler air temperatures reduce stress on young plants. Oaks, native hollies, maples, camellias, and many landscape shrubs all perform well when planted in this window. Set them at the correct depth, water them deeply at planting, and refresh the mulch ring (but keep mulch off the trunk).
Add cold-tolerant winter color. Pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage and kale, snapdragons, and dianthus all handle our cold nights well. These will carry your beds through the winter and into early spring.
Lastly, ignore lawn disease issues right now. A lot of lawn issues slow down on their own as temperatures drop. Brown patch (also called large patch) becomes less active with cooler soil, and most fall leaf spots or cosmetic blemishes on shrubs are simply part of the seasonal transition.
Think of this holiday as a natural pause in the year—right between the end of the growing season and the start of true winter. A little bit of smart work now will mean a healthier lawn and landscape when warm weather returns. I hope that you enjoyed the holiday, enjoyed your family, and enjoy the chance to set your yard up right for the season ahead.
