What to Do in Your Texas Garden This Week
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The window is closing. Not dramatically, not overnight but if you garden in Texas, you already know this feeling. The mornings are still manageable, the afternoons are starting to mean business, and every experienced Texas gardener knows that right now is the last push before summer heat shifts the game entirely.
This is the week to move fast, make some decisions, and also — surprisingly — start thinking about fall. Yes, fall. That's not a typo. In Texas, what you do in late spring sets the stage for your best growing season of the year, and if you sleep on it, you'll be scrambling in August trying to play catch-up.
Here's exactly what to do this week.
Last Chance Planting: Get These in the Ground Now
A few warm-season crops still have just enough runway to establish and produce before peak summer heat locks in. These aren't maybes — they're now-or-never.
Okra If okra isn't already in your ground, this is your last good window to sow seeds directly. Okra thrives in Texas heat like almost nothing else — it actually hits its stride in July and August when everything else is struggling. Soak your seeds overnight before planting to speed germination, and get them into warm, well-drained soil in full sun. Give each plant about a foot of space on each side; they'll get tall. Once they start producing, harvest pods every one to two days at about three inches long — leave them on the vine and they turn woody fast.
Southern Peas (Black-Eyed Peas, Crowder Peas, Purple Hull Peas) Direct sow these now. They're one of the most heat- and drought-tolerant vegetables you can grow in Texas, they fix nitrogen into your soil as they grow, and they need virtually no help from you once they're established. If you've been putting them off, stop — get them in this week.
Sweet Potato Slips Sweet potatoes need a long, hot growing season, and Texas delivers. But they need to go in now so they have enough time to develop before fall arrives. Check local nurseries for slips — they tend to sell out quickly this time of year. If you're working with heavy clay soil (which covers a wide swath of Texas), work compost into your beds first or plant in a raised bed for better results.
Watermelon and Cantaloupe These can still go in from seed this week. They need room — a lot of it — but they are genuinely well-suited for a Texas summer once established. Plant on small hills and give them space to sprawl, or train them up a strong trellis.
Zucchini and Summer Squash If you haven't planted any yet, a quick-maturing summer squash variety can still produce a good harvest before the heat peaks. Get it in early in the week.
What to Do With What's Already Growing
Most of your spring garden is probably in maintenance mode now — and that's exactly where your focus should be.
Tomatoes: Stop planting new tomato transplants. Any tomato going in the ground this late will run into the heat wall before it gets a chance to produce. If your spring tomatoes are still going, keep them watered consistently and watch for disease. They'll likely slow down or stop setting fruit when afternoon temps stay above 95°F — that's normal. Don't pull them yet. They'll often push out a second flush when things cool in September.
Peppers: Keep them alive. Peppers may look like they're stalling in the heat, but they're usually just waiting. Water consistently, don't let them stress too badly, and they'll reward you with a productive fall flush. A layer of mulch around the base makes a real difference in keeping roots cooler.
Herbs: Basil needs attention right now. It will bolt to seed the moment conditions stress it, and once it goes to seed, leaf production drops dramatically. Pinch off any flowers as soon as you see them — sometimes every other day. The more you harvest and prune, the more leaves you get. Rosemary, oregano, and thyme, on the other hand, barely notice the heat and need very little from you.
The Most Important Thing You Can Do This Week That Most Beginners Skip
Start your fall transplants.
This is the one that surprises people every year, and it's the one that separates Texas gardeners who have spectacular fall gardens from those who scramble in August and get mediocre results.
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale all need to be started from seed now — indoors, in trays, under light — so they'll be large enough as transplants to go into the ground in late July or early August. Those crops need 6 to 8 weeks to get to transplant size, which means the clock starts now. If you wait until it "starts feeling like fall," you've missed the window.
This week, start seeds indoors for:
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Collards
- Tomatoes (yes — for a fall crop, start seeds now and transplant in July)
- Peppers (same logic as tomatoes — starting from seed now gives you a fall-producing plant)
You don't need a fancy setup. A seed tray, a basic grow light kept two to four inches above the seedlings, and a warm spot in your house is enough. Keep the soil consistently moist and check them daily.
Maintenance Priorities This Week
Beyond planting, there are a few things that will make or break your garden as summer settles in:
Mulch everything. If you haven't already laid down a three-inch layer of mulch around your plants, do it this week. In Texas, mulch is not optional — it holds moisture in the soil, keeps roots cooler, and reduces how often you need to water. Your plants will survive summer in mulched beds that would give up in unmulched ones.
Adjust your watering routine. Surface watering and daily light sprinkles are not going to cut it as heat increases. Water deeply and less frequently — a long soak one to two times per week is far more effective than a quick spray every day. Deep watering pushes roots down to where the soil stays cooler and holds moisture longer. Water in the early morning so plants have access through the hottest part of the day.
Check your tomatoes and peppers for disease. Warm, wet conditions this time of year create ideal conditions for fungal issues. Look at the lower leaves: dark spots, yellowing, or dropping leaves are early signs. Remove affected leaves immediately and avoid overhead watering.
Watch for grasshoppers. They hatch now, while they're young and small, and this is the only time they're manageable. Let them get established and they will mow through your garden by July. Scout early and treat while populations are still small.
Deadhead your flowers. Zinnias, marigolds, and celosia all produce more blooms when spent flowers are removed. It takes five minutes and keeps your summer color going strong.
Quick-Win Checklist for This Week
- ☐ Sow okra and southern pea seeds directly in the ground — today if possible
- ☐ Pick up sweet potato slips from a local nursery before they're gone
- ☐ Lay three inches of mulch on every bed if you haven't already
- ☐ Start broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower seeds indoors for fall
- ☐ Pinch basil flowers to keep leaf production going
- ☐ Switch to deep, infrequent watering if you're still doing daily light watering
- ☐ Scout for grasshoppers — deal with them now while they're small
- ☐ Harvest anything ready before the heat reduces quality
The pace of Texas gardening in late spring is a sprint. But it's a productive one and the gardeners who move this week are the ones harvesting through summer and well into fall.