Seasonal gardening guide
A monthly game plan for busy gardeners
From landscape planning, to ordering and sowing seeds, to the delights of spring’s first tender plants, there’s fun to be had in the garden in every season of the year. Keeping note of the best times to do different tasks in the yard also makes for larger yields in both the flowerbed and vegetable patch, and keeps a gardener’s spirit growing year round.
January
Because temperatures can be the lowest in January, now is the time to ensure that tender plants that have been mulched heavily for winter are still healthy. With Christmas just past, compost the tree and other natural trimmings, such as wreaths and centerpieces. Greenery can be cut up and used as insulation on annual beds or be chipped and added to the compost pile.
February
February is ideal for pruning fruit trees. On a temperate day, remove any dead wood and crossing branches. Concentrate especially on young growth and shoots running vertically to old wood.
This is also a good time to prepare materials for plants sown indoors. Sanitize all pots, tools and racks. Buy necessary materials: soils, new light bulbs for growing fixtures, and seeds. Test older seeds for potency.
March
As soon as the soil is workable, start preparing beds for planting. Apply time-release fertilizers (where necessary) and several inches of good quality compost. Remove early weed sprouts and tidy up raised beds. Since much of the country tends toward soggy weather in March, this is also the time to be vigilant about slug and snail eradication.
April
April is a great month to remove winter mulches and make way for new plants. Discard mulching materials to the compost heap. Check on any perennials divided in the fall. Make sure that their roots have remained well covered and discard materials that did not survive last fall’s transplant. This is also the month to divide perennials. Take pie-shaped wedges from established plants and reuse them in other areas of the garden.
May
It’s time to reintroduce plants to the outdoors that have been wintered inside. Take tropical plants, citrus, and other frost-tender species and leave them outside during warm afternoons. In many climates, this is also the month to start planting the vegetable garden in earnest. May is also the season to prune back early flowering trees and shrubs.
June
Tackle lawn care in June. Remove any clumps of crab grass from the lawn and apply a nitrogen rich fertilizer and weed killer. Also, take out the mower, clean the undercarriage, and sharpen the blades. Keeping the lawn regularly cut, removing no more than 1/3 of its total height, will keep it in top shape all summer. Plant colorful annuals for late summer displays.
July
July is the high season for annual weeds, so it’s more important than ever to stay on top of them. Use manual methods first and chemical methods only when absolutely necessary. Discard any seed-bearing weeds in the refuse or in an autumn burn pile.
Since this is the season of greatest glory in the garden, why not take some time to enjoy all the hard work? Plan a garden party or just enjoy a cool iced tea in your favorite spot in the garden.
August
Concentrate on deadheading during August. Removing faded blooms will elongate the glory of annuals and keep the garden looking tidy through the first frost. Watering intelligently is also important in the late summer. In the morning or early evening, give lawns and beds deep waterings. This will encourage good root development.
September
Transplanting is most successful in the fall. Prepare beds for new divisions by weeding, removing faded annuals, and fertilizing. Dig up perennials for division and separate clumps with a pair of garden forks. Replant both sections immediately and water well. September is also a good time to clear out the vegetable garden and to get it ready for a winter rest.
October
If it hasn’t been done already, October is the month to protect frost-tender perennials and to trim back spent foliage. Spring bulbs should also be put in the ground and fertilized. Planting crocus and daffodils in drifts will make for brilliant spring displays.
November
Take a well-deserved break.
December
It’s time to start plotting all over again. Pour through seed catalogs, using small sticky notes to mark potentials for next year’s garden. Make a drawing of your yard and consider last year’s successes and learning experiences. Make appropriate changes to the plan and order plants and seeds for the spring.