As the year unfolds, each month brings its own set of tasks for garden and landscape care. Let’s explore the gardening calendar and the important activities to keep your outdoor spaces thriving.
January
It’s crucial to water your trees, shrubs, and lawn on those occasional warm days. And let’s not overlook the importance of replenishing bird feeders to support the local wildlife population.
February
As winter maintains its hold, there are a variety of tasks to address this month. Start by applying dormant spray to trees like ash, lilacs, and aspen to control scale and aphid populations. Towards the end of February, consider initiating the indoor seeding process for peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and annual flowers. To ensure the health of your trees, consider pruning your shade trees (excluding maples), with the assistance of a professional offering or in your local area. Don’t forget to mulch them as it tends to offer much-needed protection to the root system from the chilling temperatures.
March
Spring is on the horizon, and the work in your garden intensifies. Start your seeds indoors under grow lights with heating pads, preparing for the coming season. If the weather is dry, you can rototill compost into your vegetable and flower gardens. Don’t forget to water trees, shrubs, and lawns on warm and dry days. Consider a systemic drench for insect control on ash, aspen, and hawthorns. This is also the time for pruning fruit trees and applying dormant oil to eliminate overwintering insects. It’s a busy month as you plant various additions to your garden and keep an eye out for potential issues like spider mites.
April
With the arrival of April, you can shift your focus to outdoor planting. Cold-hardy vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, and leafy greens, should be sown, along with cool-season crops like peas, spinach, and lettuce. Asparagus, potatoes, onion sets, and garlic can also be started outdoors. Protect your tomatoes and peppers with walls-o-water. Remove tree wraps, aerate the lawn, and plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Additionally, if you have old trees or diseased stumps, you may want to remove them before planting vegetables or more flowers. Apply weed and crabgrass preventatives to your lawn and start spraying fungicides on fruit trees. Clear out weeds from your flower beds and fertilize spring-flowering bulbs.
May
As the weather continues to warm up, May is the month for extensive planting. After Mother’s Day, plant annuals and vegetables to avoid freezing. Introduce perennials, trees, and shrubs to your garden. Don’t forget to feed your trees and shrubs with Ross root feeders. Employ preventative insecticides for aphids on viburnum and spruce. Fertilize your lawn with a high nitrogen or preventative if you did not do so in April.
June
Summer is in full swing, and your garden requires attention. Fertilize roses and annuals, pruning dead flowers off of roses. It’s the ideal time for weed control and fertilization as temperatures rise. Keep a watchful eye on your flowers and vegetables for any signs of insects. After lilacs finish blooming, consider pruning them.
July
Midsummer brings the need for continuous care. Fertilize all annuals and hanging baskets to maintain their summer bloom. Enhance your yard with wind chimes, bird baths, or statuary. Ensure deep watering for established trees and shrubs, mulching with bark products for moisture retention and weed control. Keep an eye out for mite damage in hot, dry weather.
August
As August arrives, your garden may be in need of some rejuvenation. Complete the final feeding for roses, trees, and shrubs before August 15. Prepare your flower beds for fall plantings and watch for signs of lawn fungus. Fertilize your lawn with a lower nitrogen fertilizer, and stay vigilant for ripe veggies.
September
The transition to fall begins with September. After Labor Day, it is time to look for fall bulbs for planting. Be prepared with a frost blanket to protect tomatoes from unexpected cold snaps. Add pansies and mums for a burst of fall colors. Come see the Giant Pumpkin Festival on the last Saturday in September.
October
As the fall season takes hold, October brings a mix of garden maintenance and Halloween excitement. Dispose of diseased foliage from your plants, deep root water your trees and shrubs, protect perennials with organic mulch, and fertilize your lawn with Winterizer in anticipation of the coming snow around Halloween. Plant spring flowering bulbs, and decorate your garden with pumpkins, cornstalks, and straw bales. Add rose collars and mulch rose bushes for added protection.
November
Prepare for winter in November. Apply dormant oil to eliminate overwintering insects and wrap young trees with tree wrap to protect against sunscald. Protect perennials with mulch. This is also a great time to start paperwhites that will bloom in time for Christmas.
December
December offers some final gardening tasks. Purchase fresh-cut Christmas trees, wreaths, and poinsettias. Additionally, apply anti-transpiration like Wilt-Pruf to broadleaf evergreens and water all fall-planted nursery stock.
