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.

Amidst the winter chill, this month offers an excellent opportunity to tend to your landscape. It’s crucial to water your trees, shrubs, and lawn on those occasional warm days. Simultaneously, this marks the ideal moment to initiate your plans for upcoming gardening endeavors. And let’s not overlook the importance of replenishing bird feeders to support the local wildlife population.

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). This aids in preserving the overall well-being of your trees. Don’t forget to mulch them as it tends to offer much-needed protection to the root system from the chilling temperatures.

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 . 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.

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.  Furthermore, remember to mow your lawn correctly to prevent damage. 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.

As the weather continues to warm up, May is the month ffor planting. After Mother’s Day, plant annuals and vegetables and check the weather to avoid freezing, you can add new perennials, trees, and shrubs to your garden. Don’t forget to feed your trees and shrubs with Ross root feeders or a granulated time release one. Employ preventative insecticides for aphids on viburnum and spruce, and for sawflies and aphids on ash. Fertilize your lawn with a high nitrogen or weed preventative if you did not do so in April.  Check with us if you have any questions.

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. In which case take pictures and bring them in.  This is a nice time to prune lilacs after they finish blooming.

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 or watering issues.

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.

The transition to fall begins with September. After Labor Day, find the best selection of 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. Employ herbicides to combat weeds and ensure deep watering for established trees and shrubs. This is also a great time to plant various spring flowering bulbs and join in on the giant pumpkin weigh-off.

As the fall season takes hold, October brings a mix of garden maintenance and Halloween excitement. Visit local events like haunted houses and our pumpkin patches. 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. Plant spring flowering bulbs, and decorate your garden with pumpkins, cornstalks, and straw bales. This is a great time to put rose collars on your rose bushes.

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 organic mulch, especially if you haven’t done so in October. This is also a great time to plant paperwhites that will bloom in time for Christmas.

With the holiday season in full swing, December offers some final gardening tasks. Purchase fresh-cut Christmas trees, wreaths, and poinsettias. Apply dormant spray to trees like ash, lilacs, and aspen. Additionally, apply anti-transpiration to broadleaf evergreens like wilt-pruf and water all fall-planted nursery stock. Apply mulch and rose collars if not done in November, and wrap smooth-barked trees with tree wrap to protect them from winter elements.

By following this gardening calendar, you can ensure a thriving outdoor space throughout the year, all while enjoying the seasonal festivities.