By Emmy Ulmschneider
and Debbie Roland
Master Gardeners
Back in 2021, (Blog entries 9/12, 9/19, 10/6, 10/6, 10/10) we did a series about native plants and creating habitat in your yard. Not only is it the time to plant or sow seeds, it is also the time to ready your garden for winter and enjoy what you have created.
Here are five simple steps we can all take to support our migrating and resident birds as well as the butterflies, pollinators, and invertebrates that nurture our soil and plants.
Step 1: Plant NOW! The temperatures in fall are cooler so that the newly planted can recover slowly and the roots have a chance to establish. This means you are giving the plant a headstart in the spring. Fall is the time to plant native seeds. Many native seeds need a period of cold to germinate. You can do this by putting the seeds in your fridge for period of time or you can sow them directly into the soil and let nature nurture them.
Step 2: Provide food and cover! Food and cover are best provided by native plants that are found in our area. The more you plant the more food and cover you will have. Shrubs provide excellent cover year-round and if they fruit, they are providing both relief from predators and cold as well as a much-needed winter food source. In spring, they may also provide a nesting site. The purple fruit of American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana is attractive to both eye and wildlife. Coralberry, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, also has winter berries and in summer and fall the leaves are characteristically cut by leafcutter bees for nesting material. Ribes aureum, Buffalo Currant, a Great Plains plant is an early bloomer so it fruit is a welcome spring treat. When we get rain, our native sages burst in to bloom fueling bees and insects alike. Perennial wildflowers such as Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum, goldenrod or Fall Aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, provide nectar for butterflies and in winter they provide protection for overwintering insects. If you can only plant one plant, plant a sunflower which provides food and cover year-round.
Step 3: Reduce fall cleanup! Not only does this reduce your workload but it benefits urban wildlife.
- Leave the leaves! Instead of bagging them, rake them into garden beds to release nutrients, retain water and create habitat for our native insects including our showy butterflies and moths. You will also be improving your soil structure and reducing your impact on the landfill.
- Leave your deadheading and perennial trimming until you take down the garden in early spring. Birds can utilize the seeds and berries that remain on the stalks and hollow stems provide winter homes for pollinators and beneficial insects.
- Don’t over mulch. Deep mulch layers mean wildlife can’t access the soil for food and shelter.
Step 4: Plan for next year! Do some reading about the why’s and how’s of providing habitat.
Step 5: Enjoy Fall! Get outside, reap the benefits of being in Nature. Monarch migration is almost over but look for migrating and resident birds. And better yet, find some outdoor fun for you and children of all ages.
The possibilities for a backyard habitat are boundless and limited only by your imagination.
If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700. Additional information, and our blog for access to past articles, is available at westtexasgardening.org. Click on “Resources.”
