• As long as your soil is workable, begin planting bare-root trees, shrubs, and roses; this is also a good time to plant most perennials.
• Fill in bare spots with cool-season annuals (those which thrive in temperatures between 35 and 80 degrees), such as snapdragons and pansies.
• Sow cold-season crops, such as peas, spinach, and lettuce – as well as warm season annuals - indoors, in preparation for March planting.
• Prune deciduous fruit trees and roses. To prevent insect problems later, spray roses with horticultural oil.
• Prune trees and shrubs, but avoid trimming off frost damage until all danger of frost has passed. With walnuts and oaks, prune only between December and February or July and October, to prevent wilt disease.
• Evergreens can be pruned now or anytime before May.
• For warm-season annuals (such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, impatiens, marigolds, etc.) start seeds indoors, if you like.
• Keep up with any watering and weeding you can do now, which will result in healthier, better-performing plants later.
• Fertilize cool-season lawns (those planted with bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescue).

February

• Continue garden cleanup. Rake leaves and pull any obvious weeds.
• Continue to prune all trees and shrubs except those that bloom in spring (you will trim off the developing flowers).
• Prune roses and spray with horticultural oil. Right after pruning, is a good time to fertilize them for the first time this year.
• Continue to plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and bare-root roses.
• If desired, apply weed killer to beds and borders, but do not apply anywhere seeds have been planted.
• Dry-out is one of the most common causes of winter injury in our area, so be sure to soak plants every week or two if the weather has been dry.
• If you have been feeding birds, continue to do so, as birds become reliant on certain food supplies in the fall and may go hungry if that supply disappears.

March

• Plant cool-season crops, but be sure your soil is not too wet or cold because the seeds may rot - planting seedlings may produce better results. Plant seedlings for cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages, etc.
• Continue to plant container-grown trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground covers.
• Divide perennials that clump. This needs to be done at least every few years. Dig up the whole plant then cut or pull apart. Discard the center if "tired" or old and replant new divisions at the same depth.
• Deadhead spent flowers on spring-blooming bulbs to direct their energy back to their roots so they can build vigor for next year.
• Plant seeds or established seedlings for cool-season crops and flowers.
• Fertilize perennials and keep them well irrigated. Also, fertilize your lawn and apply a crabgrass control.
• Finish up any pruning this month, except for spring-blooming trees and shrubs, which can be pruned immediately after they’re done flowering.
• Clean up garden. Get rid of all trash and remove spent annuals. Clear out debris from the bottom of the water garden and add it to your compost heap. Start feeding fish again.
  

• If needed, you can still divide most perennials as long as their foliage isn’t taller than 3” and they’re not spring bloomers.
• Plant warm-season annual flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
• Plant tender summer bulbs (such as cannas, glads, and tuberous begonias).
• Provided the temperature is still cool, you can still plant seeds/seedlings for cool season greens.
• If needed, de-thatch warm-season lawns once they have started to grow.
• As long as the soil has warmer to at least 60 degrees F, plant seeds for heat-lovers like corn, melons, squash, green beans, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes.
• Continue to plant container-grown trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennial herbs and flowers.
• To keep grass thick and lush, and control weeds, be sure to mow your lawn regularly.
• Aerate your lawn to alleviate compaction and reduce thatch (most lawns should be aerated every 2-3 years).
• Mulch around trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds.
• After bloom time is finished, prune spring-blooming shrubs.
• With the exception of evergreens, finish up pruning this month. Evergreens can be pruned through June or so.
• If you have a compost heap, tend to it. Get the completely composted “black gold” at the bottom and work it into the soil as you are planting. Make sure that the remaining material is chopped up or in manageable pieces.
• You can now move your houseplants outdoors to a shady area. This is also a good time to fertilize and repot them, which will prepare them for the summer growth spurt.
• Give your lawn another fertilization later this month or early next to help prepare it for the heat.
• Stake tall plants that will need it.

May

• Continue to plant warm-season annual flowers, herbs, and vegetables, as well as tender summer bulbs.
• Plant seeds for corn and other heat-lovers.
• Continue to plant container-grown trees, shrubs, perennial herbs and flowers, as well as ground covers.
• If you haven’t already, move your houseplants outside.
• To neaten their appearance and encourage future blooms, continue to deadhead flowers. Ideally, this should be done daily.
• Harvest vegetables while they are still young and tender.
• Fertilize roses, citrus trees, fuchsias, and avocado trees.
• Clean up fruit that has fallen.
• If you haven’t already, fertilize your lawn.

