We Finally Made It to Fall

Well, I finally did it.

After at least a year and a half of not watering at my place, I finally gave in to September. Many customers have heard my humble brag that I haven't watered for at least a year and a half (I lost count), but I had to face the facts of my poor thirsty soil.

Over a year is nothing to sneeze at, but now I’ll just have to brag that I only watered once in the last year and a half.

Before anybody takes that as watering advice: don't try this at home. This was my own experiment on my own soil, and I was watching it closely. Your soil, plants, sun exposure and rainfall are different, and even good soil eventually runs out of water if you don't put any back. Mine finally did.

We’ve gotten some scattered rain around Houston this week, which we’ll take after our brutal September. Less welcome when we're trying to get treatments done, but we'll take it.

And it looks like October may have more on the way.

The first part of the month is already looking interesting, with tropical moisture moving across Texas and giving us a pretty good chance at a big drink. After that, there will likely be more periodic rains. This year's monster El Niño favors a wetter than normal fall and winter across our part of Texas, and fall is generally our wettest portion of the year already.

Of course, this is Houston, so wetter than normal doesn't mean it's going to rain at your house every Tuesday. It means the odds are shifting in our favor, and after that September, I'll take it.

What We’re Focused on In October

October is another month where we keep focusing more and more below ground.

We're not particularly interested in pushing a bunch of new top growth this late in the year. Instead, we'll be concentrating on roots, soil structure, mineral nutrition, and biology. This helps plants recover from summer and gets the soil in a better position going into winter.

You'll probably see us bringing plenty of humic materials and minerals into these last treatments of the year, along with our liquid compost extract and some of the other ingredients we use to keep nutrients cycling and plants working properly.

Summer asks a lot from our land. October gives us a chance to start putting some of that back, if we can do it safely.

Good soil structure means better air and water movement, stronger roots, better nutrient holding, and hopefully more places for all the little critters we've been putting out there all year to live and work.

The goal isn't a quick burst of green in October. It's avoiding weeds and disease while having healthier soil and plants when spring comes back around.

Hope to see you outside,

Clay

P.S. There's always more to learn about healthy soil than we can fit into one newsletter. If you'd like to explore more seasonal tips, articles and information about our approach, you'll find it all on our website.

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October’s Field Tips

Watch the Water

If October turns out as wet as it currently looks like it might, reduce how OFTEN you water. Cooler temperatures, shorter days and more rain mean your property won't be using water at the same rate it did in August and September.

As always, check your own soil. Houston rainfall can be ridiculous from one neighborhood to another. If it's wet several inches down, you're probably good for water.

Don't Worry About Slower Growth

Grass will begin slowing as temperatures cool off, and plants notice less sunlight each day. There's no need to push growth at the end of the year, as it can invite disease.

This is the time to let plants put more of their energy into roots, reserves and recovery.

Keep the Leaves

As leaves begin coming down later this fall, don't be too quick to haul all of them away.

Where it makes sense, mulch them in place or let them break down naturally. That's carbon, minerals and organic matter your property grew itself, and there's not much sense paying somebody to carry it away just so we can spend the next year trying to put those things back.

Below the Surface

Even though growth above ground is beginning to slow, that doesn't mean everything underground is shutting down.

Roots are still working. Microbes are still cycling nutrients. Organic matter is still breaking down. And as temperatures become a little less brutal, the soil has a chance to recover from the stress of summer too.

That's a big part of what we're trying to support with these last treatments of the year.

Remember!

It looks like we might finally be leaving summer behind. And if the forecasts are right, we could be heading into a wetter fall and winter than we've seen in a while.

We'll see what actually happens. The weather has a way of humbling anybody who gets too confident about it.

If you have questions about irrigation, notice something changing on your property, or just want us to take a look at something that concerns you, don't hesitate to reach out. Text or email photos anytime. We'd much rather help answer a small question today than solve a much larger problem later.

Every landscape has a story to tell, and the soil is usually where it starts. If you’ve got questions or concerns about your property, let's schedule a time to walk it together and take a closer look.