Growing season is over in Texas, but work begins now for spring. Here’s a to-do list.

Some of us will be glad to see Growing Season 2022 come to an end. Retroactively, you could lump 2021 into that just as well. These have not been easy years.

So, that said, let’s get out the leaf rake and sweep up the loose rubble so that perhaps we can start 2023 off with a fresh set of hopes and goals. Here is a list of things you’ll want to get done in the next several weeks, maybe starting as soon as this weekend.

▪ Remove dead or damaged branches. They’re starting to fall, and all we really need is one big ice storm to bring them down in a hurry. That could do a great deal of damage. Check live oaks, red oaks and other species of trees that were hurt by the extreme cold of February 2021 or the drought of 2022. If there are dead branches or trees, have them removed. They aren’t going to come back to life by a miracle. That’s only happened once, and it’s not going to happen to your Japanese ligustrum. By the way, when you have a tree with a dead branch, you probably ought to hire a certified arborist to do that removal. He or she will have the experience, the equipment and the insurance to do the job right.

▪ Clean up your lawn. Remove fallen leaves. They do not help the turfgrass survive extreme cold. In fact, they promote development of diseases, and they add litter to your neighborhood. Use them in the compost pile. (Don’t send them to the landfill. They don’t want them, plus they’re valuable sources of nutrients and organic matter.)

▪ Check your sprinkler system to be sure its freeze guard protection is functioning properly. If you don’t have a “smart” controller that will prevent its running during the winter, set it to the “Manual” mode so that you will be able to determine when it runs. Keep your lawn moist, especially during cold spells, but don’t leave things wet.

▪ Have frost cloth bought and pre-cut to protect cold-vulnerable plants from extreme winter weather. It can make a huge difference in whether tender plants survive if you cover them completely and secure it firmly to the ground. It is a lightweight material that transmits light freely, so it can be left in place for weeks if necessary. It can be removed and reused several times.

▪ If you have vacant space where you intend to put in new beds for flowers or vegetables in late winter or spring, rototill those areas now so that you can work organic matter into the ground. By allowing it to experience the freeze-thaw cycles it will “mellow” over winter. That will break down the clods and allow the soil particles to blend so that your final tilling just before planting will leave you with soft soil that’s just right for the new seedlings and transplants.

▪ Look closely for seedlings of dandelions, clover, chickweed, henbit, plantain and other cool-season, broadleafed weeds. They will still be small as they establish their roots and prepare for a surge of growth as the warm spells of late winter arrive, but you should be able to see them. If you do, that’s the perfect time to apply a broadleafed weedkiller (containing 2,4-D) to eliminate them before the weather turns colder. By the time it’s warm enough again to spray them they will already be blooming and going to seed. This is your chance to eliminate them. Read and follow label directions to avoid damage to desirable plants nearby.

▪ As you tidy up your summer beds, it will then become time to plant pansies, violas, pinks, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale and other cool-season color plants. Rework the soil to incorporate 2-3 inches of fresh organic matter. Apply a water-soluble, high-nitrogen fertilizer to get the new plants off to a quick start.

▪ It’s also time to plant daffodils, narcissus, jonquils, grape hyacinths and summer snowflake bulbs for spring blooms. Tulips and Dutch hyacinths should be left in the refrigerator at 45F for at least 45 days. They need that “pre-chilling” to ensure normal bloom heights. Plant them between Dec. 15-31 in masses for best display (as opposed to straight single-file rows).

▪ If you have large patio plants that you’re trying to protect over the winter, I have a few suggestions. If you have them in the garage, find the brightest spot that you have. Perhaps you have a large window, or maybe you can keep them on a plant dolly and move them in and out as weather permits. Most tropical plants won’t tolerate temperatures anywhere near freezing, so don’t forget them. On the converse, don’t leave them in the dark, cold conditions for weeks on end unless you’re prepared to see them drop most of their leaves.

Watch those same patio plants and hanging baskets for signs of spider mites, scales, mealy bugs and other insects that may show up once they’re segregated from their natural outdoor predators. Take quick action to stop them if, and when you see them indoors.

▪ Late fall is a great time to take equipment in for repairs, and to send soil samples to the Texas A&M Soil Testing Laboratory in College Station. These are places that get bogged down with spring activities in February and March, but you can get a head start by accessing their services now.

You can hear Neil Sperry on KLIF 570 AM on Saturday afternoons 1-3 p.m. and on WBAP 820 AM Sunday mornings 8-10 a.m. Join him at www.neilsperry.com and follow him on Facebook.