June

• Pull up plants that performed poorly this season and lettuce that has “bolted” (developed a long, central stalk).
• Pinch suckers off tomatoes (miniature stems that grow at an angle, where the larger stem meets the main stalk.
• Remove yellowed, brown bulb foliage as soon as it pulls off without resistance.
• Keep deadheading!
• Keep new plantings well watered.
• When irrigating lawns, always water deeply and thoroughly (as opposed to shallow and often).
• For mums, pinch off the last inch or so of the branches until July. This will insure full-flowering plants. Also, cut back asters and other tall, floppy, late-summer bloomers by a third - after they are about a foot high.
• Continue to fertilize roses.
• Control diseases by checking junipers, birches, cherry and arborvitae for bagworms and other caterpillars. Treat them with Bacillus thuringiensis if needed. Watch for fungal disease on tomatoes and roses - spray with fungicide. Also watch for aphids and other sucking insects, as well as whitefly and spider mites.

• Water thoroughly!
• When annuals and perennials get scraggly or leggy, cut them back by at least a third.
• Fertilize acid-loving plants and others that might be showing signs of an iron deficiency. Also, remember to fertilize potted plants.
  *Don’t fertilize roses this month. The high temperatures decrease vigor, lessening the need for food.
• Mow lawn regularly and keep deadheading!
• Keep watering!

August

• Begin preparation for renovating
  cool-season lawns and overseeding.
• If plants are struggling, cut them back.
• Water in the early morning. Be sure to water the soil, not the leaves.
• Pull out annual flowers, vegetables, and herbs that are struggling.
• If a perennial is looking sickly, cut it back a few inches. It will come back with healthier growth.
• Keep deadheading.
• Do not fertilize roses, but do fertilize acid-loving plants that may be deficient in iron. Also, fertilize annuals and perennials that are in pots.
• Harvest vegetables. If production ceases, be patient and wait for cooler temperatures when production will probably resume.
• Continue to mow regularly.

September

• Halt fertilizing of perennials, to avoid encouraging winter growth - this is when they need to rest.
• Reseed and repair lawn, as needed. Water daily until the seed has sprouted and is established.
• Keep roses watered, fertilized, and deadheaded.
• Continue to fertilize containers containing annuals and perennials.
• Harvest vegetables or wait for production to resume.
• Keep grass under 3” tall.
• Put out bird feeders, etc. because now is the time over wintering birds establish their food sources.
  
  

• Plant perennials, container roses, and container or balled-and-burlapped trees and shrubs. This can be done through November. Keep them well watered.
• Plant fall vegetable crops (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.).
• Plant cool-season annual flowers, such as pansies, calendula, and snapdragons.
• Divide perennials as needed.
• Create a compost heap if, you don’t already have one. If you do have one, take it apart and work the black soil into your holes as you plant.
• “Winterize” your lawn with a fertilizer made for this time of year. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide as well.
• Halt pruning and fertilizing, which will encourage new growth.
• Repair and water lawn.
• Continue to fertilize containers containing annuals. Also continue deadheading.

November

• If you haven’t already, move your houseplants back inside.
• Continue to plant perennials, container roses, and container trees and shrubs.
• Plant spring-blooming bulbs, provided the weather has been cold enough. You can also refrigerate bulbs in a paper bag for 10 weeks, before planting them outdoors. If you are unsure about the ground temperature, give us a call.
• Divide perennials as needed, especially spring-blooming perennials that should not be divided in the spring, right before or during their bloom time.
• As perennials become ratty or fade, cut them nearly to the ground.
• Pull out dead annuals.
• Transplant small trees and shrubs, if needed.
• Over-seed lawn with annual rye, for a green lawn this winter. However, this will require mowing throughout the winter.
• Continue to water lawn and if you haven’t already, “winterize” with a fertilizer made for this time of year. Also apply a pre-emergent herbicide.
• Clean tools and store for the winter.
• Service mower and sharpen blades. Let power equipment run until the gasoline runs out.
• Drain irrigation systems. Unscrew hose from faucet and put a cover in its place. Drain hose and store for winter.

December

• Keep poinsettias well - watered and away from direct sunlight and heat.
• Add a moderate amount of ash from your fireplace, to your compost heap.
• Keep plants well watered so whenever
  a freeze occurs, they will be more apt to survive. A well-hydrated plant is stronger and more likely to recover.
• Remember, with container plantings, their watering needs are twice that of plants in the ground at this time of year.