Calendar

MONTHLY GARDENING CALENDAR

January

• Check young trees and shrubs for deer, rabbit, and rodent injury. Prevent injury with fencing or protective collars.
• On warm days, check perennials for heaving. Abrupt temperature changes can cause shallow-rooted plants to push out of the ground, exposing roots. Cover plants with three or four-inch layer of mulch, such as woodchips, straw, or evergreen branches.
• Keep road and sidewalk salt away from plants. Shovel snow away from plants.
• Uncover plants weighted down with snow. If frozen, let it melt naturally. Gently brush snow off branches to prevent breakage.
• Prune dead, diseased, crossing or rubbing branches from trees and shrubs. Without leaves, it’s easier to see the shape of the plant.
• Prepare for spring planting. Evaluate last year’s garden and decide what changes need to be made. Draw garden plans on paper, including a wish list of plants you would like to add.
• Continue feeding birds. Many plants offer winter berries, seeds, and pods for birds and other wildlife.
• Consider adding four-season plants that attract wildlife to your landscape.

February

• Don’t be fooled by warm sunny days. It’s still too early to remove mulches, screening, and other winter plant protections. Make sure they are still in place.
• Monitor tree health. It’s easier to notice dead branches, hollows, and cankers on tree during the dormant season. Cankers are signs that the tree has disease.
• Prune trees and shrubs. The ideal time to prune is in the dormant season, just prior to new growth. Wait to prune spring flowering plants to avoid removing this years flower buds (Prune after the shrub blossoms).
• Reapply anti-desiccants to evergreens. If temperature is above freezing, a second application can be made.
• Clean and sharpen garden tools. Get ready for the upcoming growing season.
• Check the summer bulbs stored for the winter. Bulbs should be stored at a cool 45 degrees, in a dry place. Check that they have not dried out or begun to grow.

March

• Wait until new growth is established before removing winter mulch protection. Mulch protects plants from late spring freezes.
• Remove tree wraps applied last fall.
• General clean up: rake the lawn and remove leaves, twigs, and debris.
• Check for winter snow and salt damage. Prune dead tips and broken branches.
• Cut ornamental grasses back to a few inches before new growth begins.
• Prevent soil compaction. Avoid walking across saturated lawns and garden beds.
• Before buds break, spray trees with dormant oil for over wintering insects and scale. Temperatures should remain above 40E- read label directions.
• Prepare new planting beds, if soil is dry. Work organic matter and compost into the soil before planting.
• Prune summer-flowering shrubs before spring growth begins (abelia, beautyberry, butterflybush, P.G. hydrangea, “Anthony Waterer” spirea, snowberry).
• Wait to prune spring-flowering shrubs until after the flowers fade (forsythia, deutzia, lilac, mockorange, bridalwreath spirea, weigela).

April

• As temperatures warm, remove protective winter coverings from plants.
• Replenish mulch around existing plants to a depth of three to four inches. Keep mulch away from trunks.
• Weather permitting, dig and move trees and shrubs prior to bud break.
• Monitor trees and shrubs regularly.
• Review insect and diseases that gave you problems last year. The sooner you detect damage, the easier it is to control.
• Control apple scab on crabapple with a fungicide just as leaf buds begin to open. Spray should be repeated every 10 to 14 days until dry weather begins.
• Before buds break, spray trees with dormant oil to control overwinter insects and scale. Read label directions.
• Avoid pruning oaks and elms between mid-April though mid-September.
• Divide and move perennials every three years to prevent them from over-crowding.
• Deadhead spring bulbs when they are done flowering to direct energy back into bulbs. Discard tulips that only produced large leaves and no flowers.

May

• Divide and transplant perennials after they flower.
• Plant annuals after all danger of frost has past (average date is May 15).
• Encourage butterflies and bees by planting native species.
• Deadhead spring bulbs when they are done flowering to direct energy back into bulbs. Do not remove foliage; let it die back naturally.
• Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs immediately after blooming (crabapple, forsythia, lilac, viburnum).
• Apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch around plants. This reduces weeds, conserves moisture, and controls temperature fluctuations in soil.
• Keep weeds controlled; they are easier to pull when small.
• Stake tall and floppy perennials (peonies, delphiniums) as they grow.
• Monitor all plants regularly for insect and disease problems.
• Check evergreens, especially spruces, for spider mites. Treat as new growth begins. Place a white sheet of paper under branch and tap lightly, looking for moving pin-head size spots.
• Apply fungicide sprays to roses to control diseases such as black spot.

June

• Water trees and shrubs deeply if natural rainfall if less than on inch per week. Watering the soil and not the foliage reduces leaf spot diseases.
• Replenish mulch under trees and shrubs to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and control temperature fluctuations in soil. Mulch should extend to the drip line (end of branches), or at least cover a 4-6 ft. diameter.
• Mushroom compost is an excellent top dressing for flower beds. It can be worked into the soil as it decomposes.
• Prune late spring flowering shrubs and hedges now.
• Monitor all plants regularly for insect and disease problems. Early detection can make a difference.
• Check for mites on evergreens by placing white paper under a branch and gently shaking. Pin-head size mites will move on the paper in a few seconds.
• Pull weeds before they go to seed.
• Plant summer flowering bulbs and annuals. Annuals are developing roots; fertilize and keep well watered.
• Monitor container plants (especially those in clay pots) daily for watering needs.
• Pinch garden mums and asters once a month (until July 15) for bushier growth.
• Remove faded blossoms from flowering annuals, perennials, and roses to encourage more blooms.
• Fertilize roses with a 10-10-10 slow-release fertilizer after first bloom.

