Gardening Calendar

FEBRUARY

• Check trees and shrubs for rabbit damage.
• Reapply repellent as needed.
• Reapply wiltproof to sensitive plants for late winter protection.
• Carefully brush snow off evergreens to prevent broken branches.
• Prune most trees, shrubs, and vines.
• Plan your garden and landscaping now to get a jump on spring.

MARCH

• Spray dormant oil to control scale on dogwood, lilac, wintercreeper, & fruit trees before buds swell.
• Remove rose cones as weather warms up, but leave mulch on until new growth begins.
• Plant cold crops outside: peas, spinach, rhubarb, asparagus, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts.

APRIL

• Spray hawthorns for rust when buds begin to open and repeat.
• Spray for apple scab when growth begins on crabapple and apple trees and repeat.
• Remove tree wrap.
• Transplant trees and shrubs in your yard before the buds open.
• Apply crabgrass control to your yard.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs now.
• Divide perennials.
• Plant a tree in celebration of Arbor Day.
• “Wait and see” on any winter damaged evergreens.
• Do not prune brown branches until new growth appears; then prune back to live buds.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides to beds.

MAY

• Water new plantings.
• Continue apple scab & cedar rust controls on susceptible trees.
• Overseed any thin areas in your lawn.
• Control broadleaf weeds as they appear with liquid herbicides.
• Plant annuals and tender garden plants after the 15th.
• Watch for pine sawfly feeding on mugho and scotch pine.
• Remove tent caterpillar nests as they appear on crabapple, plum and cherry trees.
• Spray to control spruce spider mite.

JUNE

• Most borer control sprays are effective now.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs.
• Fertilize annuals.
• Raise mowing height to 2 1/2” to help lawns tolerate hot, dry weather.
• Prune most evergreen shrubs late this month.

JULY

• Water new plantings.
• Apply 1/2” of water to lawn weekly.
• Pinch back mums to 6”.
• Watch for early signs of slug damage and control with baits.
• Spray now to prevent powdery mildew on susceptible ornamentals.

AUGUST

• Avoid fertilizing or pruning woody plants and perennials now to help them properly prepare for colder weather.
• Deeply water all plantings to relieve drought and heat stress.
• Apply pine borer control sprays now.
• Treat white grubs.
• Plant mums.
• Lawn seeding and fertilizing can be done late this month.

SEPTEMBER

• Control broadleaf weeds in the lawn.
• This is the ideal time to rejuvenate and over seed your lawn.
• Spray for Cooley and Eastern spruce gall aphids on spruce if you have had a problem in the past.
• Do not prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now.
• Plant evergreens, especially conifers.
• Begin planting spring bulbs.

OCTOBER

• Dig up and store summer flowering bulbs: dahlias, cannas, gladiolas, and tuberous begonias after the first hard frost.
• This is an ideal time to plant most trees and shrubs.
• Rake up and discard leaves from diseased trees and roses.
• Rototill and amend soils in flower and vegetable beds for spring planting.
• Water evergreens deeply if it has been dry.
• Cut down and remove dead perennials after a hard frost.

NOVEMBER

• Wrap smooth barked trees with tree wrap for winter protection.
• Protect broadleaf evergreens with antitranspirant.
• Apply protective mulches after the ground has cooled or frozen.
• Spray rabbit and deer repellent to protect plants from damage this winter; reapply as needed.