mySeniorSite Gardening Calendar

mySeniorSite Home and Garden Calendar



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Gardening Calendar

Every season brings with it new pleasures and opportunities to perpetuate the beauty and vigor of your garden. To keep your garden healthy and attractive, it's a good idea to get into the habit of doing regular maintenance. Here’s a simple month-by-month planner to guide you through the year. Just click on the calendar month to the right.

January

C - I

Plan summer gardens and indoor seed planting; order seeds

C - I

Weather permitting, prune grapes, fruit trees, small fruit and late-flowering deciduous shrubs

C - I

Remove heavy snowfall from bushes and evergreens to prevent branch damage

C - I

Water plants under rooflines and close to the house, especially in dry winters

Spray deciduous trees and shrubs with dormant oil and lime sulfur.

Clean up beds

Top

February

C - I

Lift, divide, and replant late-blooming perennials

C - I

Finish pruning ornamental trees and spray with dormant oil; do not prune maples, birch, and walnuts until late July to September

C - I

Most pruning can be done, except spring-flowering shrubs with buds

C - I

Water all plants as appropriate

Apply dolomite lime to lawn at month’s end

Begin weed control in beds

Check stored bulbs: keep soil barely moist and if tips have sprouted more than 5 cm, then bring out into a bright, cool room (12°-15°C). Gradually increase warmth and indirect sunlight.

On mild, still days you can spray roses, fruit trees and some shrubs with dormant oil (temperatures should exceed 5°C)

Top

March

C - I

Plant summer-flowering bulbs (March or April)

C - I

Shop for flowering trees while they are in bloom

C - I

Spring clean the garden

C - I

Water and fertilize all plant material, including lawns and bulbs

C - I

Weather permitting, plant hardy vegetables and bulbs

C - I

Good time to do most planting of nursery stock

C - I

Start uncovering tender perennials, roses, and the more delicate plant material

Finish pruning roses and planting bareroot roses

Top

April

C - I

Plant early hardy vegetables until mid-month

C - I

Prune early-blooming shrubs after they flower

C - I

Aerate the lawn with a core aerator; top dress and fertilize lawns; over-seed bare patches

C - I

Control for dandelions before they flower

C - I

Divide late-blooming perennials

C - I

Fertilize cedar hedges with 30-10-10

C - I

C/ I Check lawns for leather-jacket control, if necessary

C - I

Weather permitting, plant all summer-flowering bulbs

Top

May

C - I

Buy bedding plants, harden, and plant out after the mid-month; plant out dahlia tubers

C - I

Weather permitting, set out all bedding plants (occasional night protection may be required)

C - I

Plant patio containers

C - I

Plant new lawns

C - I

Prune back spring-flowering perennials

C - I

Deadhead tulips and daffodils (flowers only) so bulb can produce energy for next year

Thin out annuals

Remove seed heads from rhododendrons and azaleas

C - I

Fertilize lawn with organic or slow-release fertilizer

Top

June

C - I

Continue watering bulbs until yellowed leaves can be gently pulled off

C - I

Keep newly planted hedges, trees and shrubs well watered

C - I

Plant out tomatoes, zucchini and cucumber

C - I

Start roses on a monthly fungicide/insecticide spray schedule, if necessary

C - I

Deadhead roses, annuals and perennials to promote more blooms

C - I

Mulch garden areas to help preserve moisture and keep weeds down

C - I

Continue plantings such as annuals; water well

C - I

Feed all annuals once or twice a month

C - I

Continue feeding container plants

C - I

Water lawns and gardens wisely, preferably in the morning

Spray for cherry fruit fly

Top

July

C - I

Deadhead roses, annuals and perennials to promote more blooms; water well

C - I

Harvest raspberries and strawberries; remove unwanted strawberry runners; remove plants that have cropped for three summers

C - I

Cut herbs for freezing and drying

C - I

Continue to feed gardens and container plants

C - I

Water hanging baskets and patio plants at least once a day

C - I

Lift daffodils and tulips for curing; use bulb dust for disease control

C - I

Deadhead roses, annuals and perennials to promote more blooms

C - I

Thin grapes

Top

August

C - I

Continue feeding plants in containers and hanging baskets; water daily

C - I

Prune back wisteria and other vigorous climbers

C - I

Harvest vegetables frequently and keep plants well watered

C - I

Hill potatoes with soil or mulch

C - I

Cut back raspberry canes that fruited this year

Plant peonies

C - I

Divide perennials that flowered from spring to early summer

C - I

Fertilize late-flowering plants

C - I

Remove fallen fruit to keep disease and pests away

C - I

Plant fall rye

Top

September

C - I

Begin planting spring-flowering bulbs

C - I

Irrigate when needed, but slowly reduce watering so plants get ready for winter

C - I

Plant spring-flowering bulbs; use bulb dust for disease control

C - I

Plant new lawns

C - I

Fertilize all plants (except roses) and lawns with organic or slow-release fertilizer

C - I

Allow lettuce to go to seed and feed the birds this winter

C - I

Apply copper spray to selected fruit trees

Check soil and add lime if required

Top

October

C - I

Clear beds of annuals by the end of the month and compost

C - I

Put sticky bands of tanglefoot around trees to deter winter moths

C - I

Cultivate in interior regions; enrich in areas you plan to sow in spring

C - I

Plant shrubs, perennials and spring-flowering bulbs

C - I

Dig up tender bulbs for storage; apply bulb dust for disease control

C - I

Dig up carrots, beets and turnips and harvest cabbage for storing

C - I

Don’t forget to water plants close to the house or under rooflines

C - I

Bring all tropical patio plants indoors; check them for pests before bringing inside

Top

November

C - I

Make sure plants like dianthus and saxifrage don’t get covered in leaves, as they will rot

C - I

Lift, divide and replant spring- and summer-blooming perennials (weather permitting)

C - I

Use any clean dead growth from garden beds and containers for the compost

C - I

Protect trees and shrubs from mice, rabbits and deer; do not use plastic to wrap plants

C - I

After the first few hard frosts, mound the bases of roses and less hardy plants with peat moss or other mulch such as compost

C - I

Water all plants for winter; ensure adequate drainage so roots do not stand in water all winter

Give roses a final deadheading and a light pruning; apply dolomite lime around established roses

Top

December

C - I

Plan to rotate the crops in the vegetable garden next year

C - I

Ventilate cold frames in mild weather

C - I

Clean, sharpen and sterilize all tools

C - I

Shovel clean snow around plants for extra moisture and insulation

C - I

Keep bird feeders filled

Lightly prune hollies and evergreens; use the clippings for wreaths and seasonal decorations

C - I

Buy your favorite friend a gardening gift

Top

Garden Calendar
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr
May	Jun	Jul	Aug
Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

C indicates a coastal region gardening task

I indicates an interior region gardening task

For Northern regions, consult your local garden center or landscape professional.

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