July

• Plants should receive one-to-two inches of water every 7-to-10 days. Supplement water if we have not had rainfall. Pay particular attention to drought-sensitive plants such as maples, birch, hydrangea, and katsura.
• Remove watersprouts and suckers from ornamental fruit trees.
• Monitor all plants regularly for insect and disease problems.
  Continue to pull weeds before they go to seed. After a rain, roots will pull out easier and more completely.
• Cool weather and excess moisture that often occurs in spring may allow fungal diseases to thrive.
• Cut rose blooms back to the first set of five leaves after blooming to encourage stronger canes and more flowers.
• Divide and replant iris. Discard any plant showing signs of insect or disease. Iris should be divided every three to five years.
• Remove spent flowers and pinch back leggy foliage from annuals and perennials to promote bushier growth and more flowers. Stop pinching mums after July 10 to allow flower buds to set.
• In hot weather, let the grass grow longer by raising the height of your lawn mower.

August

• Monitor rainfall, keeping plants well watered during times of heat or drought, especially newly planted trees and shrubs.
• Continue to remove faded flowers on roses, annuals, and perennials. Pinch back leggy growth.
• Mid-August through Mid-September is an ideal time to establish a new lawn or seed in bare spots.
• Cut flowers during the coolest part of the day.
• Late summer or early autumn is the best time to divide perennials that bloom in the spring and summer.
• In hot weather, water container plantings often.
• Continue regular weeding and monitor for insect and disease problems.
• Start cuttings of herbs to growing in a sunny windowsill during the winter.

September

• Fall is an excellent time to plant new trees and shrubs.
• Late summer into early autumn is the best time to divide perennials that bloom in the spring and summer.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs after mid-September.
• Apply broadleaf weed killers to lawn. Follow label directions.
• Plant, transplant, divide peonies, phlox, daylilies, and iris.
• Cut flowers such as strawflower, statice, and celosia for drying. Hang upside down in a dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight.
• If the weather is dry, water plants deeply before the ground freezes. Broadleaf and needled evergreens need moisture for the winter months ahead.
• Deadhead perennials and remove and discard dead and diseased foliage to reduce infection next year.
• Begin planting spring flowering bulbs in mid-to-late September.
• Leave the last rose blossoms of summer on plants to encourage dormancy.
• Prepare for first frost. Dig tender perennials such as cannas, begonias, gladiolus. Discard tops and store bulbs, corms, and rhizomes in dry peat moss or vermiculite.

October

• Plant trees and shrubs, allowing enough time for roots to develop before ground freezes. Mulch well after planting.
• Spring-flowering bulbs can be planted until the ground freezes.
• If needed, fertilize deciduous trees and shrubs once leaf growth has stopped. Plants will store fertilizer in roots until needed next spring.
• If weather is dry, water plants deeply, especially evergreens, before the ground freezes.
• Continue to mow lawn as needed.
• After first frost, lift dahlias, gladiolus, cannas, and begonias as foliage starts to yellow. Discard tops and store in dry peat moss or vermiculite.
• Begin to tidy up flower beds by removing faded flower heads and cutting back dead stems from perennials. Remove annuals that have finished flowering.
• Start a compost pile. Add plant debris, such as leaves, lawn clippings, and garden plants. Discard heavily diseased and infested foliage.
• Rake up and discard leaves, fruit, and twigs from diseased trees and shrubs to prevent re-infection next year.
• Apply winter mulch to perennials and roses after a hard frost when ground begins to freeze.

November

• Rake fallen leaves and compost. Discard diseased leaves, twigs, and fruits.
• Hardy spring-flowering bulbs can still be planted outside until ground freezes.
• Water plants deeply, especially evergreens, before ground freezes.
• Continue to weed persistent weeds, such as chickweed, garlic mustard, ground ivy, and purple dead nettle.
• Cut foliage of perennials back to ground after a few hard freezes. Leave interesting seed heads and ornamental grasses for winter interest.
• Apply winter mulch to perennials and roses after a hard frost when ground begins to freeze.
• Drain and store garden hoses.
• Store garden chemicals in an area above 40F. Keep out of reach of children and animals.
• Protect trunks of young, thin-barked trees, such as ash, maples and lindens, from winter sun scald by wrapping trunks with a commercial tree wrap. Remove tree wrap in the spring.
• A cylinder of hardware cloth, chicken wire, or fencing around plants provides a good defense against rabbits, mice, and deer that feed and damage the bark and twigs of plants.

December

• Pruning trees and shrubs can be done more easily in winter without leaves on branches. Begin light pruning, by removing waterspouts, dead, or crossing branches. Avoid pruning spring-flowering plants at this time.
• Protect shallow-rooted perennials, such as mums, coral bells, shasta daisy, and crocus, from the freeze-thaw cycles of winter by covering plants with evergreen boughs from leftover holiday greens.
• Apply winter mulch to base of roses once ground freezes.
• Spray evergreens, especially broadleafs (rhododendrons) with anti-transpirant to prevent winter burn.
• Clean and repair all garden tools before storing.
• Protect multi-stemmed evergreens, such as arborvitae, junipers, and yews from winter storm damage by tying trunks together with old nylons or cotton twine. Remove in the spring!
• Avoid using heavy amounts of deicing material around plants along sidewalks and parking areas this winter.
• Gently shake or brush off heavy snow that accumulates on shrubs and small trees, before it freezes. Don’t attempt to remove ice.
• Begin monitoring for animal damage as food source becomes sparse, but don’t forget to feed the birds.