January
— Water trees, shrubs and lawn on a warm day this month.
— Begin planning your garden.
— Fill those bird feeders.
February
– Apply dormant spray to ash, lilacs, aspen to smother scale and aphids.
– Start seeds toward end of month for pepper, eggplant, tomatoes and annual flowers.
– Good time to shape your shade trees (except Maple) by pruning.
– Water trees, shrubs and lawn if warm and dry especially on the south and west side.
March
— Start seeds indoors under grow lights with heating pads
— Rototill compost into vegetable and flower gardens if weather is dry
— Water trees, shrubs, and lawns if weather is warm and dry
— Water lawn areas on the south or west sides to reduce clover mite populations
— Apply a systemic drench for once per year application for insect control on Ash, Aspen and Hawthorns
— Prune fruit trees and spray dormant oil to kill over wintering insects
— Plant pansies, trees shrubs, bare root strawberries, peas or hardened off perennials
— Check house plants for mottled yellow foliage-it could be spider mites
— There is still time to start seed for tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and annual flowers
— Plant a wildflower garden as soon as the soil can be worked
April
– Plant cold hardy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radish and leafy vegetables and cool season crops like peas, spinach, lettuce.
– Asparagus, potatoes, onion sets and garlic can also be started outside now.
– Tomatoes and peppers can be put outside in walls-o-water.
– Remove tree wrap.
– Spray fruit and ornamental trees with fire blight spray as a preventative.
— Aerate lawn.
— Plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
— Plant summer blooming bulbs late April.
– Remember to only mow 1/3 of the grass blade off at a time to prevent shock and yellowing.
– Apply Weed and Crabgrass preventative to lawn (weed killers are temperature based and it is too cold to be effective)
– Begin spraying fungicide, NOT insecticide, as fruit trees and crabapples begin to show flower color.
– Clean weeds out of flower beds and sprinkle on a weed preventative if you will not plant seeds.
– Fertilize spring flowering bulbs (ie, tulips, daffodils, etc) as foliage emerges. DO NOT cut foliage back after flowers fade until it begins to turn yellow.
– To reduce fruit on trees (i.e. Crabapples, plums) spray florel fruit eliminator.
– Use a year long systemic insecticide on your trees and shrubs such as Bayer Tree and Shrub or Fertilome’s Tree and Shrub Drench for a one time application per year.
May
– Plant annuals and vegetables(most after Mother’s day to avoid freezing chances.
– Plant perennials, trees and shrubs.
– Fertilize trees and shrubs with Ross root feeders.
– Use a preventative insecticide for aphids on viburnum and spruce, and for sawfly and aphids on ash.
– Fertilize your lawn with a high nitrogen or preventative if you did not do so in April.
– Begin spraying insecticide as fruit tree flowers finish falling.
– Divide perennials after they emerge from the ground. Water well after transplanting.
– Fertilize and prune spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming.
– Okay to plant all flowers and vegetables by end of month (unless you live in the
June
— Fertilize roses and annuals.
— Prune dead flowers off of roses.
— Use weed killers and fertilizers as the temperature both ground and air are prime for weed killing.
— Check flowers and vegetables for insects.
— Prune lilac’s after they finishing blooming.
July
– Fertilize all annuals and hanging baskets for continued summer bloom.
– Add wind chimes, bird baths or statuary to yard to enhance enjoyment.
– Deep water all established trees and shrubs.
– Mulch around plants with bark products to conserve moisture and control weed growth.
– W atch for signs of mite damage if weather is hot and dry.
– Prune Maple and Birch trees
August
— Plant iris rhizomes at the end this month. Dig and divide old iris now.
— Last feeding for roses, trees and shrubs should be done prior to August 15.
— Prepare flower beds for fall plantings of bulbs, such as tulips & daffodils.
— Watch lawn for signs of fungus-bring in a sample of the turf if you are unsure.
— Fertilize lawn with a lower nitrogen fertilizer.
— Check Daily for ripe veggies.
September
– Come in after Labor Day for best selection of fall bulbs.
– Be prepared with a frost blanket to protect those tomatoes if mother nature decides to be difficult.
– Plant pansies and mums for fall colors.
– Spray herbicides on weeds like weed free zone.
– Deep water established trees and shrubs.
– Plant trees and shrubs.
– Plant Iris, tulips and daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs.
– Come see the giant pumpkin weigh-off.
October
– Stop by and see our Galleria of Ghouls, World’s Scarriest Haunted House, our pumpkin patch and straw maze!!!!
– Dispose of diseased foliage from trees, shrubs or herbaceous plants.
– Deep root water trees and shrubs.
– Protect perennials with organic mulch.
– Fertilize your lawn with Winterizer (before a snow).
– Plant spring flowering bulbs.
– Get pumpkins, cornstalks and straw bales for Fall decorating.
– Collar and mulch rose bushes
November
— Apply dormant oil to kill over wintering insects.
— Wrap young trees with tree wrap to protect from sunscald (sunburn).
— Protect perennials with organic mulch if you didn’t do so in October.
— Plant paperwhites to bloom for Christmas time.
December
— Pick up fresh cut Christmas trees and wreaths and poinsettia.
— Apply dormant spray to ash, lilacs, aspen.
— Apply anti-transpiration to broadleaf evergreens.
— Water all fall-planted nursery stock.
— Apply mulch and rose collars if not done in November.
— Apply tree wrap to smooth barked trees if not done earlier in the fall.
