There’s no need to freak out over fall freezes, because plants have been preparing to go dormant for weeks. And assuming they’re hardy to begin with, the vast majority of landscape plants can handle whatever nature throws at them during the winter months. Spring freezes -- both early and late -- are another matter altogether, and I hope I don’t have to write about any next year.

With any luck, recent cold temps should put an end to ragweed, which has been especially troublesome this year for allergy sufferers. It does look like it’s going to warm up a bit next week, but cross your fingers the pollen will by then be a thing of the past.

Ideally, soil temperatures should be in the 50s before you begin planting spring-flowering bulbs, and they’ll probably be there by this weekend. So if you haven’t bought your bulbs yet, do so now and get them in the ground. We’ve got a great display and a huge selection to choose from.

Speaking of bulbs, we just received some potato onions. And yes, you read that right. Potato onions are perennial, and produce clusters of delicious onions year after year. Plant individual bulbs six- to eight-inches apart, barely cover with soil and water routinely until winter sets in, as growth will stop in dry soil. Harvest in early summer, saving as many bulbs as you like for replanting in spring.
And for keeping vampires at bay, we’ve still got a limited supply of hard-to-find varieties of garlic on hand, which you can plant anytime next month (I might actually plant mine this weekend). Separate individual cloves from each bulb, and plant two-inches deep and six-inches apart. Green shoots will emerge in a few weeks and stay green throughout the winter. Harvest in early summer when lower leaves begin to brown.

Rotting pumpkins are yucky. And inevitable. But there are ways to stall the process. First and foremost, and before you start carving, wash them with soapy water and a bit of bleach to remove any dirt, mold, or bacteria from their surfaces, all three of which can lead to rot. Use two tablespoons of bleach and a squeeze of dish soap for each gallon of water and either soak them in a sink, bathtub, or bucket for a few minutes or spray them. Then rinse and dry them thoroughly. 

After carving, you can slow the rotting process by using battery-operated lights rather than real candles (heat accelerates the process) and spray them with the same water/bleach/soap solution every day. If they start looking sad, stick them in a cool bath to rehydrate them and let them dry in a sunny spot. But your best bet is to simply wait as long as you can before carving.

Chances are your tomatoes, basil, okra and other summer veggies bit the dust Wednesday morning, especially in areas north of Tulsa. But cool-season crops -- broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce and other greens, radishes, and more are loving the cooler weather, and most can handle temps in the upper 20s. In fact, they taste better after being nipped by frost.

After the first freeze, Bermuda grass begins to go dormant and turn brown, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. Whatever you do, don’t fertilize in an effort to get the grass to green up, because fertilizing now can lead to winter damage. You can, however, fertilize fescue lawns through November.

So what can you do with those straw bales on your front porch after Halloween? Send them to me! Straw is my favorite mulch in the vegetable garden, and I use it in my garden paths to avoid muddy shoes. You can even plant directly in the bales after preparing them properly (check the Intertoobz for tons of tips). Just make sure you’re using straw and not hay, which is usually full of nasty weed seeds.