There’s always a good reason to go to the garden!
Taking care of routine tasks is key to keeping your garden healthy and attractive. Longfellow’s shares their top tasks here with you by the month. In general, garden-related tasks fall into three categories:
Preparation: steps to take in getting ready for a project or for a new gardening season
Maintenance: such as cultivating, trimming, pruning, fertilizing, and mulching
General Gardening Tasks: includes planting recommendations and timing
January
- Preparation- Seed starting can be a lot of fun, plus it reduces plant costs. But, there are several things to know. Refer to our “How To” article on getting started and what you need to know.
February
- Maintenance
- Prune Fruit Trees and Grapes
- Apply Dormant Oil on Fruit Trees
March
- General Gardening Activities– Spring schedule for planting vegetable seeds and/or plants.
- Preparation– Get rid of Moles
- Maintenance
- Cut Back and Pruning grasses, perennials, summer blooming shrubs
- Uncover perennials and roses
- Crabgrass Preventer and other Pre-Emergent Herbicides can be applied now
- Fertilize shrubs, perennials, and lawns
- Apply dormant sprays
April
- General Gardening Activities
- Plant cool season annuals now, but wait until May for heat-requiring flowers.
- Move and Divide Perennials now.
- Vegetable gardening is in full swing this month. For a calendar of planting times, refer to the March Gardening Tasks list.
- Maintenance
- Prune Crape Myrtle around mid-April
- Fertilize bulbs when in bloom.
- Borer control starts in April.
- Cedar Apple Rust watch is on this month.
- Lawn care this month includes weed control and aeration.
May
- Maintenance
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs
- Wait to cut back bulb foliage until it turns yellow or brown.
- Watch for mites and bagworms on evergreens starting this month.
- Control the foliar disease Rhizoctonia on Blue Spruce.
June
- Maintenance
- Watch for Mites and Bagworms on shrubs.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs
July
- General Gardening Activities– Fall vegetable gardens start in July
August
- General Gardening Activities
- Fall veggies can still be planted in August.
- Preparation
- The last time to fertilize or prune shrubs for the year is in August.
- Fall Lawn Renovation begins in August with weed control.
- Maintenance
- Fall care of Bearded Iris
- Care of Knockout Roses this time of year.
- Deep watering during the hot, dry summer months ensures quality blooms next spring.
September
- General Gardening Activities
- Lawn repair starts now with reseeding, aerating, and feeding the lawn.
- For planting Fall Veggies, refer to July for the schedule and other information.
- The planting of certain trees and shrubs should be done before October.
- How to succeed with growing Mums in the garden.
- Preparation
- Plant pansies now.
- Ensuring the hardiness of garden mums starts with planting in early September.
- Plant Garlic Now
- Maintenance
- Broadleaf Weed Control
- Controlling Borers in Trees – this month is the best time
October
- General Gardening Activities
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs in the fall.
- Winterizing – Many of these activities should not be done until November. This list will help you plan your fall gardening activities.
- Moving Plants Indoors
- Preparation
- Plant a cover crop in the Veggie Garden
- Planting Trees and Shrubs
- Maintenance– Weed Control in the Lawn
November
- General Gardening Activities-Trees should be pruned in the winter when they are dormant.
- Preparation
- Prepare for winter includes protecting tree trunks.
- Winter damage can be reduced or eliminated by mulching at the right time of year.
- Protect Evergreens from winter damage starts in November.
- Maintenance
- Apply winterizer now on the lawn.
- Clean up the vegetable garden now making spring planting so much easier.
December
- Maintenance
- Prune and mulch hybrid tea roses now.
- Evergreens can be pruned now. Use the cut greens in holiday decorating.
