Hold Off on Pruning Frost-Blackened Figs and Citrus Until the Damage Becomes Clear
The morning after a hard frost, a once-green fig or citrus can look like it was scorched. Leaves turn black or limp, and many gardeners…
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 5, 2026
In the Garden
How To Plant California Poppy Seeds This Fall So the Rains Do the Work and the Birds Get Nothing
John Miller CA · Nov 5
Spinach seedlings keep collapsing at the soil line this fall because damping-off thrives in cool, soggy beds
Ethan Brooks · Nov 5
These California Native Plant Nurseries Sell Rare Natives Cheaper Than Big-Box Stores and Are Worth the Drive
John Miller CA · Nov 5
From the Garden
Heavy rain after a dry spell can split fall tomatoes, so pick mature fruit early and ripen it indoors
You walk out to check your tomatoes and find deep splits across the best fruit after a soaking storm. It is frustrating, especially when frost…
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 5
Bok choy shoots up a flower stalk overnight when a warm November week follows chilly nights, and here’s how to save the harvest
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 5
Can a November Cold Snap Make Celery Bolt or Turn Pithy? How to Check Your Plants and Lower the Risk
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 5
Green Peppers Won’t Color Up in Fall? Chilly Nights May Be Slowing Them Down
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 5
Do Wild North Carolina Persimmons Really Need a Frost to Turn Sweet? What to Check Before You Eat
By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 5
In Bloom
What's thriving right now.
The Harmless Florida Snake That Looks Like a Coral Snake in Your Garden Beds
By Aria Moore F
Could a Dead Snag in Your Central Texas Yard Become Woodpecker Habitat? What to Know Before You Decide
By Ella Brown T
Florida Firebush Can Offer Hummingbirds Late-Season Nectar
By Aria Moore F
These 6 steps turn your geranium cuttings into a windowsill full of new plants for spring
By Ethan Brooks
Plant of the Week
Iguanas Strip Florida Gardens Bare, and These 7 Plants Are the Ones They Leave Alone
An iguana can turn a flower bed into bare stems before you finish your morning coffee. In South Florida, choosing less tempting plants can mean...
By Aria Moore F · Nov 4, 2026
Read MoreThe Potting Shed
Field Notes
Why Your Texas Live Oak Is Suddenly Dropping Leaves in November, and When to Worry
You walk outside and find your live oak’s leaves piled across the yard, months before you expected any mess. Texas...
By Ella Brown T on Nov 4
Plastic can injure tender perennials if it touches foliage or overheats, so cover them the smart way before a freeze
A surprise cold snap sends many Southern gardeners running for whatever is in the garage, and a roll of plastic...
By Ethan Brooks on Nov 4
Tall, Bitter Fall Lettuce in the South? Heat May Be One Clue, and Afternoon Shade May Help
Your fall lettuce looked perfect last week, and now it is reaching for the sky and tasting harsh. A warm...
By Ethan Brooks on Nov 4
What North Carolina Homeowners Should Know Before Trimming a Neighbor’s Branches Over the Fence
Fall brings falling leaves, and it also brings a close look at limbs hanging over the fence. Many North Carolina...
By Jasmine Hughes on Nov 4
Coontie as a Gradual Addition to a Well-Drained Shady Florida Bed
Plenty of Florida yards have a shady corner where nothing quite looks finished. Coontie is a Florida native that forms...
By Aria Moore F on Nov 4
The Container Plants That Stay Gorgeous on a Sun-Baked Texas Concrete Patio
A concrete patio in a Texas summer can get hot enough to cook the roots of most potted plants by...
By Ella Brown T on Nov 4