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The Home Garden Schedule
For most areas in northeast North America, use the following schedule as a general guide to common garden chores (west coast and southern gardeners should adjust it according to climatic differences).
January (All outdoor plants dormant)
- Plan garden
- Order seeds and propagation equipment
- Prude shade trees
- Start slow-germinating seeds indoors
- Inspect bulbs in storage
February (All outdoor plants dormant)
- Sharpen pruning shears and loppers in storage
- Prune shade trees
- Start seeds indoors
March (Some growth starts outdoors towards end of month)
- Prune fruit trees/shrubs
- Apply dormant oil spray
- Examine gardening tools; fix, sharpen and replace as necessary
April
- Dig over and prepare growing beds for planting
- Rake lawn
- Seed bare patches
- Fertilize lawn with a slow-release fertilizer
- Plant bareroot trees and shrubs
- Start lawn mowing toward end of month
- Remove protective cover from roses and prune them
- Plant perennials
- Plant peas, oninions, leeks, sweet peas, lettuce, radish, chervil, Swiss chard,
- spinach and chives outdoors
- Plant asparagus and rhubarb
- Start to build a compost pile
May
- Set out annuals
- Plant container-grown plants
- Mow lawn weekly
- Fertilize and mulch beds; apply manure or compost to growing areas
- Dust roses
- Seed new lawns
- Plant perennials and summer flowering bulbs
- Plant evergreen hedges
- Set out brassica crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)
- When danger of frost is past, plant and sow frost-tender vegetables, including tomatoes, snap beans and corn
- Weed growing areas weekly or biweekly, as needed
June
- Mow lawn weekly
- Fertilize and mulch beds
- Prune evergreens
- Spot kill or dig persistent lawn weeds
- Support tall perennials as needed
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs to remove dead flower heads
- Thin vegetable garden
- Plant successive crops (lettuce, carrots, beans, etc)
- Pinch chrysanthemums to force lower growth
- Weed growing areas as needed
- Dust roses
July
- Mow lawn weekly or as needed; cut no shorter than 2″
- Water growing beds during dry periods
- After fruiting, prune rasberry canes
- Stake tall perennials such as delphinium and peony
- Dust roses
August
- Prune climbing roses
- Seed new lawns toward end of month
- Sow fall vegetables (radish, spinach, lettuce, etc.)
- Mow lawn weekly or as needed; cut no shorter than 2″ in hot weather
- Remove sucker growth from weeping grafted trees
- Harvest vegetables
September (First light frosts)
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs and perennials
- Mow lawn weekly or as needed
- Harvest vegetables
- Divide perennials if needed
- Compost frost-killed annuals
- Apply fall fertilizer to lawn
- Aerate lawn
October (First heavy frosts)
- Dig and store frost-tender summer-flowering bulbs
- Plant trees, shrubs and spring-flowering bulbs
- Dig over vegetable and annual beds
- Water evergreens liberally until freeze-up to prevent winter sun scalding
- Rake leaves
November (All plants dormat)
- Mound rose bushes with soil to protect from freeze thaw cycles
- Wrap evergreens to protect from wind, sun and snow damage
- Clean and oil hand tools before storage; rub wooden handles with tung oil
- Drain hoses and sprinklers; store in shed or basement
December (All plants dormat)
- Rest
Article is courtesy of Lee Valley Tools Ltd.
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Post Type: Tip
Source: Lee Valley Tools Ltd.
